A Long Time Ago, Before the Sandbox

We were kids in the 60s and 70s playing with America's movable fighting man, Hasbro's G.I. Joe. There were others such as Ideal Toy's Captain Action and Marx's Johnny West, but only G.I. Joe was G.I. Joe. He was the first toy to be known as an "action figure". In other parts of the world he was known as Action Man, Geyperman, or Hombre de Accion. He had Five-Star jeeps, Mercury Space Capsules, Adventure Team Headquarters, and any number of other cool playsets and accessories.

Our backyards became the jungles of Nam or the hiding place of mysterious hidden idols. Living rooms were turned into battlefields. Swimming pools were perilous oceans. Our action figures braved dirt clod wars, firecrackers, parachute accidents, firing squads, and a host of other dangerous missions. Limbs were lost, painted hair or tufts of flocked hair rubbed away, Kung Fu gripping fingers fell off, uniforms once bright and crisp became dull and torn. But we kept Joe going.

Then we grew up. We moved on to other interests like girls, cars, sports, and Bruce Lee movies. Our toys were given away to younger cousins or neighbors, sold off at garage sales, or stuffed into boxes and stored away in attics, garages, and basements. In some cases, they were just plain thrown away. Around 1980, Hasbro stopped making our 11.5" hero.

We went off to college, to the armed services, moved out, moved on with our lives. But for some of us adults, there remained inside a bit of childhood. We remembered the wonderful adventures and fun we had with our toys. As we waxed nostalgic, there was a desire to recapture those long ago memories. So we set about searching those attics, basements, and garages. We went to garage sales, flea markets, and antique shops. We found long lost friends. Then, holding that plastic figure in our hands, the years rolled back and we were kids again.

And we started wondering, did anyone else collect these old G.I. Joes? Where are they? How do I get in touch with them? What kind of stuff do they have? What is all of this worth? How can I complete sets with missing or broken parts? What if we could start trading?