Gi Joe Action Figures
The gi joe action figures date back all the way to the 1960’s. The term G.I stands for the word government issue and has always been a term used by the US armed forces. Based on the popular cartoon series, the gi joe action figures represent the main divisions of the US armed forces. The main segments that are depicted through the figures consist of an Action Soldier (army), Action Marine (marines), Action Sailor (navy) and an Action Pilot (air force). The gi joe action figures are considered to be the fathers of the phrase ‘action figure’.
The original line of gi joe action figures were created in 1964 by Hasbro in the United States. These figures are considered to be the first ‘dolls’ created for boys and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame on the 11th of November 2004. The original gi joe action figures were 12 inches initially and then reduced to 3 inches later on.
Anti-war ideals raised in the 1900’s brought about the G.I Joe action figure line to expand their horizons and promote non-violent military activity by producing astronaut and Indiana Jones type figures. Unfortunately though the oil –crisis that emerged in the US at the time forced Hasbro to stop production on the gi joe action figures as plastic is a petroleum based product. This however did not last. After its renewal the gi joe action figures celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2004.
This year (2010) has brought about a shocking evolution of the series and has now introduced the G.I Joe; the Rise of Cobra line following the cancelation of the 25th anniversary collection. It is believed that the new Rise of Cobra line will consist of some of these not-seen-yet action figures.
There are many GI Joe action figure collectors today and one should know that a rare action figure can command over $5000 while the extremely rare Nurse Action Girl released in 1997 can claim $6000 on a secondary market if in mint condition. This fact is important to know because gi joe action figures may be found in a flea market for less than $5. Many action figure collectors not only should keep their figures in protective cases but also be aware that the original casing is always preferred by most bidders and buyers.
There are many cheap copies and prototypes of the G.I Joe action figure series available today. In order to avoid purchasing a worthless counterfeit make sure to check the date of manufacture that is engraved on to the inside of the leg or seat of the pants in any figure.