1983 Hiss Tank - Around The Web

The Hiss Tank is the single most iconic Cobra ground vehicle.  It is a staple of every collection and is the perfect combo of being a toy and a collectible.  It's been released time and time again.  So, everyone has a shot at it.  Not much else to say other than to check out all the great content that features it.

1983 Hiss Tank Profile

Hiss Tank Diorama

1983 Hiss Tank by steelbrigade

1983 Hiss Tank by thedustinmccoy

1983 Hiss Tank by gijoe_guy

1983 Hiss Tank by theoldnerd

1983 Hiss Tank by tituslester32

1983 Hiss Tank by Darkstar Vintage

1983 Hiss Tank by gijoe_guy

1983 Hiss Tank by sintechness

1983 Hiss Tank by fosilru

1983 Hiss Tank by viper_space

The Top 10 - 2020

 So, 2020 was a weird year.  It was bizarre in that Joe was popular, but also not.  Items that, historically, collectors showed interest in were simply ignored.  Yet, common items that no one would ever care about now get massive attention.  And, in all this, the most popular post in the site's history debuted this year.  Yes, there is a new number one post in this site's long life.  And, you'll never guess what it is.

With that, here's the top 10 posts of 2020 on the site.

10. European Force Tonnerre

The European Force figures have always been solid performers during Rarities Month.  This year, I focused on the one figure that I see the least: Tonnerre.  This orange repaint is weird and odd and lots of fun.  I'd love to someday own one.  Until then, though, Rarities write ups like this one will have to suffice for me.

9. 2006 Viper

Army builders are always popular.  This Viper Pit set, though, has turned into a dud due to the poor quality of the figures.  Despite that, this figure got a lot of page views just due to the Viper name and the fact that it's been 14 years since he was released.  

8. Black Major Cobra De Aco

Black Major figures tend to perform well.  Especially when you consider that I can't promote the profiles of them in many of the largest social media groups.  Despite this blackout, people find the write ups of the figures.  Other Joe bloggers report the same.  The De Aco is a famous figure in its own right and people were interested to see how the Black Major release compared to one of the first foreign figures to really capture the community's attention.

7. 2020 Retro Hiss Tank

This isn't really a surprise.  A classic and iconic vehicle re-offered at retail for the first time in a long time was certain to draw in viewers.  Naturally, you see video reviews from large toy sites that have massively more numbers as they pull in the retail only collector crowd.  But, even Joe collectors wanted to see this one and it dropped into the top profiles of the year.

6.  1987 Fast Draw

I never considered Fast Draw an overly popular character.  But, his profile garnered a lot of attention.  It wasn't the time of year or anything.  In fact, the two profiles the surround Fast Draw (1984 Chameleon and 1997 Ace) were among the lowest performing posts of the year.  So, the popularity is entirely attributable to the Fast Draw figure.

5.  Sgt. Savage P-40 Warhawk

The Warhawk is an incredibly obscure item of which most fans had little recollection.  So, it getting a prominent post attracted viewers.  Some loved the design.  Others hated it.  But, the reality is that Sgt. Savage toys are almost as forgotten as G.I. Joe Extreme and it's getting rarer and rarer to see them in any capacity. 

4. Terror on the Tundra Mail Away Promo

I don't look at a lot of paperwork.  But, little items like this Terror on the Tundra promo tend to be popular.  Most collectors have these things lying around.  But, they aren't something that they take the time to look at.  And, now that some of the items in them have reached astronomical prices, it's interesting to look back at what you could have bought when they were released.

3.  Rarities - Later Series Lucky Bell Power Commandos

While I had a good crop of Rarities posts this year, only two really broke through.  This look at the later series of Power Commandos, though, was the most popular Rarities post of the year.  Again, this showcased a bunch of figures that most collectors were not aware of and, in many cases, had never seen.

There still lots about this line I don't know.  But, there will be at least one more new post for Rarities month in 2021 that relates to the Power Commandos, though.

2.  2006 Operation Flaming Moth Range Viper

The Flaming Moth figures have been left behind by collectors.  Those of us around at the time of their release remember the acidic taste of the Club's disdain for us upon the figure's release.  And, we also remember the figures being clearance fodder for years as the club struggled to move them.  But, 14 years later, these figures have become obscure.  So, this profile hit a nerve with the generation of collectors who don't have bitter memories of how truly awful the G.I. Joe club really was.

Despite this figure being the 2nd most popular post of the year, it was viewed more than 2,000 fewer times than the number 1.

1. 1984 Manta

I know, I can't believe it either.  But, the Manta is the most popular post in the site's history.  And, it wasn't due to a viral moment or a spike in popularity in a social media group.  No.  The Manta's rise to the top was simply a sustained excellence over the year.  Even 8 months after it's original publication date, the Manta was still among the weekly leaders in site hits.  It never had a huge surge of visitors.  It's just steadily performed for months.  (If you scroll to the bottom of any page on the site, you'll see the top 5 posts visited in the past week and the MANTA was almost always there in 2020.)  And, in September, it overcame the Rarities post about the unproduced Cobra Island Infiltrate set to become the most viewed post since I returned in 2015.

I can't explain why.  Manta's don't seem all that popular.  The photos for it weren't out of the ordinary.  There's just something about the Manta that's kept it consistently drawing viewers since it first appeared.

So, that's it for 2020.  It was a hell of a year.  Let's hope 2021 is less eventful on all fronts.  I've got some fun stuff ahead for the new year.  Aside from Joe, I'm going to take a look at Spinmaster Batman figures, some new Star Wars releases and, or course, tons of Joe items.  I'll be back to my regular cadence next week and already have the posts mapped out into April.

As always, thanks for spending time here, reading my stuff and leaving your thoughts in the comments.  I appreciate all of you!

2020 "Retro" Hiss Tank

Back in April, I looked at the "Retro" Bespin Luke Skywalker.  This figure fits the retro moniker because it's in the exact style of vintage Kenner Star Wars figures and, to the untrained eye, is a near exact copy from a figure created 40 years earlier.  At the time, I mentioned that G.I. Joe would also see a retro series of figures this year.  Lo and behold, those figures dropped.  And, if you had any glimmer of hope that they would be vintage Joes, you were sorely disappointed to find the releases nothing more than anniversary style rehashes from recent years.  So, that made the figures an easy skip for me.  But, there was a catch.  Hasbro also dropped two vehicles in the assortment.  The Joe vehicle, an AWE Striker is an easy skip.  Vintage AWE Strikers are a dime a dozen.  The mold was then repainted ad naseum in the 2000's.  And, in 2008, Hasbro modded the vehicle for anniversary figures.  I bought that version because it was cheap.  The other vehicle released for 2020, though, was a Hiss Tank.  While I really don't need another Hiss Tank that's actually more expensive than loose, vintage Hiss Tanks, I also decided that getting a crisp vehicle was kind of worth it.  Especially since I'll be able to sell the Driver in a year or two for at least half, and maybe the full retail price of the tank.  But, for now, I have my first new Hiss at retail since 2004.

The calling card of the Retro collection is the packaging.  This is odd, though, as the figures have only vintage style cardbacks.  The massive bubbles help to visually separate them from anything resembling real vintage Joes.  The vehicles, though, are complete throwbacks.  You get the standard, vintage box art.  The back shows the toy and has the Driver's file card.  While not an exact replica of the 1983 tank's packaging, this 2020 rendition is close enough and will scratch any itch a pent up adult has in regards to re-living their childhood for the few minutes it takes to buy the toy and put it together.

This Hiss is not the vintage Hiss Tank.  During the anniversary era, Hasbro either modded the existing Hiss Tank mold, or created a new one.  This is the mold used by this 2020 release.  It is problematic for vintage Joe collectors since the foot pegs are too small for vintage figures and the cockpit has been modified to fit anniversary figures with their weird proportions.  The upside, though, is the vintage figures still fit into the cockpit.  So, that helps keep this tank useful for those of us who refuse to move on from Joe's classic designs.  The lack of useful footpegs is annoying.  But, I always used my Hiss Tanks as weapons with just the driver and gunner.  They were rarely employed in moving troops around.  Plus, vintage Hiss tanks are cheap enough if you want to place some classic Cobras in a small display.

In 1999 and 2000, I wanted an army of Hiss Tanks.  There were some grainy Polaroids of big collections online at the time and seeing four or five Hiss Tanks (a HUGE collection at the time!) together was enticing.  Slowly, I picked up a few and got a small army together.  Then, in late 2000, came the announcement that the Hiss would be returning to retail as the Hiss III.  Priced at $10.00 with a figure, this was a deal.  I planned to buy several.  I found them at my local store in early 2001 and bought...one.  Once in hand, my excitement over more Hiss Tanks faded.  Sure, they're awesome.  But, after a couple, the returns diminish.  And, as the vehicle has been released in various forms since then, you can get a nice Hiss army without even repeating a release.

I got my first Hiss Tank for Christmas in 1983.  Nearly 37 years later, I'm able to buy another one at retail.  I'm not sure if that's great or kind of sad.  Not seeing Joe vehicles really progress for nearly four decades isn't a great look for the Hasbro design teams.  (Though, there are a couple of really nice DTC era vehicles that command premium prices today.)  Personally, I'd have far preferred a new Hiss II just because that mold is less common and has more potential.  Way back in the early days of online Joedom, someone made mention that for all we knew, some new item with a vague description in a retailers inventory system was a 1988 Warthog repainted and renamed as a new Hiss version.  I would not hate that and would probably buy a couple.  All of which is a roundabout way of saying that Hasbro could expand Cobra's armor divisions if they wanted to.  But, for now, the "retro" theme probably limits them in some capacity to truly explore.

Which brings to this vehicle itself.  Really, it's just the same Hiss we've seen multiple times.  It's all black, has a clear canopy and stickers.  There's nothing to really distinguish it from a 1983 Hiss if you're looking at a display from afar.  Aside from the foot peg changes and cockpit update, nothing about the Hiss has changed.  That familiarity is good and is exactly what Hasbro was going for in this release.  While vintage collectors didn't get much in the way of color diversity with Hiss releases, the anniversary line did produce some new Hiss colors.  I would not at all mind a few repaints of this vehicle.  As I do think that a desert Hiss and another arctic Hiss would have some demand.  But, an all black rehash of the classic is what collectors seemed to want and the quick sell outs around the country indicate that we're speaking with our wallets and should expect more rehashes instead of anything that deviates from a reproduction of an existing design.

In the 2000's timeline, vehicles came pre-assembled.  Most of this was a function of the window box packaging that was the marketing gimmick of that time.  Parents would know exactly what they were buying and no assembly was required.  You still see this today on many toys that don't have a collector influence.  This 2020 Hiss, though, came unassembled in the box.  While the tank only has a few parts (two treads, two wheels, tow hook, body, canopy and gun turret) it was still nice to put a Hiss together again.  The gun turret, though, did come pre-assembled.  So, there was less delicate work to be done on that front.  One of the joys of vintage Joes was taking all the parts out and putting them together into a cool toy.  That was fun to do...even if it's a one time thing.  And, now that my Hiss is assembled, it's not coming apart again.

One thing I noticed about the Hiss as I took it out of the box and put it together was show crisp and shiny and clean all the parts were.  Nearly four decades of grime, dust and oils take their toll on even nicely maintained vintage Hiss Tanks.  So, seeing one pop out of the package was nice.  You'll note in my photos that I'm missing many stickers on the Tank.  I'm not a big sticker guy.  Even as a kid, I rarely put on any more than the bare minimum of stickers.  In most cases, I felt they were either overkill or could limit some far flung adventure I had in the back of my mind.  At some point, I may add on some additional Cobra logos or the 788 banner.  But, for now, I'm keeping the tank relatively sleek and unadorned with superfluous sticker application.

The Hiss Tank includes a driver.  Based on the classic 1983 Hiss Driver, the figure is in anniversary style.  This means that all the limitations of those figures that were present in 2007 and still present in 2016 have been carried over to these 2020 figures.  If you like anniversary figures, then this guy won't bother you.  He'll sit in a box for me until it's time to trade or sell him.  I expect I'll be able to trade him for one or two of the Black Major Hiss Driver repaints that are planned to drop in 2021.  So, the figure has value to me for that reason alone.  He hearkens back to the original Hiss Driver, though, and that helps maintain the "retro" aesthetic.

The Hiss Tanks first hit retail in early fall of 2020.  At first, they were hard to find.  And, as Wal Mart cancelled online orders, collectors feared that the Hiss Tanks would go the way of the Target Cobra Troopers and sell for seven or eight times retail on Ebay.  And, for a while, the tanks got a huge aftermarket markup.  Slowly, though, more stock hit.  These were quickly cleared out by fly by night scalpers looking to make a quick buck.  But, in the final week or two of October 2020, Hiss Tanks saturated the market.  Collectors reported finding 20 or more stocked at a time.  And, aftermarket prices plummeted.  As of this writing, it's actually harder to find AWE Strikers in the store than it is Hiss Tanks.  If you want a Hiss, buy it now as many collectors have access to extras that they'll pass to you for cost and shipping.

Maybe Wal Mart ordered more of the Cobra army builder.  We don't really know.  But, it's also likely that once this mass stocking is over, Hiss Tanks will get scarce again.  And, it's entirely possible that by early 2021, frustrated collectors will be overpaying for these items once again.  One thing we've seen with collector targeted vehicle releases in both Star Wars and G.I. Joe is that they tend to perform better on the aftermarket than even figures.  Everyone can find room for one more figure.  But, finding room for vehicles and playsets is harder.  So, you see more people skip those entirely, or just buy the one they want for their collection with none to stash for future trades.  At $25, this thing has gotten substantially more expensive in recent years.  But, stores charge those prices because they know collectors will pay it.  And, we are.  So, retail's gauge on our price tolerance is spot on.  Gone are the days of Hasbro selling toys for cheap.  There is a "collector tax" on items like this Hiss that reap big profits for Hasbro and Wal Mart.  And, we're all too eager to pay it if it means classic toys recycled for another retail go around.

On some level, I hope that the retro vehicles continue.  While I dearly miss vintage Joe figures, I also resigned myself back in 2010 that I'd never see them at retail again.  But, having a chance at some vehicles is nice.  And, while I'll probably skip a Skystriker, I won't let any Rattler repaint or new Tomahawk pass me by again.  We know there is at least one more item coming...a new FANG.  It's not enough to excite me.  But, it's a good bet there's a Joe vehicle to accompany it.  If it's a Skyhawk, I might buy one.  If it's another Armadillo, though, I'll let that collect dust at my local store.  I wish the first two entries to this line had been more imaginative than the AWE Striker and Hiss Tank.  But, everything starts somewhere.  And, while I have no expectations for the long term potential of this line, I'll also take advantage of items like this Hiss that give me a less brittle and newer made item to round out my photos.

2000 Rip It

The 1983 Hiss Driver isn't really an iconic figure.  He often sits in his tank and simply hides in the cockpit: away from prying eyes.  But, as an early release, he is often held in higher regard than he would be were he released a decade later.  Since the figure is relatively common (it was a mail away for years and the Hiss was super popular) there has never been a great clamor for multitudes of repaints.  But, the Hiss Driver was also a case where Hasbro accommodated early collectors by dropping a repaint into the A Real American Hero collection.  The new character of Rip It was an interesting take on the Hiss Driver mold that was somewhat neutered by the fact that a classic army builder was now a character.

Collectors immediately attacked Rip It's name.  Being released at a time when most collectors were in their early 20's ensured that the juvenile jokes doomed the character.  18 years later, you don't hear as much of the ridicule.  But, Hasbro's new characters of the early 2000's were so embarrassingly bad that they have been rightfully discarded on the line's scrap heap.  Rip It was no different and the opportunity to create a new Hiss Driver Commander was wasted on a guy who will leave his unit to fight G.I. Joe on his own and who learned his expert tank operation skills by playing golf.  (I wish I was making that up....)

At his core, the Rip It figure was designed to be more "Cobra" in the sense that Cobra was understood by Hasbro in 2000.  But, the practical release of Rip It was not Cobra blue and, instead, a purplish blue that really doesn't fit with any other Cobra releases of the day.  Offset by globs of red paint, Rip It seems like a really cheap knockoff of the Hiss Driver instead of something interesting and fun.  Because the figure screams of minimum effort and unfulfilled potential, though, he perfectly fits with the ARAHC figure of 2000 and 2001.  This line had so much promise...which was never delivered.  Collectors were so happy to have figures at retail that many of the flaws were overlooked at the time.  But, by 2001, the cracks were there and the Hiss III (something that should have been a sure thing at retail) stuck around at nationwide Toys R Us stores for months. 

While Rip It is considered a 2000 release, he didn't actually show up until January of 2001.  But, the timing of the 2nd wave of the ARAHC happened to coincide with the new year.  I had found all of the Wave II figures in late December of 2000.  So, the Hiss III was was the only thing really new to me as 2001 dawned.  I found it at a local TRU store and quickly bought one.  But, as soon as I got it home, the paint job and driver underwhelmed.  At the time, vintage Hiss Tanks and Drivers were plentiful and cheap.  The Hiss III was a downgrade from the original Hiss and Rip It was a flawed figure. My original plans to buy 5 or 6 of the new Hiss Tanks quickly turned to just the one and I never really regretted not picking up more for the $9.99 retail price.

It should be noted that Rip It features a different waist than the original Hiss Driver.  It's not as noticable as some other waist replacements on figures from the 2000's.  But, is something that creates a bit of incongruity if you army build both original Hiss Drivers and any subsequent release.  Rip It also has no accessories.  But, as he's supposed to be encased in the glass cockpit of a cheap and disposable tank, you can forgive the lack of gear. 

Rip It figures started cheap and remain so to this day.  Aside from the fact that the Hiss III was available for quite a while at Toys R Us, large quantities of Rip It figures were available for many years from Asian overstock sellers.  It was easy to buy up lots of 5 or 6 Rip It figures for a couple of bucks.  Many collectors of the mid 2000's partook in these lots and then proceeded to RIT dye the figures in various color combinations.  You can still find photos of many of these creations and they all showcase the unfulfilled potential of the Hiss Driver mold.  Hasbro used it just three times: in 1983, for this Rip It and then again on the 2007 Convention release.  There is also the 2003 unproduced Wal Mart Hiss Driver that is out there.  But, in the end, two of the four Hiss Driver uses are rare and exceptionally pricey.  He remains a possibility for factory custom makers just because there would be demand for all black, real crimson, desert and arctic repaints of the figure.

If you want a Rip It, dealers often price him high: mistaking the pricey Convention and unreleased Wal Mart figures for interest in the character rather than being indicative of their rarity.  You'll find plenty of loose figures at $18 price tags: with no buyers.  Left on his own, this is a $5 figure.  But, he's a lot harder to find on his these days.  Sadly, boxed Hiss III's have climbed in price.  So, it's not really feasible to buy up boxed items and open them to get cheap loose toys.  With patience, you can build a nice little army of Rip It figures.  But, there's no real reason to do so.  The figure lacks iconic colors, has flaws and sits in the shadow of the 1983 Hiss Driver.  But, it's at least an alternative paint job for a classic mold.

Diorama - Snow Blind

In early 2003, we got a lot of snow.  One Sunday evening, I took some Joes out to get some snow pics.  It was late in the evening, so I had to use the flash.  But, I liked how the flash photos looked.  This photo set was planned to be the showcase for the 2001 Big Ben figure.  But, he didn't come out well enough in the photos and this was the last real snow I saw before I moved back to the desert.

1983 Hiss Tank

The Joe line has many icons. They are images of characters or vehicles that simply transcend the line and all subsequent versions of specific items must be derivative of those original incarnations. Items like the VAMP, Skystriker or even Snake Eyes wearing black are ingrained notions of the line that can not deviate too far from their original design. One such icon for Cobra is the classic Hiss Tank from 1983. Sleek, simple and, yet, so well done, the Hiss Tank personifies Cobra's military might. All subsequent takes on the Hiss have had to live up to the lofty standard of the original.

In August of 1983, my brother's best friend who lived around the block from us had a birthday. For this birthday, he received most of the 1983 Joe line. Aside from the awesome Joe figures from that year, he got the full gamut of Cobras. Destro, Major Bludd and the FANG were great starters, but he also got the first Hiss Tank I had seen. The tank was perfect for kids of the day. It held 4 figures, could move fast and was armed to the teeth. It was the ideal weapon for Cobra and was something for which the Joes had no real answer since there was only one MOBAT in the neighborhood and no one ever wanted to play with it.  A few weeks later, I recall zooming his Hiss down the sidewalk as we waited for the first G.I. Joe cartoon to air.  That's one of the driving forces behind the early memories of the tank.  Oddly, I recall the Hiss Tank and the adventure outside leading up to the cartoon moreso than I remember the cartoon itself.  That Christmas, my brothers and I got most of the rest of the G.I. Joe line, too.  While we shared the HQ and my younger brother got the Battle Bear, I got an APC and the Hiss Tank.  Immediately, the Hiss was opened and my Cobra forces now stood on far more equal ground with the Joes.

The greatness of early Cobra was the uniformity.  The Cobra Trooper and Officer were blue.  (Along with the Viper Glider and Viper Pilot.)  Cobra Commander was a lighter shade of blue.  Destro was black with red highlights.  Major Bludd was black with brown.  The Hiss Driver was red.  The FANG and the Hiss tank were red and black and black, respectively.  Sure, you had the white SNAKE armor.  But, even that was standardized as a Cobra color in 1984 with advent of the CLAW.  Cobra moved away from some of the standardization as the line progressed.  But, that early core cemented the idea of Cobra to me.  They were the blue and black brigade: fearsome terrorists (usually heavily Russian in the early '80's) who were willing and able to destroy the American way of life.  The Hiss Tank gave them power.  No longer were they some guys with Warsaw Pact small arms trying to infiltrate a town.  Now, they could roll their armor against any American city and impose their will while the populace waited for the military to arrive and turn their town into a ravaged war zone.

My favorite quality of the Hiss Tank is the durability.  The Hiss is sturdy.  As such, my original Hiss survived in pretty good shape while most of the vehicles which we acquired at the same time suffered damage and wear.  With few moving parts and a generally strong design, the Hiss withstood the constant play a 10 year old could put on his favorite toy.  That strength, though, is also a likely reason why vintage Hiss Tanks are cheap today.  On the surface, it is the most popular Cobra vehicle and is army built heavily.  Yet, they remain relatively cheap.  The surface reason is that Hasbro sold a LOT of Hiss Tanks in the early 1980's and then the tank had a very long life as a mail away as well.  However, I think the fact that good conditioned Hisses were common survivors of childhood collections meant that fewer found the trash can back in their release window.  Broken toys were thrown away in my home and many of friends faced the same policies.  If the Hiss didn't break, it was more likely to survive and be available for the adult market.

In my childhood collection, I had three Hiss Tanks: two black versions and the Sears SMS.  This convoy formed the backbone of my Cobra army for years and years.  For a time, the Hisses were replaced by STUNs.  But, I was always brought back to the Hiss because I had so few Cobra vehicles in general.  But, as a vehicle, the Hiss was pretty much perfect.  The cannons were large enough to plausibly destroy smaller Joe vehicles and do damage to the perimeter defenses around Joe bases.  But, they were also small enough to be used for anti-infantry purposes.  They could elevate to shoot down aircraft and the gunner was, relatively, protected for a Cobra vehicle.  The Driver was exposed.  But, the sloping bulletproof canopy was uses as a shield that could deflect most small arms fire away from the cockpit.  The Hiss was large enough to hold four figures (though, at some point, almost every Hiss that saw extensive play suffered a broken foot peg on the rear figure stand) while small enough to be easy to transport and play with.  Like the VAMP, the Hiss was pretty much an ideal toy for kids of the day.

The detail on the tank, though, is what elevates even beyond the basic construction quality.  While the pins that hold the guns into position are often broken, the rest of the tank had little in the way of moving parts.  While it would have been cool to have moving treads, the wheels hidden beneath the tank worked perfectly well and left the rolling tracks to be part of your imagination.  The cockpit is well detailed with controls and buttons that make it appear high tech.  The sides of tank features molded rivet marks to show where the steel is fastened together.  It's a cool little detail that brings more depth to the tank's appearance (which is important due to the overall black color) and adds an element of design that was missing on most, cheaper toys of the day.  Two figures could ride on the back of the tank.  The platform is large enough to be useful and pose figures less awkwardly than most of the later vehicles which incorporated the same feature.  The gun turret is nicely detailed and there is a sticker to show the gun controls.  The canopy fits tightly over the cockpit and is easily held in place.  The entire package is a marvel of toy engineering and holds up remarkably well more than 30 years later.

The Hiss Tank was a staple of international release.  Hasbro repainted the Hiss for the Sears exclusive SMS in 1985.  But, the tank was also released in Brazil, Argentina, Europe and Japan.  Palitoy released an exclusive coloring of the mold called the Hyena and released it with Red Jackal.  In 1991, the canopy was retooled for the Septic Tank.  Hasbro retained the mold in modern times and released a Toys R Us exclusive version in early 2001, a convention exclusive tank in 2002 and then a KB exclusive crimson version in late 2004.  Oddly, though, Hasbro would not revisit the mold again.  In the modern line, remakes of the Hiss have been rather ubiquitous, but they have gotten some really nice repaints that are sadly missing from the vintage line.  Hiss collectors will keep themselves occupied for a long time tracking down all the international and packaging variants.  (There are sticker variants as well between the retail release and mail away versions.)  But, the general look of the Hiss was kept consistent and there are really only three materially different color schemes: black, red and the 2001 purplish-blue.

Hiss Tanks are not expensive.  Nicely conditioned tanks, with the blueprints run under $25.  Just the tank alone runs between $15 and $20, usually depending on the condition of the gun mounts or stickers.  For a vehicle that is as popular as it is and as important as it is to the Cobra army, that is a pittance and there's no reason why any army building collector doesn't have a convoy of Hiss Tanks to transport his troops.  But, collectors are fortunate that such an iconic and important piece of Cobra equipment is also so ubiquitous.  There's no excuse for anyone to not have a Hiss convoy as large as they want except for sheer indifference to the toy's availability.  If only we'd gotten a couple of more repaints in the 2000's.  But, when the original is as perfect as the Hiss, it's hard to not just be grateful for what it is.  33 years later, this vehicle still remains the backbone of my Cobra vehicle motor pool.  I'm not alone in that which is a testament to the incredible quality of this toy.

Diorama - Hiss Attack

In the fall of 2002, I came home every day at lunch to let my dogs out since I didn't have a doggy door.  One mild fall day, I came home in a gentle rainstorm.  I saw the lighting in the yard was good and that the rain was bringing out the green that was left in the leaves.  I got out some recent figures and vehicles and took some pics.

The scene is heavy on 2002 figure releases since they were new at the time and still somewhat exciting.  The Night Rhino was one of my de facto Joe vehicles of the time and has remained so ever since.  My favorite part was getting the Convention Paratrooper Dusty out and into action.

The scene is quaint today.  But, it was a lot of fun at the time and reminds of the lusher locations I used to have available for dios.

2004 Operation Crimson Sabotage

I have never profiled an entire set of toys at once.  I've touched on individual figures or separate parts of vehicles.  But, I have never looked at a set as a whole.  The reason for Operation Crimson Sabotage being the first is the remarkable presentation and price that set offers.  Three army building figures, a classic Cobra vehicle repaint and a towed vehicle that had not been seen at retail in 15 years for $20 was beyond comprehension at the time.  Of course, collectors anticipated the set with a fervor that had been originally reserved for the Cobra Infantry from January of the same year.  And, the set did not disappoint.

The Crimson Sabotage set included three army building Crimson Guards, a red Hiss Tank and a Crimson ASP gun emplacement.  All of this was thrown into a nice window box and sold at KB Toy stores for a whopping price of $20.  In 1998, three figures sold for $10 at Toys R Us.  In 2001, a repainted Hiss Tank with driver also sold for $10 at Toys R us.  So, 3 years later, collectors got the tank, three figures and an ASP for the same total price.  (You basically substituted the Hiss Driver for an ASP.  While army builders may have wanted a 4th figure, not too many complained about what amounted to, basically, a free ASP.)  Naturally, collector interest was high.  But, delays in release and the confirmation of a Toys R Us set with more Crimson Guards somewhat tempered the set's release.  But, that doesn't diminish the set's quality at all.

The Crimson Guard figures in the set were based on the body mold first used for Agent Faces and planned for the cancelled Infiltrate Cobra Island set that was supposed to to include Snake Eyes, Duke and Gung Ho disguised as Crimson Guards.  This time around, though, the figure was given a new head.  The upside to the Sabotage set was that each of the three figures were slightly different.  One had red hair.  One had black hair.  The final figure featured an African American skin tone.  So, for army builders, the set offered the diversity that made the figures less homogeneous.  Of course, though, these figures were often displayed with helmets affixed which rendered the differences moot.

In 2005, Hasbro released the red haired figure again in the Toys R Us exclusive Crimson Guard set.  This set just included 4 of these figures.  The Sabotage figures, though, were slightly different.  Below is a comparison photo:

The first figure is the mail away Agent Faces.  Aside from the unique head, Faces has a yellow Cobra sigil, dark cords and silver medallions.  The next three figures are from the Crimson Sabotage set.  These figures also feature yellow sigils and dark cords.  The medallions, though, are also a dark, metallic copper color.  The biggest difference is that the Crimson Sabotage figures all feature a Crimson Sabotage insignia on their right arms.  The final figure is the Toys R Us exclusive figure.  You see the red hair is the same as the Sabotage figure.  But, the Toys R Us figure features a golden Cobra sigil.  The shoulder cords are significantly lighter as are the medallions.  With helmets on, the 5 unique figures are very similar.  But, they are different enough to build an army with different ranks or just different units.  These subtle differences are nice.

The three figures included the standard CG helmet and a newly sculpted shotgun.  The shotgun didn't make much sense and isn't a weapon that's all that useful.  Really, the figures suffer for it.  While there were a lot of complaints about the infantry themed gear in the TRU set, it at least looked good with the figure.  The shotgun does not and is a disappointment.  But, army building accessories in the 2000's were notoriously awful.  As such, third party weapons makers were able to fill a massive demand by offering weapons for the awe inspiring army builders of the day that were better suited for the figures.

The Hiss and ASP were the centerpiece of the set.  The vehicles were a throwback to the 1985 SMS set.  (KB also got a Crimson MOBAT based on the CAT Tank for release the same year.  It had a similarly sordid release tale, too, that I'll someday get around to.)  The Hiss and ASP combo, though, were a bit better.  First, they were both classic Cobra vehicles.  Secondly, they were colored in line with the Crimson theme.  Thirdly, they featured some intricate paint applications that made them more than just red and black.  Finally, they featured a strong sticker application that tied the set to it's origins, but also set them apart from some of the other Crimson sets that had been tried in the past.

The result is a vehicle complement for the Crimson Guards that made them the best equipped Cobra faction of the modern era.  The 2001 Hiss III tank was done in a purple hue.  As such, it's generally the forgotten member of the Hiss family: especially since original Hiss Tanks remain so cheap on the second hand market.  This set was great, though, and showed that Hasbro had the means to produce cheap vehicle sets and pairing them with a nice cadre of figures ensured their retail success.  Yet, for whatever reason, Hasbro rarely took advantage of this market.  We know that Hasbro had access to the Hiss II mold, the Warthog, the Stun and many other vehicle molds.  Yet, Hasbro mostly relegated those molds to limited Convention releases.  While I wouldn't trade this set for many others, it would have been nice for Hasbro to have given collectors a few more vehicle choices.

The Hiss and ASP are about as iconic Cobra as you can get.  They don't require much exposition since pretty much every collector has at least one version of each in their collection.  The bi colored vehicles, though, are an excellent way to bring some life to the molds.  The black seat of the ASP and the black parts of the Hiss Tank set the molds off nicely and are good updates to the vintage pieces.  Paired with the SMS and vintage Crimson Hiss makes for a great Crimson convoy.  It's an impressive array of hardware for an elite unit.  But, in absence of anything else, it was nice to get such an amazing set of vehicles and figures for such a cheap price.

When the Sabotage set was released, collectors were extremely excited.  Online forums were full of boasts of buying out every set that was found.  KB Toys' online set offered pre-orders for the set.  But, in the weeks leading to the set's release, these orders were cancelled.  The story was that the entire stock had been moved to the brick and mortar stores.  While many collectors were worried about finding the sets before, these cancellations set off wholesale panic.  Toy collector magazines began naming the set a good "investment" and likely to quickly appreciate on the second hand market.  Forums were full of pleas from collectors who lived no where near a KB for someone to help them acquire sets at cost plus shipping.  The collecting world braced for a storm.  When reports of the first sets found at retail hit, the collecting community went into overdrive.  Initial sets sold on Ebay for close to $60 each, even as they were actively shipping.  It looked like all the irrational fears of shortages were about to come true.

But, a few things then happened.  First, many collectors were not fully attuned to the army building fatigue that was finally settling.  While collectors still wanted army builders over all other figures, the reality was that from the latter half of 2003 through the end of 2004, Hasbro had been very good at getting army builders into collector hands.  The Python Patrol, Cobra Infantry, Urban Strike, Army Builder Wave and the Comic Packs had all combined to suck up collector's money and slowly siphon off some of the pent up demand for Cobras.  The second thing that happened, actually happened in late 2003.  Hasbro released Agent Faces as a mail away.  For $2.99 and 12 flag or battle points, collectors could get two Faces figures.  With the helmets on, those figures were almost the same as the Crimson Guards from this set.  Most collectors of the time had several, if not several dozen, Agent Faces figures by the time the Crimson Sabotage Set was released.  The third, and most important thing that happened was that news of a Toys R Us exclusive Crimson Guard 6 figure pack surfaced and were confirmed during the initial waves of the Sabotage set shipping.  Collectors now knew they could fill up on Crimson Guard figures without having to store tons of extra vehicles.

All of this left the Sabotage sets lingering at retail.  While some stores had sold through initial shipments in minutes, these later shipments sat for a while.  To add insult, stacks upon stacks of unsold Crimson Sabotage sets started to appear at KB Toy Liquidators stores.  While they still carried the original $20 price tag, it was evidence that the sets had either been over ordered, or had simply not been all that popular.  While all this was going on, Toys R Us released a set with 3 Joe figures, a VAMP and a Whirlwind.  If you had asked anyone which set would be more popular, you would have gotten zero votes for the VAMP.  Yet, by early 2005, the VAMP sets were gone from Toys R Us while KB was struggling to give away the last of the Crimson Sabotage sets.  It is known the Toys R Us ordered around 16,000 VAMP sets.  But, the KB numbers for Crimson Sabotage were not generally available.  It might have been a much higher number.  Or, it might have been the same and the difference was just the lower traffic that KB stores received.  Regardless, the set was widely available for a long time and anyone who had access to a KB during the release window had ample opportunities to acquire a set, in some cases, even on clearance.

The result of all this was that Operation Crimson Sabotage sets were very cheap for a long time.  Even into 2009 and 2010, you could get them for under retail.  (Shipping would kill you, though.)  Now, though, the sets have become harder to find.  Boxed sets sell in the $40 range.  Loose, complete with filecard sets sell between $25 and $30.  If you sacrifice the filecard, you can get a set cheaper.  But, oddly, buying the individual parts of the set is substantially more expensive.  Being almost 12 years removed from the set's release, the pricing is probably a bit high.  But, the set is nothing short of excellent and no Crimson army is complete without at least one.  But, there are a lot of Crimson Hiss tanks out there vying for collector attention.  But, this is the only way to get an ASP and the coloring is well worth the acquisition of the entire set: especially since all the component pieces were so well done.

1983 Hiss Driver

For many years, I was not a fan of the Hiss Driver. The bright red color, odd leggings and bug eyed head all made for a figure that simply did not do anything for me.  Even as a kid, I replaced my Hiss Drivers with Hooded Cobra Commanders since they better matched the Hiss Tank and Cobra Troopers/Officers of the day.  (To be fair, the Hiss Driver did get matched with my Crimson SMS Hiss Tank, but only until a third Crimson Guard's thumb broke and he then became the full time driver.)  I always found the figure lacking.  In more recent years, though, my opinion of the Hiss Driver has changed.  While he's still not the excellent design of the Cobra Trooper, the mold has merit.  Plus, the fact that he's so iconic as the driver of the Hiss Tank has left me more room to appreciate the figure and the character.

I have two main memories of the Hiss Driver as a character.  The first is that he was not introduced into the comic until Issue #30.  But, in this issue, the uniform was used as a FANG pilot rather than a Hiss Driver.  Honestly, it's not a bad use for the mold and this is a figure I would use in FANG's today over superfluous Cobra Troopers.  The second, and more endearing memory is from Special Missions #2.  Here, a Hiss Tank attacks Alpine, Airtight, Snow Job and Breaker on the tip of an iceberg.  In the battle, the Hiss Tank falls over the cliff, leaving the driver clinging to a ledge above the frozen ocean below.  The Driver's grip breaks and he falls to his death.  The piece about the story that captured me was the Driver's knowledge of his own, unpreventable death.  He knew, when clinging to the bit of ice, that he was dead.  There was no escape or hope of rescue.  He would meet his painful end in icy water below.  Whenever I see the Hiss Driver, this is the image that comes to mind.

As a kid, the Hiss Driver did get some use.  He helmed the Hiss Tanks with great skill, for a while.  But, in 1984, the Hiss Driver was replaced by the Hooded Cobra Commander.  (My brothers and I had three of this figure, so he quickly manned the Hiss cockpit, gunner station and the ASP that it towed behind it.)  At some point, I acquired a second Hiss tank.  When this occurred, the Cobra Commander's went to the gunner stations and I reintroduced the Hiss Drivers to their intended specialty.  Here, they would be armed with Destro or Major Bludd pistols from the Battle Pack.  Upon their return to their given duty, I often incorporated situations similar to Special Missions #2 where a Driver would be in a situation where his demise was a forgone conclusion.  In fact, the reason I outfitted the Drivers with accessory pack weapons was due to a story where a Hiss Driver was trapped in the cockpit of a burning and disabled Hiss Tank.  His agonized screams as he burned to death were broadcast over the entire Cobra battlefield and were extremely demoralizing.  So, Cobra gave all drivers pistols they could use to shoot out of the tanks in extreme circumstances.  To this day, Hiss Drivers displayed in the driver's seat of version 1 Hiss Tanks have accessory pack Cobra pistols in their with them.

Hiss Drivers, though, fell out of favor.  When I found my childhood Hiss Tanks tucked away in an attic, it was Hooded Cobra Commanders who were in the seats.  As I amassed large quantities of figures in the late 1990's, Hiss Drivers were rarely part of the hauls. I got a few here and there.  But, in those days, I had a scoring system on figure lots where certain figures were scored a 0, 1 or 2 based on their desirability to me.  I would bid on lots where the score correlated to a certain price.  (Usually, about $3 per point.)  Most army builders got a score of 1.  But, I had Hiss Drivers with a 0 as they were not a figure I cared about enough to acquire in quantity.

Now, though, I appreciate the Hiss Driver for his charm.  Sure, the figure is still deeply flawed and easily the worst designed Cobra from 1982 through 1984.  But, in the grand scheme of things, he's still decent enough.  I will maintain that had the Hiss Driver been first released in 1993 instead of 1983, he would be as neglected and cheap a figure as is possible.  Collectors would hate him.  But, he was a 1983 release and that paints him with a nostalgic picture that is hard to escape these days.  So, I have a real Hiss Driver in command of each of my Hiss Tanks.  I even have one in my SMS.  He's not a figure I army build beyond needing one for each Hiss Tank.

The Hiss Driver mold was used by Hasbro for a long time. After the Hiss Tank's retail run was over, the figure was offered as a mail away by Hasbro Direct for many years. So, even kids who came into Joe long after the Hiss was gone from retail had a chance to own both the tank and the figure. The mold was finally repainted in 2001. But, rather than being a new Hiss Driver, the figure was a newly created character named Rip It who was included with the Toys R Us exclusive Hiss III Tank. This purple and red figure was interesting, but not cool enough to really do the mold justice. In mid 2003, though, Hasbro showcased some upcoming Wal Mart exclusive paratrooper figures. Among this 6 figure set was a newly painted Hiss Driver. It's likely that the figure would have been named Rip It as well. But, the blue base and golden chest painting looked very solid. Unfortunately, the Sky Patrol figures were cancelled due to safety concerns.

Fortunately, though, some early samples of the figures were available from Asia in 2004 and 2005. These Wal Mart Hiss Drivers are in a blue that is a bit lighter than Cobra blue and have a red chest. They are a marked improvement from Rip It and are probably the best Hiss Drivers ever made. In 2007, Master Collector released a new Rip It with a black base and blue highlights. (Basically, the figure is the inverse of the Wal Mart Hiss Driver.) Limited to about 500 figures, it's a great use of the mold, but too hard to find and expensive to ever become the de facto driver for a Hiss army. The figure's torso was also used in 2005 as one of the terrible "Greenshirts" exclusive set. Sadly, these are the only uses for the mold. And, the two best are extremely expensive and hard to find. So, aficionados of the Hiss Driver mold are left with few choices for the figure. It's unfortunate as the mold had such untapped potential. But, at least there's something to look for.

It is difficult to find Hiss Drivers with no emblem wear, uncracked elbows and pefect silver visors. The silver paint rubs easily and tends to wear on many figures. The upside, though, is that there were so many Hiss Drivers produced that the volume helps to offset the fragility. The result is a figure that is less expensive today than he should be were he only released in 1983 and 1984 and not also as a mail away.  You can get high quality figures for $12 or so.  But, truly mint figures tend to sell closer to $20.  Though, to be fair, you can often get a Driver and a Hiss Tank for the $20 price tag, too.  There are tons of bagged Hiss Drivers out there and they tend to sell in the $30 range.  So, there are a lot of options for Hiss Driver fans.  (There are also decent restoration kits for Hiss Drivers out there.  So, you can buy an off condition figure for $4, restore it and have a nice display army for cheap.)

1985 SMS - Sears Exclusive

It is hard to remember now, but there was a time when Sears was the go to retailer for toys. They were world's largest retailer and used that clout to secure holiday exclusives that they could sell both in their stores and from their catalogs. Hasbro, wisely, worked with Sears from the beginning on their Joe line and produced a cardboard base that was exclusive to Sears in 1982. This "Missile Headquarters" wasn't much of a toy, though. In 1984, Sears was able to secure some of the 1985 Joe toys early for release during the '84 holiday shopping season. In 1985, though, Sears took on a whole new element when they produced exclusive repaints of existing Joe toys. There were two sets that year: the C.A.T. (a repainted MOBAT) and the S.M.S (a repainted HISS and MMS) that shared a common, Crimson theme. Most collectors know these items as expensive aftermarket acquisitions made as adults. I, though, was a lucky kid who found the SMS under our tree on Christmas morning in 1985. As such, this item was a special part of my childhood collection and remains one of my few nostalgic pieces that I own today.

During the holidays in '85, my parents frequently took us to the mall. It's likely this was due to the fact that it was a cheap way to keep us occupied during the cold winter. They would simply drop us into the toy aisle of various stores and let us browse while they shopped for whatever it was they needed that day. (Odd that writing that statement in 2008 makes me think my parents were irresponsible. But, in 1985, such a thing was not only commonplace, but it was both accepted and safe.) As such, my brothers and I spent hours scanning over the toy aisles, looking at all the awesome new toys we wanted for Christmas. To this day, I know that I visited other aisles while I was browsing. But, my only detailed memories are of the G.I. Joe toys that lined the shelves. The items that always absorbed the most of my attention were things I did not own. That year, it was the Moray and, of course, the USS Flagg. But, also on the shelves were two toys that were somewhat odd: the CAT and SMS. These items were not available in any other store and featured box backs that were drawings rather than the full color photos that were the standard of the reverses of Joe vehicle packaging of the day.

Of these two, the SMS was the more intriguing item to me. I had always hated the MOBAT and had no interest in it with new colors of red and black. The SMS, though, looked kind of fun. It was a red Hiss Tank and a red and black version of the MMS. The MMS had been one of two vehicles I had received for Christmas in 1982. At the time, I had not appreciated it as it was towed behind my VAMP (the other vehicle I got that year) but could not hold a figure. So, though I had three vehicles and only four figures as I entered 1983, I did not have enough room on my vehicles to hold all four members of my Joe team. So, this had soured the 9 year old me on the MMS. Now, at 12 years old, though, the usefulness of a mobile missile launcher was much more apparent to me. I saw the tank as an elite HISS tank that was more powerful and faster than the standard, black version. But, more importantly, I saw the SMS as a way for Cobra to level the playing field against the Joes.

The SMS started as simply a mobile missile system that Cobra would cart around. They would, occasionally, shoot down Skystrikers or Dragonflies. But, that was about it. As 1986 progressed, though, Cobra took to missiles to a different level. They became a secret weapon that could be unleashed against Joe bases from short ranges: but outside the scope of the standard Joe base security. They were fast and hard to shoot down with the limited weaponry that was attached to the Joe HQ. By the end of 1986, these missiles were now Cobra's most powerful weapon. They were used with great affect against many Joe bases and had even managed to kill a few Joes. At this point, the Joes got desperate. They needed to find a way to shut down the missiles without have to surround their bases with tons and tons of stationary defenses. (This occurred anyways, though, as things like the SLAM and the LAW became standard installations around my Joe base.) By accident, Mainframe discovered that the missiles had deactivation codes. If the Joes could find the right numerical code, it would shut down the missiles in mid flight. But, due to the proximity from which Cobra could launch the missiles and the short time it took for them to reach their target, this wasn't a great solution as it was improbable that the right numerical code would be broadcast before the missile struck.

The Joes were thus forced to set out and find a missile station before the missiles had been launched and the onboard computers destroyed. There were a few close calls, but the Joes always found the launchers after they had self destructed. Finally, though, a hasty mission using unnamed Joe recruits (These were the repaints from the Mission to Brazil set. I used them as unnamed army builders who specialties mimicked those of their mold counterparts.) managed to capture a launch station. Cobra valiantly tried to defend the station and destroy the base. But, the Joes held them off long enough for the Science Officer (aka, Mission to Brazil Mainframe) to download all the codes. With this, the Joes rendered the missile stations useless. Anytime a missile went up, the codes were broadcast and it came right down: unarmed and harmless. The side effect of this was that I managed to render my SMS toy useless, too. So, it got packed away and forgotten about for a few years. Around 1988, I pulled all the pieces out of a box of junk and put the entire SMS away. Here it sat for many years until I pulled it out and brought it back to my collection. Today, it remains one of the few vehicles that are part of my use collection.

The SMS you see pictured below is my original. By late 1985, I was able to keep most of my Joe toys in very good condition. Despite the amount of use it got, the SMS didn't get worn down like some of the other high profile vehicles in my collection at the time. As such, it has survived, relatively intact, to today. Really, the 2nd half of 1985 was my line of demarcation. Anything that I purchased during that summer or later survived in pretty good shape into my adult collection. The figures I purchased in the first half of the year, though, did not. I guess it was a maturation process, but that seems to be the point where my collection became something important to me and I kept my items in much better shape. That isn't to say that I didn't still use them roughly or leave stuff outside for days on end. But, on the whole, I was much more cautious with my toys as the year wore on. There are precious few items from 1986 and forward that I lost from my childhood collection. And, most of those items can be traced to specific instances where my younger brothers or their friends got into my Joes and lost accessories when I was not around.

As a kid, though, items like the SMS were among my favorites. The main reason was that not everyone had them. While that statement comes off a bit snobbish these days, the reality is that it was the distinct items that made my collection different from that of the kids down the street. The fact that I had items like the SMS, the Dreadnok exclusives and the Mission to Brazil set allowed me to have some items that were unique to my childhood experience. As such, I didn't have to stay within the confines of Snake Eyes and Flint. I had some options. Frankly, I think that's why Joe still stays with me today. Joe was something that set me apart from many other kids. We all had toys, but I only had Joes. (Well, up through the first part of 1983, I did have Star Wars, too. But, those were all but gone by 1984 and totally replaced by Joes.) If you wanted to play with some toys that not everyone had, you came to my house. It's odd to think something like the SMS was that kind of draw. But, when everyone had the same toys, even something that was a different color was enough to be a draw. To this day, the items that most interest me are the ones that set a collection apart. It's not the rarity or the value, it's the distinction that comes from having something that not everyone owns. It has lead to a greater appreciation of the line's nuances and is a large part of why I still collect today.

The MMS mold had quite a history. After the original green version was discontinued in 1983, the mold appeared in Europe as part of the Action Force line. There, it was released in a combo of black and grey. Hasbro then used the mold for this exclusive in 1985. Sometime around here, Hasbro also produced the M.S.V. exclusively for the Canadian market. This item featured an all black MMS. (In fact, the base, missile bracket and legs for the MSV are identical to those of the SMS. Only the missiles are a different color.) The MMS mold then seems to have died in India. Funskool produced an MMS for a very short time and it is one of the rarest Funskool vehicles today. This MMS was similar in color to the American version. But, there are rumours of Funskool also making oddly colored MMS's that may or may not have been part of their Joe line. As Funskool discontinued the MMS rather early in their history, it is not known if the mold still exists. It would make an excellent add on as part of a larger vehicle set (like the ASP in the Crimson Sabotage set) but would likely not work as well on it's own. At this point, though, collectors can get an MMS in enough colors to satisfy them. The prices might be higher than most collectors would like, but there are nice, alternate MMS options out there.

When you look back at the vintage Joe line, there were precious few exclusive items that were ever offered. You would think that the toy market of the time would have lent itself to many exclusives since just about every retailer sold toys and most of them sold them year round and would not have to discount any leftover Christmas stock. But, as modern collectors, we are probably fortunate that these exclusives were so uncommon. Today, the priciest pieces from the vintage line are exclusive figures like Night Force and vehicles like these Sears pieces. Imagine if the line was also littered with other exclusives that were only available at a regional retailer, through a catalog or by attendance at a specific event. The result would be many more items that would likely carry price tags that would trump even these Sears pieces. If you look at the exclusives that collectors deal with today, it is unfathomable how, if the toy market were to be the same with a large, new generation of collectors coming on in another decade, anyone would keep up. Fortunately, the modern toy market is heavily geared towards collectors so this won't be an issue. But, we are equally fortunate that the toy buyers of the mid '80's were not more aggressive in their pursuit of exclusive toys. Lest, the Joe line would be dramatically different today.

The SMS is fairly pricey. Being a retailer exclusive, it saw a severely truncated production run. On top of that, it's a fairly distinct toy and one that most collectors would like to have in their collections. The legs for the missile base and stand for the control panel are easily lost and the actual spinning missile bracket breaks frequently. To top it all off, the missile are fragile and the tips are easily broken. A nicely conditioned version, with the Hiss Tank will run you close to $100. You can get the missile launcher separately, but it is often substantially higher priced than the Hiss Tank. Even at those prices, you won't see too many of these at any given time. Personally, if not for my childhood piece, I would not likely own the SMS. As an adult acquired item, it would have some cachet, but little value beyond monetary. As this was an important piece in my childhood, though, I still hold the SMS in high regard and can not imagine my collection without it. For others, the mileage may vary on this piece. It is expensive. But, it also has an inherent exclusivity to it that might make a high dollar purchase worthwhile.