2022 Stinger - Quick Hit

I don't really have the chutzpah to do a full profile on this Stinger release.  But, I thought I'd drop a quick hit that shows the packaging, contents and finished product from this new release.

In short, this Stinger is fine.  The colors are cool.  The sculpting is fine.  But, the plastic is incredibly soft.  As a toy, this thing would not hold up.  I nearly broke the steering wheel trying to get it into the slot on the dashboard.  The doors are very soft and are going to rip if they are taken on and off too many times.  As a display thing on a shelf, it won't be an issue.  But, this won't hold up to play.  And, I suspect the soft plastic will age poorly and lead to brittle doors just like the Sears Dreadnok Stinger from the '80's.

You'll note that the Stinger features reduced plastic packaging.  It worked just fine and isn't really an issue.  It was nice to have to toss all those plastic baggies that used to be in the box.  Speaking of the box, you'll note that they used the photography and artwork from the 1984 Stinger.  The jeep on the back is the 1984 version and the figure that appears is the 1984 Stinger Driver.  They didn't even update the photography for the toy that was actually produced.  This is odd as the Hasbro Star Wars team has said they can't create box photography using figures that are either not currently shipping or have shipped in the recent past.  I guess that didn't come over to the Joe team, though.

For $25, this thing would be OK.  At $40 shipped, that's a lot.  I have a feeling we're going to have a chance at some cheaper options for this guy in coming weeks.  But, we'll see where the remaining stock ends up.  Despite my blase feelings about this release, I'd buy at least one more if I found them at a discount retailers.  Maybe even 2 if the price was right.  So, I'm the real sucker in this deal.

June 22, 2022 - Hasbro Pulse Reveal (Cobra Stinger)

On 6/22/22, we got a couple of new product reveals.  The main one of interest is a new Cobra Stinger.  I know I'm late on a write up for this.  But, I had a bunch of new posts with set publication dates in June.  So, this is two weeks late in appearing.  The main reason I do this, though, is because one of my great regrets is not better documenting the Joe releases of the early 2000's.  Now, most of the info regarding case ratios, release dates and clearance pricing has been lost to long extinct forums.  At some point, the Pulse info will be gone, too.  So, I want to commemorate it so that I have some real time info to refer back to when I profile the 2022 Stinger Driver in 2039.

This new Stinger features some different color shades and a new driver based on the recently released 2022 Cobra Officer.  It will come in a vintage inspired box and not have the driver be a carded figure like we've seen with the Transformers releases.  The price point is $33.99.  After taxes and shipping, two of them will run you a little over $80 in the U.S.  We'll talk about pricing more later, though.  On to the vehicle itself.

You will note that this Stinger features a few changes from the vintage release.  Most notably, the grey highlights are lighter and more pronounced.  You also see a black brush guard instead of the vintage grey.  Both of these are fine changes to bring some diversity to a Stinger convoy without losing the overal aesthetic.  I would have very much liked Hasbro to have updated the missiles to match the two tone versions shown in the artwork.  Sure, you can update the Stinger with the missiles from a Pac Rat.  But, this would have been an easy update to really make this release stand out.

The other notable point is that the Driver has wonky eyes.  Now, this Driver is the same mold and paint masks as the just released Cobra Officer.  And, the Officer figures had fine eyes.  So, I expect this to be corrected upon release.  However, the Officer does have bad knee joints that are too large to allow for a full range of motion.  Again, I expect this to be corrected on the Stinger Driver.  Though, I'm not convinced it will happen.

The new box back gave me a good laugh.  It does not actually feature the new Stinger or its new driver.  Instead, the picture on the back features a vintage Stinger with vintage Driver.  It's odd for sure since the two are so visually different.  I assume it was because the box back photography was already done ahead of the prototypes being available.  So, they went with it.  But, it's weird and reminds of the 1997 Rage box that features a hand painted 1989 Alley Viper done by a collector instead of the figure actually included in the box.

I was surprised that this vehicle was only $33.99.  I figured that Hasbro would have tried $40 or more.  But, at the same time, a re-released vehicle with a more expensive figure type was released at retail in 2020 and 2021 for $24.99.  So, this is a $9 increase in under a year for, essentially, the same product.  After the sticker shock on the Transformers vehicles and figures, though, this Stinger seemed like a bargain.  That's not great.  It will be interesting to see how this sells in coming weeks.  As original Stingers have now gotten stupidly expensive while also turning brittle, the Stinger is a welcome addition to the Pulse line.  And, I'm really glad it wasn't a Hiss Tank or FANG this time around.

After just 1 day, the Stinger sold out.  This is odd as no o-ring items have ever sold out beyond Snake Eyes and Stormshadow being out before coming back into stock and then put on sale since so many are left.  Hasbro mentioned limited quantities of them would be available on Pulse.  So, it's pretty likely that this Stinger will show up at another retail partner at some point later in the year.  I wouldn't panic if you missed it...yet.  

1984 Stinger - Around The Web

The Stinger is the second highest profile Cobra land vehicle behind the Hiss Tank.  As a kid, though, I wasn't overly partial to it since it was kind of fragile and, once the missiles were gone, also rather defenseless.  And, standing two figures right in the missile exhaust was dumb even in 1984.  But, it looks cool and is more useful now, from a collecting perspective.  Here's the best of the Cobra Stinger jeep from around the web.

1984 Stinger Profile

Stinger by strikeforcecodename

1984 Stinger Video Review by HCC788

Stinger by JoeADay.com

Stinger by joe_hunter73

Stinger by _toyler_

Stinger at 3DJoes.com

Rarities - Canadian Stinger & ASP Set

Canada got a few G.I. Joe exclusives.  The most famous are the all black repaints of the VAMP and MMS (the M.S.V.) and MOBAT (the Consumer Distributing Cobra Combat Tank), Canada also got another exclusive gift set.  This time, though, the vehicles included were the same as the regular release.  It was their bundling and exlusive packaging that set they apart.

Diorama - The Trojan BAT

Hot Seat picks up the latest supply crate and enlists Fast Draw and Dodger to unload it.

But, the crate comes to life as a hidden BAT explodes from the box.

Hot Seat is quickly taken out.

Fast Draw fails as the BAT moves on to Dodger.

Mutt hears the commotion and arrives just in time.

The BAT is dispatched.

Diorama - Island Raid

In my old backyard, there was a section on the left hand side that was the "forest" of about 20 younger trees.  The ground beneath them was small river rock over a plastic tarp to keep the weeds down.  But, when it rained, I got large puddles in the area that make for a great photo setting.  You can see the location used often in profiles from 2001 to 2003 on the site.

It was still raining when I went out take these pics.  The water was at it's highest and there just a single dry patch.  My intent was to showcase my newly acquired 2002 Shipwreck figure that you can see below.  But, it ended up being a good way to get some Dreadnok shots.  Again, you see the theme of a large force being necessary to take out the Dreadnoks. I don't know why I return to that theme a few times as the Dreadnoks as characters were not a huge part of my childhood Joe collection.  But, they made for some different show of force type shots.

Bootleg Viper Officer

There are two different outfits currently making bootleg G.I. Joe figures: the Black Major and Red Laser.  I have looked at many of the Black Major's offerings a couple of different times through the years.  Red Laser is newer to the game, though, and I have not acquired any of his figures until recently.  Black Major currently makes Steel Brigades and Cobra Troopers.  Red Laser currently makes BATs and Cobra Vipers.  Normally, Vipers wouldn't excite me.  But, Red Laser added a bit of a twist: a removable helmet.  This little feature brings something new to the mold and has captured my attention for this week's profile.

In the vintage line, Hasbro released the Viper mold three times: the original, the Super Sonic Fighters Version and the Python Patrol Viper.  Between 1997 and 2006, though, they released (most of) the mold an additional 12 times.  (1 in 1997, 2 in 1998, 4 in 2002, 3 in 2003 and 2 in 2006.)  Despite all these incarnations, though, Hasbro really didn't explore the possibilities of the design.  If the Viper was Cobra's basic grunt, it would make sense to have uniforms for them that fit all of the environments where Cobra tended to operate.  Despite this obvious use, Hasbro failed to deliver on any Vipers that were remotely specific beyond the grey 1998 Cobra Officer and the green 2002 Viper.  The rest were just color mashes.  Some were well done.  Some were not.  But, as with the Cobra Trooper mold, Hasbro left so much potential on the table that even 15 versions of the figure were not enough.

Enter the Red Laser.  In the latter half of 2016, Red Laser began producing Viper figures.  They were designed to solve the missing legs that had plagued Vipers since 1997.  They brought back the original Viper rifle (which hadn't been seen in 30 years) and backpack.  But, the real selling feature was the removable helmet.  Rather than have a fully sculpted Viper head, the figure features a head based on the 2004 Crimson Guard figure.  Over the appendage fits a perfect rendition of the 1986 Viper's helmet.  It is tight fitting and accurate and, when on, is barely noticeable as anything other than the sculpted head we've seen 15 times before.  The series also introduced Vipers of different hair colors and races.  Hasbro has given us multi race Crimson Guards and Cobra Troopers.  But, they missed the boat on the Vipers in the 2006 Viper Pit set.  Now, though, you can add some diversity to the Viper ranks, even when the helmets are on.

There are currently three flavors of Viper available from Red Laser: desert, Eel and these Officers.  (I'm sure, though, that in just a couple of months there will be more and within a year or two there will be many more!)  The Officer is interesting to me due to the tie to the Stinger.  Cobra established grey as a base color in 1984.  So, it's been part of them since the early days.  And, the grey color is a nice contrast to the black Hiss Tanks and Stinger jeeps that comprise the bulk of my Cobra vehicles. These figures are a nice combination of grey and red with just enough black thrown in.  They are a brighter grey than the 1998 Toys R Us Cobra Officer, but not as light as the Stinger Driver or any of the bootlegs Bats, CG's or Cobra Troopers who were derived from him.  The color is a nice match for the 2005 Comic Pack Firefly.

The big difference from the 1998 Cobra Office is the red painted highlights.  The red pops more against the grey than does the gold from 1998.  But, the biggest red addition is the Cobra logo.  I don't really miss Cobra logos on the '98 figures.  But, having it on this figure is a real asset since it contrasts so well with the grey.  You could use these figures as the armies lead by the 1998 Officer.  Or, have one of these guys lead your squads of Officers.  Either way, they work well.

The figures are nicely accessorized.  You get a high quality rendition of the classic 1986 Viper rifle.  It is cast in a light grey color: darker than the original accessory.  It's a nice match for this figure without treading on the vintage gun.  Also included is a reproduction of the classic Viper backpack.  It's glossier than the vintage pack.  But, is otherwise tough to tell apart.  The coup de gras, though, is the removable helmet.  Hasbro never produced a Viper with anything other than the standard 1986 head.  Now, though, that has changed.  The helmet is very tight fitting on the figure's head and has to be pushed to get all the way on.  But, once on, the helmet covers the head almost exactly like that of the original figure.  Usually, removable helmets are far bulkier than sculpted heads.  (Think the 2005 Crimson Guards versus the originals.)  But, that is not the case with this Viper.  Part of that is the original head was better scaled.  But, it's also the strong design of this head/helmet combo.  You can see in the photos below how well the helmets fit.  I can not state how strong the design is on this element of the figure.

The real question on these figures is the quality.  The early Cobra Troopers were of excellent quality.  But, then there was quite a drop off in later Cobra Trooper batches, the Crimson Guards and the early BATs.  However, much of this has been corrected.  These figures don't quite have the full heft of a vintage Joe.  But, they are close.  The hard plastic is a concern.  You'll notice the crotch piece of these figures has been better engineered than the 2006 Viper Pit crotch to help avoid breakage.  The thumbs are another story.  You'll see the guns in the photos below are held somewhat awkwardly.  This is because, while the figs will hold the weapons and the thumbs don't break, the hard plastic makes it so the stocks pop out from behind the forearms.  There's just too much pressure and the weapon slides.  (Which is preferable to broken thumbs!)  Collector Cyko9 has recommended shaving down the gun handles a bit, though, to solve this issue and worry less about breakage.  These figures will stand on their own, though they do have to hunch forwards just a bit.

The paint masks are very sharp and crisp.  You'll notice it, especially, on the two tone eyes of the unmasked figure.  But, the factory quality is top notch.  The sculpting is clear and clean and is a solid match for the Hasbro edition of the figure.  The caucasian skin tone is the darker, sunburned look we often saw in the 2000's.  It works well enough.  The African American skin tone is dark and sharply contrasts with the lighter uniformed figures.  My packs snap into place on the backs and aren't as smooth as vintage figures.  I haven't tried the gear on vintage Joes to check for compatibility.  But, they fit tightly on the Red Laser releases.

Currently, these figures are available for around $12.  You can buy them up in lots, or as individual figures: to match your collecting style.  I'm sure the helmets cost quite a bit to develop and engineer.  But, they are worth it.  The colors for these Officer figures are right up my alley, even if the Viper itself isn't as big a draw.  If you are a Viper fan, these figs are worth checking out.  If you are an ARAH style Joe junkie, they are definitely worth checking out since we collectors of it have been left behind by both Hasbro and the club.  Fortunately, modern technology has made figures like this possible.  The fact that there's a couple of outfits making them just means there is more and more to collect.  And, that's exciting.

1984 Stinger

There are staples of the Cobra army.  Certain designs in figures and vehicles were so well done that they are iconic to the Cobra brand.  Cobra Commander, Destro, the Hiss Tank, Cobra Troopers, Vipers and BATs all come to mind as items that are instantly identifiable as Cobra not only to collectors but to average people who grew up in the '80's.  The 1984 Stinger Jeep is another of these iconic vehicles.  Sure, it is based on the VAMP design and is not completely unique to Cobra.  But, it's perfect meshing of color with the Hiss Tank and complementary nature to the classic Cobra blue has created a vehicle that has taken on a life of its own as an essential part of any Cobra army.

The Stinger is pretty straightforward. It is a black jeep that holds two figures. The upgrades from the base VAMP body, though, are the brush guard on the front, an updated interior, the sleek doors and roof and the large missile launcher on the back that would turn the two troopers riding on the foot stands and holding the handrails on the back of the jeep into crispy critters the first time they were fired. Practicality aside, though, it is one sleek looking vehicle that blends perfectly with the FANG and HISS which comprised the bulk of the Cobra vehicles available at the time.

When I was a kid, the Stinger was in pretty heavy play rotation. It was a nice supplement to the HISS Tank and worked well with many of the Cobra figures of the era. In the fall of 1984, I took the Stinger to my Aunt and Uncle's home in Ohio. They had a tiny backyard that consisted of a brick pathway that surrounded a raised flower garden in the center. It was a great place to play with Joes since there was open dirt, lots of plants and rocks and the whole setting was raised up so it was easy to kneel down and not have to sit on the cold, fall ground. The Stinger was a huge component of the adventure. As I grew more and more animated in the play, my older cousin and her friend were watching from her upstairs window. I heard her friend remark how weird I was to play with toys. (I was 10 at the time.) It was a stinging comment and one that's stuck with me to this day. It was this experience that painted my view of the Stinger for a few years.

As such, the Stinger fell out of favor with me. In time, the vehicle was broken and got rather run down. At some point, I removed the bases from my original VAMP and Stinger and swapped them so the VAMP had a more detailed interior. After that, the Stinger remained relatively unused for a long time. As an adult collector, though, I gained greater appreciation for the Stinger. The solid design and great colors were enough to get me past the bad memories (As an aside, years later, one of my best friends in college turned out to be the high school boyfriend of the girl who made the snide comments about me years earlier. His stories helped ease some of the baggage.) The Stinger has since become a staple of my classic Cobra displays. The design is just too perfect with classic Troopers and Officers to not use.

The Stinger mold was used all over the world.  It was repainted in its entirety in 1986 as the Sears exclusive Dreaknok Stinger.  Other than that, there are decal variants from around the world.  There is also a mail in Stinger with slightly different colored doors and roofs.  (It is actually quite hard to find.)  Hasbro reused the mold in 1998 (paired with Vypra), but kept the basic black coloring.  After that, they never released it again.  During the repaint era, a Cobra blue or Crimson Stinger would have snatched up in huge numbers by the army builder crazy collector community.  But, it never came to be.  As such, while the Stinger remains iconic, it also has great potential that was never realized.

Stinger prices fluctuate quite a bit.  There was a time when you could get them mint and complete for under $15 with no problems.  Collectors got interested in the mold in the late '00's and prices spiked to a point where it was difficult to acquire a mint and complete version for under $50.  But, that peak was short lived.  Today, you can get them in the $25-$35 range depending upon whether it includes the driver or the blueprints.  It's not a terrible price, but one that makes it more expensive to army build than something like the Hiss Tank which has never really appreciated on the secondary market despite its popularity.

1986 Dreadnok Stinger - Sears Exclusive

As a kid, I was very fortunate to have acquired the 1985 Sears exclusive SMS set. My dad was a fan of Sears and would go there often. As such, I was able to spend time reviewing the toy aisle since it was right next to the tools section. I spent many hours in 1985 staring at the SMS. Once I got it, it became one of my favorite toys. So, as 1986 drew to a close, I was hopeful that Sears would offer another exclusive toy offering. I was not disappointed when I found the Dreadnok Ground Assault and Dreadnok Air Assault sets. Both were repainted vehicles, but looked very cool. While the Dreadnoks weren't really major players in my collection anymore, the opportunity to acquire the vehicles was simply too good to pass up. On Christmas morning in 1986, my brother opened a Dreadnok Air Assault set. Within a few presents, I found the Dreadnok Ground Assault set with my name on it.

The Dreadnok Stinger quickly became part of my standard Cobra arsenal. Our standard Cobra Stinger had long been broken. So, having a distinct Cobra attack jeep was a welcome addition to Cobra's arsenal. However, this role was short lived. Within a few months of my acquisition of the Dreadnok Stinger, it began to fall apart. First, a door snapped when I tried to open it and it caught on the roof. Then the brush guard broke off. In it's more dilapidated condition, the Dreadnok Stinger slowly morphed into a civilian vehicle. It became the go to transportation for random terrorists, militants and criminals who would terrorize Joe or Cobra bases. Along with an A Team van, random figures would attack one of the main factions in the Joe world. It was a way for me to expand the standard Joe vs. Cobra conflict and also have Cobra act in the role of protector when their possessions were attacked.

In time, the jeep became nothing more than the shell. When I packed all my Joe toys up and put them into a storage space in our house in 1988, the Dreadnok Stinger went into a box where it would stay for almost a decade. In 1997, I dug out all my old toys. The Stinger was dirty and stripped down. But, a search of boxes of random Joe parts in storage quickly yielded most of the original parts back. With that, I put my Dreadnok Stinger back together and found a place for display. Buzzer, Ripper and Torch adorned the jeep for a while. But, when I moved to Arizona and started acquiring many figures I had not owned as a child, the role of the Dreadnok Stinger changed again.

As an adult collector, I have found the Ground Assault set to be a great match for Python Patrol figures. The green and blue jeep is a decent match for the Python Officer and Trooper. Plus, it is a contemporary match for those figures within the context of the Stinger and the original Cobra Trooper and Officer. The best part, though, is the addition of Gatilho and Relampago to the Python Patrol ranks. These named characters fit within the design years of the original Stinger, are a perfect match for American Python Patrol figures and are excellent fits with the Ground Assault set. (Especially since Relampago was a motorcycle rider.) The only reason I have Dreadnok vehicles like these in my collection these days is due to the Python Patrol connection. It is a great display and gives these toys more usefulness in my collection. (The jeep is also a near perfect match for the Bronze Bomber Scorch figure, which is a blue and green Motor Viper repaint. If you can find a few of them, they are another great crew for this vehicle.)


The Dreadnok Stinger has very brittle parts, especially the doors, brush guard and handles. The reason these are so brittle is because they were designed to change color in sunlight. The vehicle follows the trend of Zartan, Zandar and Zarana in that it will change to different shade of green when exposed to unfiltered UV rays. As a kid, this was a neat idea. But, the practicality of it is pretty minor in terms of realism. For the modern collector, the brittle nature of the plastic has made the Dreadnok Sears vehicles that much more difficult to find in mint condition.

The Dreadnok Stinger was just released by Sears in the US. The Stinger mold, though, saw use all around the world. However, this version was the only real repaint available anywhere as the International Stingers were, essentially, the same as the American version. Sadly, Hasbro really never took advantage of the Stinger's potential. While there is the black repaint from 1998, it is very similar to the standard version. Missing the Stinger in Cobra blue, red, grey or white is a sad hole in the vintage Joe line. It's likely that a Stinger repaint would have sold like crazy during the army building era of 2002 - 2005. But, that didn't happen and collectors are left with few options for Stinger variants.

Mint and complete Dreadnok Stingers are very expensive. In recent years, perfect samples have climbed close to $200. This is a combination of the vehicle's rarity, collector interest in anything Dreadnok and the general upsurge in pricing for any vehicle that is derivative of the original VAMP. The reality, though, is that the vehicles were not produced in great quantities and the plastic used for them is very brittle and tends to discolor. The doors, brush guard, steering wheel and hand rails will break with little usage. (The brush guard and steering wheel are hard enough to find on their own rights!) So, mint specimens are not easy to track down. Years ago, the Joe market was not overly efficient and deals could be had on items like this. These days, though, collectors have largely caught up and most are looking for the same missing pieces. Items like the Dreadnok Stinger that are cool, rare and easily broken tend to be highly sought after. Whether time will ease or exacerbate this remains to be seen. I'm glad I have these items and have had them since childhood. Without that connection, it's unlikely that they would be part of my collection today.

1984 Stinger Driver

I've already profiled the basic blue Cobra trooper when I showcased the Viper Pilot. Since most collectors use Stinger Drivers as just another branch of the Cobra Officers (as that was all their filecard was!), you can see why this guy rarely gets any due. He is a figure for me, though, that has proven important for many years and one that, more recently, has become a larger part of my standard Cobra army.

I've never really liked the Stinger jeep. I liked the original VAMP, but hated the VAMP Mark II. The reason is simple, the doors and roof, while greatly adding to the aesthetics of the vehicle, greatly reduce its play value. On top of that, the Stinger only had a missile launcher. I wanted a jeep with a gun. For me, the missile launchers were mundane and boring. The primary reason the Wolf is so superior to the Snow Cat is simply because of the swivel machine gun it has located on the main body. It makes such a better weapon that I can hardly use the Snow Cat as comparison. That being said, the Stinger Driver quickly found himself in capacities beyond his original intentions.

The Stinger Driver, I think, was designed with the intention of him being a night force version of the Cobra Officer. As such, he was cast in a pale, grey color. This color, though, worked perfectly for all sorts of other specialties. Originally, the Stinger Driver was my Cobra Arctic trooper. When the Snow Serpent was release in 1985, though, he took over the Stinger Driver's functions there. However, at some point during my childhood, I made the connection that the hierarchy in Cobra went Crimson Guard - Eel - Snow Serpent. (I now know different, but had lots of fun as a child following this advancement scheme.) As such, the Snow Serpents were the creme-de-la-creme of the Cobra forces. They could not be stopped. The only way for the Joes to have a chance against any Cobra Arctic forces was for me to reintroduce the Stinger Driver as basic Cobra Arctic troops. I originally gave them white AK-47's from an accessory kit and had them serve under the tutelage of a more experienced Snow Serpent. Slowly, though, their usage slightly morphed. Then, for years, he was the gunner for the aforementioned Wolf. In the Arctic realm, this guy was an excellent crossover figure. It was in this capacity that the Stinger Driver stayed until just recently.

The past year has seen me greatly grow my Cobra armor ranks. I've doubled the amount of Hiss tanks in as well as added a couple of new Stingers to my collection. As these vehicles have been assimilated, I've had to search out proper drivers for them. As I've said many times, I like uniformity in my vehicle driver ranks. I have the Motor Viper drive all my Hiss tanks (I still don't like the original Hiss Driver.), the Ice Viper man all positions in my Wolves, and I finally decided to have Stinger Drivers operate all my Stingers and Rattler 4-WD jeeps. While I wish I could have found some other figure for this duty, none fit into the jeep in the same manner as its intended driver. Now, though, the jeeps and drivers are rightfully reunited. I must admit, that I now enjoy having these figures in the jeeps. They do look nice and add a nice touch to any diorama with a Cobra mechanized unit.

1984 was an odd year in terms of vehicle drivers. Both the Stinger and VAMP Mark II featured exclusive drivers who were nothing more than repaints of previously released figures. These were in stark contrast to the multitude of exclusive drivers from 1984 who were all new molds. It seems that the Stinger and VAMP might have been vehicles that were mostly profit for Hasbro. They featured the modified body of a vehicle that sold very well in the first two years of the line and figures whose molds were likely already paid for as well. Perhaps it was the inclusion of these vehicles in the line that allowed Hasbro to take a chance on a larger item like the Whale or Rattler since they knew they would make money on these jeeps.

Stinger Drivers aren't too tough to find these days. They were offered in a very popular and cheaply priced vehicle during Joe's peak years. Also, he was offered as a mail in figure for many more. Therefore, he exists in abundant quantities today. However, this figure is prone to discoloration. There are many Stinger Drivers out there that may otherwise be perfect, but they suffer from severe discoloration that rivals even the worst Storm Shadows and Snow Jobs. Also, Stinger Drivers are subject to a rather strange phenomenon. It seems that their hands are prone to breaking off. Now, I'm not talking about a broken thumb, or broken figures.
I'm talking about the hand just coming clean off at the wrist. I've got one that had this happen to him and many other collectors report the same thing. It doesn't seem to be a problem with most other figures, but the Stinger Driver is just prone to this kind of breakage. Taking all that into consideration, though, still leaves you with a cheap figure. He didn't have any accessories to lose, and most people consider him to be a lesser version of the highly sought Cobra Officer. Still, though, he is a Cobra trooper and many people like to have more than a couple of Stinger jeeps. All said, though, you can pick up a mint specimen for under $12.00. I don't think it too bad a price for this figure. He is definitely a nice addition to any Cobra army and is a figure well worth another look.

I'll take a couple of extra Stinger Drivers. If you want to get rid of them cheap, email me.