Vintage Blog | Vintage Action Figures

Crazylegs from the G.I. Joe - A Real American Hero line

Crazylegs – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

Whilst many vintage G.I. Joe action figure collectors concentrate on the original 12 inch figures, there are also armies of equally passionate fans of the 3 ¾ inch G.I.Joe figures which first hit the toy market in 1982. The smaller, relaunched figures were issued with all sorts of gadgets and even a back-story involving the never-ending fight between the G.I. Joe Team (the good guys, obviously) and the Cobra Command (the bad guys). Hasbro eventually developed these figures into the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line.

Buck Hunter and the Marx Safari Adventure line

Every now and again I’ll buy an action figure simply because it looks interesting even if I haven’t the faintest idea as to what, precisely, I’m buying! This was the case with this chap – I loved his natty 1960s-style clothes and boots – he looked like some generic spy or military figure, although I simply couldn’t place him. The Italian postal service leaves little to be desired and I’d all but given him up for lost, but after a month he finally turned up in the post from the US the other day.

Who you gonna call? Ray Stantz and The Real Ghostbusters!

Until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles burst upon the action figure scene and won the hearts of flaky kids everywhere who instantly, en masse and seemingly across the entire planet, dropped what they were playing with and started nagging their parents for one of those four adolescent reptiles, Ghostbusters figures ruled the roost.

The Real Ghostbusters action figures were produced by Kenner under license from Columbia Pictures and were based on the animated television series, which was in turn based on the smash hit 1984 film starring Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd – Ghostbusters.

Star Wars variations: I lost my heart to a Star Wars Stormtrooper!

Kenner’s sculpt for the Star Wars Stormtrooper (later renamed Imperial Stormtrooper on the repackaged The Power Of The Force card back) was one of its most accurate action figures. Like many of the vintage Star Wars figures there are, however, minor variations in moldings and even stance – collectors should keen an eye out for varieties that may fly under the radar of less-informed sellers.

Santa Jack from Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’

Christmas is almost upon us so here’s a seasonal look at a classic Christmas-themed action figure – Santa Jack from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, released in NECA’s second wave of 7 inch action figures for the film.

For those of you who haven’t seen the stop motion masterpiece, Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, a creature more skilled at spreading terror during Halloween than joy at Christmas time! This all changes when he accidentally discovers Christmas Town, however, and this figure shows him dressed as Santa in his efforts to embrace Christmas!

Star Wars action figure variations: My, what small eyes you have, Chief Chirpa!

Love them or hate them (or even love-to-hate-them by joining those who have formed a Facebook group dedicated to their eradication) the Ewoks are very much part of the Star Wars trilogy and for the action figure collector provide a few harder to find variations to track down.

Being the characters that so many – even die-hard Star Wars fans – loathe, as well as being figures that are not so instantly recognisable to the uninitiated, means that you can often pick them up for mere cents in the bargain bin at markets where they’ve been simply overlooked, like this Chief Chirpa action figure that I found the other day.

Toy Story: Disney and McDonald’s Happy Meals

As somebody who has been a vegetarian for the last 23 years I haven’t seen the inside of a McDonald’s for quite some time, or likewise, collected any Happy Meal toys directly in a McDonald’s restaurant; their action figures do seem to pop up regularly on market stalls, however, and that’s where I found this Woody the other day. Love them or hate them, the McDonald’s Happy Meal action figures have clearly cornered a slice of the collectors’ market – earlier this year UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported that an entrepreneurial 11-year-old had sold his entire collection of McDonald’s memorabilia for over £8,000 sterling!

From 1996 through to the end of 2006, Disney films were often promoted via the free gimmicks and toys given away with Happy Meals, until their relationship with McDonald’s finally ended in 2007. Whilst there’s nothing officially on the record by the Disney company about the real motivation for its distancing itself from McDonald’s it would be easy to imagine that growing criticism blaming the fast food giant for childhood obesity may have played a part.

Hasbro’s William “The Fridge” Perry as G.I. Joe physical training instructor!

As I live in Rome, Italy I couldn’t have been more surprised to find this action figure of American pro football player William Perry aka The Refrigerator the other day. He was right at the bottom of a bargain toy bin in a local second-hand store…but I knew I just had to add him to my collection! The figure has clearly seen some heavy play fighting the evil Cobra baddies, so there is some wear to the number 72 blazoned across his Chicago Bears shirt and the G.I. Joe transfer on his belt buckle is barely visible, but all in all he’s still in good shape. The paint work on the face is nice and clear and the all-important gap in Perry’s front teeth is still there!

Available as a mail order only G.I. Joe action figure as part of the 3 ¾ inch A Real American Hero line by Hasbro in 1987 – the advertising campaign began in 1986 although the date stamped on the figure is 1987 – the figure came originally with a black football accessory attached to a chain which doubled up as a somewhat bizarre weapon, as well as a special file card. In order to get your hands on the figure you were required to collect the coupons found in the packaging of other figures in the line and then call a special number.