The Top 10 - 2025

This is my 10th Top 10.  We look back at an interesting year in Joe.  Hasbro abandoned 3 3/4" figures entirely.  But, Super7 picked up the mantle and delivered the largest contingent of figures we've seen since the heyday of the repaint era.  Sadly, the ReAction+ figures are expensive.  And, their heavy cartoon focus falls outside of my main interest.  So, while they are the real story of 2025 from a Joe perspective, they have little bearing on my past year.  The same is true of Black Major and Lady Jaye Toys.  They've done some amazing stuff this year, really upping their game.  But, for many reasons, they're products haven't spoken to me.  And, I've avoided new acquisitions from them.  And, lastly, kickstarters have come and gone.  Many haven't been funded.  And, some that have continue to underwhelm when the final product is in hand.  Again, I'm not interested in tacti-cool self insert characters that use Joe articulation but have no other connection to the Joe brand.  

I remain in a Joe acquisition moratorium.  It's just pure lack of interest.  I haven't bought anything in two years.  And, that's lead to some isolation.  If you're not talking about the newest and upcoming, you're just shouting into the void.  I don't really see my collection growing in 2026, either.  I'm just at a point where nothing's compelling enough to get me to buy it.

The most popular items on the site in 2025 was kind of weird.  It seems that unappreciated figures did really well.  You'll see from the list that some of the figures aren't the type of thing that you'd think people would want to read about.  But, I suspect that their relatively low place in the Joe world actually makes them interesting these days.  Everyone's read about Snake Eyes and see his figures everywhere.  But, Skidmark?  Only a special kind of sadist would write a few hundred words about him.  And, that drew people in.

So, here's the top 10 for 2025:

10. 2018 Red Laser Army Redmack - 654 page views

Factory Customs tend to do well.  Though, they aren't the guaranteed hits they used to be.  Redmack has the cachet of being a rare character that's now attainable.  He's visually interesting and still not all that common to see in the Joe content of the day.

09.  1990 Laser Viper - 663 page views

I've really struggled to find words for the 1990 Laser Viper.  My first profile on him wasn't great.  And, this 2nd one still wasn't quite where I wanted it to be.  But, I had fun taking photos of him out in the ice and snow.  And, he ended up in the top 10.  So, that's not too bad.  

08.  Swampmasher - 665 page views

I wish I had more Joe vehicles.  But, then, I have to pack up my collection and I see all the boxes and I think I should sell 2/3 of the ones I do have.  Some day, I'm going to get settled into a house that I live in for more than 3 or 4 years.  Maybe, then, I'll be able to get all my vehicles out and expand my collection a bit.  Vehicle prices have come down in recent years.  But, it's getting harder to find mint and complete versions as the plastic ages.  So, no guarantees, even if I have grandiose plans.

07. 1986 Stun - 679 page views

Vehicles always do well.  While figures are documented to death, Joe vehicles remain something that is less often seen.  They're big, bulky and a pain to get out.  But, they add so much to a photo.  The STUN was a childhood favorite.  And, it was fun to reminisce about it.

06. 2005 Winter Operations Frostbite - 687 page views

Snow photos did really well in 2025.  The 1993 Iceberg came in at #11 on the list.  And, some other profiles that featured photos in the snow also did well.  We got a massive snowfall early in the year and it lingered for quite some time.  So, I got hundreds of photos out in it to replenish my well of content.  On top of that, the Winter Operations is an obscure 2005 release.  (We'll see that theme appear again, later.)  Not many collectors pay it much mind.  So, this figure was a curiosity for many who couldn't place the figure without a visual reminder.

05. 1993 Alley Viper - 751 page views

This was a profile I did in conjunction with the Attica Gazette.  This bumblebee colored Alley Viper is more popular than it should be.  He's a fun army builder and is true to the Alley Viper character.  It all added up to a solid showing for a major character in one of his less famous color schemes.

04. 2025 Pythona - 798 page views

I don't know if I'll get a Pythona figure.  My local Target stopped stocking ReAction+ Joes over the summer.  She's the type of release that Super7 does well.  But, $25 is a lot to swallow for a character to whom I have no attachment.  But, she's, exactly, the type of figure that should appear in the ReAction+ line.  Super7's been mediocre with their figure assortments this year.  I hope they move away from the cartoon heavy influence.  But, I suspect they wanted to ensure that the owner got every figure he wanted as a kid before the line gets cancelled.  Now that they've hit the main characters, I'm hoping they delve into more ephemera like they did in the 5 POA line. 

03. 2005 Heavy Assault Set Duke - 811 page views

Ummm...I have no idea?  This is not a good figure.  But, the circumstances around the HAS set's release have been mostly forgotten.  You simply don't see the HAS figures used at all these days.  I suspect that obscurity lead to curiosity as it's not a figure you see all that often.  And, hard as it is to believe, this Duke is also 20 years old, now.  I'd have never guessed this was a top 3 profile of the year.  But, still not the biggest surprise on the list.

02. 1988 Skidmark - 834 page views

The biggest surprise goes to Skidmark.  He's the number 2 most viewed post of the year.  Which, makes little sense.  As mentioned above, though, I suspect that Skidmark's lack of popularity actually makes him more click-worthy.  You always see the big characters and rare figures out there.  You don't see Skidmark.  He's something new.  And, that brought in the eyeballs.

01. My Favorite Accessories Part 1 - 855 page views

This was my personal favorite piece of the year.  It gave me a chance to talk about some of the key weapons from my childhood and the stories associated with them.  Later installments of this series also did very well and fell in the top 20.  So, it's a subject that resonated with people.  I'll have some more of these coming in 2026, too.

So, that wraps up 2025.  I hope your year was good.  2026 will be fun.  I'm going to revisit some of the earliest figures profiled on the site and see how my views have changed in 25 years.  I've got more essays about some of the aspects of the line that really appealed to me back when I was a kid.  Rarities Month will be back with some obscure and interesting stuff, too.  I'm holding out hope that Super7 will reach bottom of the cartoon well and we might finally see a Dr. Venom or the khaki Kwinn figure.  Until then, have a great year!