Funskool Exclusive Sky Diver

Some time ago, during one of the frequent flare ups in the Joe newsgroup, a noted collector of foreign Joes made a statement along of the lines of, "when you grow up and get grown up tastes, foreign Joes will be of the most appeal to you as a collector". At the time, I figured no way. I hated foreign Joes and found absolutely no interest in them. At that time, though, I had about 250 unique figures and about 500 overall. Now that I've got over 450 unique figures, the few that are left in the line hold little appeal to me. That's why I have yet to acquire them. As such, there is very little out there that I really want. In my attempt to continue the expansion of my Joe collection, I've had to find new avenues in which to do so. Earlier this year, I picked up a Chinese Major Bludd. Shortly thereafter, I acquired a Tiger Force Outback. The bug had bitten me. Now, I've found myself seeking out foreign Joes. Not too long ago, I found a source for several Funskool Joes from India. Of these, Skydiver is the most unique.

Skydiver represents everything that is so wrong about non-U.S. Joes as well as everything that is right about them. His color scheme is terrible. This figure is as bad as they come. Had he been a U.S. release, this guy would knock Crystal Ball and Big Boa out of the worst action figure ever perch. Because he was only available in India, though, this guy has a mystique about him that makes the figure very cool. They would never have released this guy in the U.S. The color scheme is just too whacked. This is what makes non-U.S. figures so much fun. They use the same molds with which we are familiar, in this case it is Crazylegs and Beach Head, but color them in different ways that makes them dramatically different from their U.S. counterparts. This is what is so fun about non-U.S. Joes. They aren't in realistic military colors, but do reflect the fact that they are toys. While collectors may gripe and moan about how they don't like unrealistic figures, we have to remember that we are collecting a children's toy and that is for whom it is designed. Since that is still the case in many other countries, foreign Joes have a sort of innocence about them that makes them that more appealing.

One thing about Funskool Joes is the flimsy cardbacks upon which they come. I had heard about how flimsy the cardbacks were, but I was not prepared for when I first held a Funskool figure in my hands. I have resume paper with more tension that those cardbacks have! They are not much stronger than normal, run of the mill printer paper. I don't know how these things could ever hang on a shelf without tearing under their own weight. Because of this, finding mint cards on Funskool figures is nearly impossible. For me, though, I'm after the figure on the card. I like figures that are differently colored than their U.S. counterparts. Some of the Funskool figures have unique card art that was not available in the U.S. (The General Flagg comes to mind.) I also like these figures as they offer the Joe collector something different that not everyone is used to seeing.

Funskool Joes aren't too tough to find. There are some that are considered among the rarest Joes ever produced. As Funskool was still manufacturing Joes at least until February of 2000, though, there are others that are very easy to find. I paid $8.00 for this figure, as well as 8 other Indian exclusive figures. You do have to look, but you can find many of the Indian Joes for a very reasonable price. For this reason, I've found the Funskool Joes to be a new, interesting way to grow my Joe collection without dropping hundreds of dollars for some of the South American figures. As I've exhausted the possibilities for my American Joe collection, there are thousands of variations of those figures and molds from other countries that help keep the hobby interesting and challenging. Some of you who know me know that this stance is dramatically different from the position I held only a few months ago. I see myself maturing as a Joe collector and moving on past things like army building and searching for some Shadow Ninja. Foreign Joes are an excellent avenue to grow my collection. Being a completist of foreign Joes would be impossible, but it's that vastness that creates such exciting opportunities. As we head into 2001, we'll see if I continue to search for non-U.S. Joes. I have a feeling that I certainly will.

I'm getting into non-U.S. Joes. If you have some Funskool, Estrela, Plastirama, or European exclusive figures with which you are willing to part for not too much money, email me.

1982 "Mickey Mouse" Cobra Commander

In late 1982, Hasbro offered Cobra Commander as a mail in figure. If you mailed in for him very quickly, you might have been lucky enough to get a straight armed version of the Cobra Commander figure. If you were really lucky, though, you might have gotten the figure you see here. A figure that is considered one of, if not the, rarest domestic Joe figure in the entire line: the alternate logo, or "Mickey Mouse" version of Cobra Commander.

Back in January of 1983, I finally got the 2 mail away Cobra Commanders for which I had been waiting. They were both the straight armed version and were awesome. Snake Eyes was no longer the only enemy of my Joes. I used the Cobra Commanders as enemy elite troopers who were every bit the Joes' equals. As I discovered Cobra in 1983, though, the Commander's role changed. He became the character he was supposed to be and the one I have already twice profiled with the 1993 and 1994 versions. The only reason I am profiling this figure is because of the rarity of the logo that is on his chest.

Frankly, this is not an often seen figure. Most people know of the different logo, but pay little attention to it. For hard core collectors and completists, though, this alternate logo Cobra Commander is one of the most frustrating figures in the entire line to find. He just doesn't appear all that often, and when he does, often exhibits extensive play wear, like most straight armed Cobra Commanders do, from his original owners. This guy came out in 1982. Back then, no one kept their figures mint and on display. We played with them, and hard. That is why this figure remains such a "holy grail" in the collecting world. Very few people received this figure, but even fewer didn't play him to death. This is why I put little stock in modern variations. So many people keep figures MOC and mint in perfect storage, there is no way that you will have the majority of any one variation disappear over time. Back when I collected baseball cards, many dealers had a theory that most of the cards produced prior to 1976 had a one year half life. That meant that every year, the number of mint cards in existence was halved. Of course, this theory only applied for a limited time as certain items would reach peak rarity and then the vast majority would disappear into collections and remain forever mint.

I think a similar theory can apply to the early '80's Joes. I'm sure they had a one year half life throughout the '80's and even into the '90's. Now, though, I think there are more Joes being rescued than there are being destroyed. I do not, though, hold this theory to any Joe figure produced after 1989. I just feel that many of the original Joes were destroyed by their owners. Now, the figures that remain will stay fairly constant, but as the number of collectors increases, the early figures who were not mainly kept mint, complete and in the package, will become the more desirable and valuable specimens. For this reason, I think the "Mickey Mouse" Cobra Commander will remain one of the most sought after figures in all of Joedom.

There is one more thing of note on this particular figure. His crotch arrived to me unpainted. I don't have any specific reason for this. It could be a factory error, or some kind of oversight. It could be that this figure is a pre-production piece and should be classified as a prototype rather than the actual figure that made it to shelves. Whatever the reason, the crotch on this figure is exactly the same as the normal Cobra Commander. It is just unpainted. If you have any information about this figure, or any insight into why the crotch is unpainted while the rest of the figure is, please email me. I will give full credit to anyone who can help me solve this little mystery.

I'm not kidding when I say that this guy is among the rarest Joes ever made available in the U.S. In fact, check out T.N.T.'s Web Camp for their listing of the rarest Joes based upon collector input. This figure ranks #1 as the rarest U.S. figure and #19 overall among all Joes ever produced from all countries. As such, you can expect to pay through the nose for this guy. Loose, mint, complete specimens usually sell in the $75.00-$100.00 range. Any example still sealed in its original mailer bag would sell for substantially more. The thing about this figure, though, is that you can get very, very lucky. Many people who are not informed Joe collectors may not know of this variation. They may have it and not realize the gem in their collection.

There are many, many stories of collectors buying a straight armed Cobra Commander off of Ebay, or some similar place and being surprised when they receive the alternate logo version. This did not happen to me, but keep your eyes peeled. Only two days after I purchased this figure, there was a lot of 3 different Cobra Commanders on Ebay. Among these was this alternate logo version, though the logo was a bit scuffed. As there were no comments explaining what the figure really was, the lot went for under $30.00. The only reason I'm offering this is because it is still possible to get lucky. Personally, I just went for it and added this guy when I found one where I felt the price was fair. It is the second most I have ever paid for a figure, being outranked only by the Battle Ranger Flint, but is a cool variation and one of the few variations in the Joe line that actually occurred on a major character. Right now, I don't regret purchasing this figure, but ask me again in a couple of months. This guy now sits safely in my safe deposit box and his only use will be for this page. When I think of all the other Joes I could have bought with the money I spent on this guy, I wonder if he, or any figure that costs even half this much, is really worth it. I guess time will tell.

Now that I've got this guy, I don't need another. If you have any information, though, about why his crotch is unpainted, please email me.

1988 Mail Away Super Trooper

G.I. Joe was an interesting line from a mail in offer perspective. While they rarely offered really great, original figures by mail, Hasbro Direct did keep just about every figure and many vehicles available for years after their retail cancellations. As such, there are very few figures in the Joe line who were not available via mail order. By the same token, there were very few mail order figures who were only available via that avenue. Of those who were, most were repaints of existing molds with maybe one or two newly molded parts. Others were celebrity spokespeople whose inclusion in the line is a discussion best left to another time. The final group of mail in only figures was what I call the "gimmick" group. These guys all had a selling point that would make them attractive via mail order whereas it would have doomed them at retail. I count the 1988 Super Trooper in this category.

As I have said many, many times before, by 1988, I was pretty much out of Joe collecting. Still, though, I did poke my head into the toy aisle every now and then. My brothers were still of Joe collecting age and I still collected the comic. (Funny how collecting comics and sports cards was okay, but collecting toys was not.) As such, I was still privy to the happenings in the Joe world. When I was much younger, I had always eagerly anticipated the mail in figures that were offered by Kenner for their Star Wars line. While this had built up expectations for mail order greatness, Hasbro had killed those expectations off with their relatively mundane mail in offers. I had diligently ordered them all, though, from the original straight armed Cobra Commander, though I didn't get the "Mickey Mouse" version, all the way through Sgt. Slaughter. When the Fridge was offered in 1987, though, I drew the line. I just couldn't, in good conscience, order that figure. When I saw the offering for 1988, though, I was even less impressed than I had been with the Fridge. Super Trooper was just too far gone for my tastes. An invincible trooper who wears all metalized silver armor? Come on! Naturally, Super Trooper was passed by and was not added to my collection.

That all changed last Saturday when I finally added this guy. I picked him and a straight arm Breaker at the last minute in a lot on Ebay. I had never really searched for the Super Trooper, but jumped at the chance to pick up two figures I needed for a fairly small price. I just figured Super Trooper would disappear into the 1988 drawer forever and would never emerge. When I got the package, though, I was enthralled by this figure. He was really cool. Of course, I still don't think I will ever have a use for him in my collection, but he is nice to look at and looks very good displayed out in the open. As such, I was pleasantly surprised by a figure that I thought I would always hate. The metal looks very good when its juxtaposed to the dark and light greens that make up the rest of this guy's uniform. The visual effect is very different from what I anticipated.

On Sunday, the day after this guy arrived, I was cleaning out an old shoe box full of G.I. Joe paperwork. Among the blueprints, flag points, and booklets, I found the mail in coupon you had to send in to get Super Trooper. Unlike the lame Fridge and Sgt. Slaughter inserts, though, the Super Trooper advertisement came with a short comic strip that introduced the character. It is, as far as I know, the only time Super Trooper appears in any element of Joedom besides the figure itself. I know he wasn't in the comic and I don't think he was in the cartoon. As a special bonus that will cause this page to load incredibly slow, I've included scans of both sides of that mini comic so you can see just how special Super Trooper was supposed to be. The comic is a chilling reminder of what Joe could have become had the toy powers had full control over their figures' characterizations.

Super Troopers are both easy and hard to find. If you aren't looking for this guy and just randomly acquire large lots of figures, Super Trooper rarely appears. He just isn't a figure you see in large collections that are offered for sale. If you are looking for him, though, he often appears by himself and is mint and complete. As such, you can usually get yourself a Super Trooper for under $10.00. He's one of those figures that just doesn't inspire a tremendous search for many collectors. He is very cool to look at, but cheesy to use. As such, I don't foresee this guy ever reaching the heights of popularity enjoyed by the Steel Brigade figure or Starduster. They are at least fun to use. This guy is just sharp and eye catching. Still, he is a fun addition to any collection. I've got mine standing on a shelf with many of my more obscure Joes. The metal stands out among the subtler colors of many of the other figures. In this capacity, he gets some use, but it is all he will probably ever receive. While a neat figure to look at, Super Trooper is just another forgotten member of the all too large Joe team ranks.

I'm not after any more Super Troopers, but would like another version or two of Starduster. If you can help, drop me a line.

1994 Star Brigade Gears

Lately, a lot has been made of Gears, the Version 2 Techno Viper, and the Power Fighters in general in the Joe newsgroup. People have been arguing over their scarcity, value, and just general coolness. Before all this erupted, I was planning to profile Gears. I have just recently acquired one, after almost a year's search, and feel that he should be my Star Brigade entry for this batch of 20 figures. Now that all this hulabaloo has come around, though, I feel that my timing may be misplaced. However, timing is everything and I feel that Gears should be showcased while the little attention he receives is still in full swing.

When I first saw the Gears figure, I thought he was pretty cool. I had yet to acquire either the '92 or '93 version of Barricade and thought that Gears would make an excellent pilot in my collection. After an unsuccessful but short stint trying to find one, I finally got a '92 Barricade. The mold had such limitations that I abandoned my search for Gears for a year or so. Late last year, I finally got close to completing my '94 Star Brigade collection. (I still need a loose Predacon and Lobotomaxx, though. If you've got one, I'll trade you something very nice for them.) As I neared the completion of that goal, I remembered Gears and the Version II Techno Viper. I started searching for Gears almost immediately. Nearly a year later, I finally found a loose specimen. I bought him and quickly tossed him into the '94 drawer. I highly doubt he will ever emerge.

I like Star Brigade for what it was in 1993 and 1994. The Lunartix aliens started to get a bit out there for me, but I could accept them since they were cool figures and had Joe articulation. The Manimals would have been too much. Frankly, I'll buy one of each of the new Manimals and leave it at that. They won't be opened or anything. I just don't see the need for them. They are part of Joe, but not one of which I think I would have been particularly fond. I hold the Power Fighters in the same regard. They are neat toys, but not the direction I think Joe should have gone. Had the Manimals been broken off to another, separate, line, the Power Fighters would have made perfect sense. With the release of the new Manimals only a couple of months away, I hope they are released just for collectors and Hasbro doesn't decide to take the fledgling line in that direction. It would be too much and probably kill any chances for success that the Joe comeback has.

Okay, let's cut to the chase. Gears is tough to find. In fact, he and the version 2 Techno Viper are definitely among the 25 rarest American Joes. While this is the case, that does not mean he is expensive or valuable. Boxed Power Fighters routinely sell for under $30. I bought this loose Gears for under $8. People don't like him. His mold is overused and not that cool to begin with. His color scheme is highly suspect. Also, he is Star Brigade. All of these factors doom him to an eternity of collecting purgatory. Since he isn't common, he will always be worth more than many other '93 and '94 figures. Still, he will be worth considerably less than any figure who has any type of fan following. Gears is an oddity. At that level, he works. Taken as anything more than that, this figure is pretty awful. That being said, you can determine his value to you on your own. To me, he was a figure that I wanted. I like Star Brigade and wanted a complete set. That is really the only reason I was after him. Unless you are a completist, I don't see much need for this figure. Even as hard to find figures go, he is very mundane. Still, he deserves some shrine to his existence. If the recent discourse and this profile are all he gets, well, I think he's gotten more than his due.

I don't need any more Gears, but would like a Version II Techno Viper. If you can help, drop me a line.

1997 Snake Eyes

I've really got no reason to profile this figure. I've already touched upon the Snake Eyes character when I profiled the 1991 version. Why, then, am I wasting a profile on a character who has been done to death and a figure reuses one of the most famous molds in the entire history of the line? The answer is simple. I felt that I needed to examine the phenomena of the 1997 figures and their current state of affairs in the collecting world. Since I've already profiled the only 1997 figure that I consider to be of excellent quality when I did Stalker and Snake Eyes is the only other 1997 figure that I own that I also use, I felt it appropriate to profile him.

I've already stated that I was incredibly surprised when I found the Star and Stripes nearly three years ago, today. At the time, I mainly had Star Wars figures. I had just moved to Arizona and hadn't brought any of my original Joes out with me. Once I had the Star and Stripes set, though, I started looking for more Joe figures. By the end of 1998, I was back into Joe collecting full time. I haven't really looked back since then. (Although, this Christmas is shaping up to be a Star Wars Christmas. Apparently, I've got over 20 figures that I don't yet have coming to me. While I'm sure I'll get at least a couple of Joes, I think Star Wars will take this year's holiday season.) In those early days, though, my figure selection was limited. I've already said that I don't really use the Snake Eyes character. Because of that, this figure became a masked assassin. I gave him the original Mutt's silenced Mac-10 and made him the lone gunman who would assassinate prisoners or high ranking officers on both the Joe and Cobra side. When it's all you've got, you become incredibly resourceful.

As my collection has grown exponentially over the past two years, figures like Snake Eyes have been replaced. Now, this guy sees very little use. I just don't have the inclination to use him any more. I've got many other figures who are better suited to the type of role in which I had been using him. Every now and then, I pull him out for a quick strike against some poor, unsuspecting Cobra higher-up. Since I haven't had any real desire to use the original Joes in any capacity since the very early days of my youth, figures like Snake Eyes really don't hold any meaning for me. I think that's why I have yet to replace several of my straight armed figures. I had to make it one of my collecting goals to acquire some new straight arms this year. I just don't have any desire to add them to my collection. Perhaps, someday, I will wish I had taken better advantage of the current availability of many of the original Joes. Until then, though, I really don't care much for those early members of the line.

One of the reasons I like the Star and Stripes set, though, is because they took many of those old molds and gave them more elaborate color schemes. The result is the figures don't all blend together so much. It is a much nicer effect. Snake Eyes, for example, has a bit more subtle color to him. It makes all the difference in the world. What was a dark, bland figure is now much more realistic and likable. The same can be said for the other original molds they reused for the Stars and Stripes set. I think part of the reason why I'm not overly fond of the original Joes is that they are all the same. With these repaints, some of the figures have grow on me. For that reason, I think many of the '97's will be a nostalgic favorite, if nothing else.

The 1997 figures have become incredibly hard to find on the second hand market. I don't know why. In all of 1998, these guys were remarkable pegwarmers. Sure, the Commando team would sell out from time to time, but none of these packs were hard to find. In late '98, the '98 Joes hit the shelves. Almost overnight, all the '97's disappeared. You could find beat up Stars and Stripes sets lying in Toys R Us clearance bins from time to time, but the rest of the '97's were gone forever. As such, we are left with a relatively tough class of figures to find on today's second hand market. In late '97 and early '98, Star Wars scalping was still in full effect. Because of this, Joes fell to the wayside. The other factor that has lead to their relative scarcity is the fact that the figures suck. There are very few cool '97's and most people consider the construction and paint quality of this group so poor, that they really didn't pay much attention to them. While the '98's were full of army builders and good molds, the '97's were poor color choices of unpopular molded figures. This leaves the modern collector who missed out on them at retail in a real bind. All of the '97's are starting to get pricey, when you can find them, that is. As time goes on, I think that G.I. Joe's "Power of the Force" (scarce figures that come out at the end of the line and are produced in smaller quantities) will not be the 1994 series, but the 1997 series. Fortunately, there are no highly desirable figures in that mix. While it won't ease the financial stress these guys are starting to put on the modern collector, it does keep these guys from being that one sore spot in your near finished collection.

I need a 1997 Ace and a 1997 Alley Viper. If you've got one for trade, email me.