Vintage GI Joe Information
The release of the "G.I. Joe" movie introduced a whole new generation of children to the world of the combat army men. When the toy line was first introduced in 1982, it not only enthralled children, but a large group of collector's became interested in the series, too. For the following two decades, dozens of more G.I. Joe figures would be released and they could be worth hundreds of dollars today.
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Early 1980s
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The first series of G.I. Joe figures appeared in 1982. The series consisted of 13 G.I. Joes and three of the evil Cobra Command soldiers. Unlike later versions of the figures, these figures featured non-jointed stiff arms. The flexible arms appeared in 1985, where the joint was attached just below the elbow. Highlights among these figures included Hawk, the Cobra Commander and Torpedo. According to Gijoepricingguide.com, the figures worth the most are the 1982, 1983 and 1985 Snake Eyes. This is due to their large popularity among fans.
Late 1980s
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G.I Joe figures were a mainstream success by the late 1980s. Sets grew largely during these years, including 33 different figures released in 1986. The "Special Mission Brazil" five-pack includes Claymore, Dial-Tone, Mainframe, Leatherneck and Wet Suit figures and is valued at more than $200. The late 1980s also saw the inclusion of pro-wrestler Sgt. Slaughter as the official G.I. Joe spokesman. Slaughter received his own figure along with fellow wrestling star Rowdy Roddy Piper. Special mail-order figures included the 1987 Steel Brigade, Star Duster, and 1988 Super Trooper. These figures are values hundreds of dollars higher than store-bought ones.
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Early 1990s
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The G.I. Joe universe expanded even more in the early 1990s with the expansion of in-store exclusives. Target featured exclusive sets like Voltar and Muskrat. In 1991, the "Talking Battle Commanders" series was launched with figures saying different catch phrases. Highlights among these included Cobra Commander, Overkill, and Stalker. One of the highest valued G.I. Joe figures is from 1992. According to Gijoepricingguide.com, the Deep-Six Eco Warrior packaged with the killer whale is extremely rare and valued at more than $600 if in mint condition.
Late 1990s
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Production ceased on original G.I. Joe figures in 1994, but they returned in 1997 with a special Toys R Us deal. The figures released in this series included three-packs of original G.I. Joe characters like Snake Eyes, Gung-Ho, Viper, and Cobra Commander. More exclusive sets also were released at Toys R Us in 1998 and in early 2000.
Pricing
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Determining the value of certain figures depends on many things. The first is the packaging. If a package is cracked, dented or ripped, the value of the object decreases by more than 50 percent. If the figure is opened and has all its accessories, it cannot get more than face value, but some collector's may want it. Values also change depending on trends. For example, if a lot of collectors gain access to 1980s Snake Eyes figures, their value may decrease because interest in the figure is not high.
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References
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Comments
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dmooretoys
Aug 15, 2010
No offense but there is a bit of erroneous information in this article. In your "Late 80s" section you said the flexible arms appeared in 1985 but in fact the "swivel-arms" as they are commonly referred to debuted in 1983. Also, Rowdy Roddy Piper became a Joe figure in 2007, not the late 80s. One other note--in your introductory paragraph you mentioned G.I. Joe debuted in 1982 but you should qualify that since the larger 12" figures actually debuted in 1964.
