@dinomonzon7493 yeah I would've loved a Flagg figure. I think they did opening the 90s but if I remember correctly it was the original Flaggs son or something
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf That's right- the General Flagg figure released in 1992 was the son of General Flagg from the Marvel Comics series. In G. I. Joe #16, Larry Hama implied that he had a son: "No disrespect intended, General Flagg, but if this is what you mean by keeping things under wraps, your kids must not be very surprised at Christmas time... Weird but True- the G. I. Joe Collector's Club released a General Flagg II figure. And that figure's file card reveals he's won the Medal of Valor- the Philippines' counterpart to the US Congressional Medal of Honor (!). The original General Flagg only got a very poorly made figure when they released the Joe Comic 3-packs set. Shoddily made IMHO. I imagine a Proper General Flagg figure to sport his US Army Class-A Dress uniform with removable cap and aviator glasses and a holster and M-1911A1. I liked General Flagg because he seemed to have been modeled after US General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, who is one of my real life heroes. General MacArthur was Supreme Commander Allied Powers; Commander-In-Chief United Nations, Commander-In-Chief Far East, Commanding General, United States Army, Far East as well as Governor of the Ryukus Archipeligo. I like Clutch because he's a fun character whose driving skills spooks both Hawk and Scarlett, plus he likes to tease her a lot. Pity he never got to make a move on Jinx... Too bad Larry Hama also never had a scene where he tells new Joes before introducing Scarlett- "I want you guys to meet the future Mrs. Steinberg..." within earshot of Hawk & Snake-Eyes...
@dinomonzon7493 that's a LOT of info on Gen Flagg. Appreciate it though 👍👍👍 Hopefully they'll give him due recognition in the Classified line at some point. It would have been cool if they had developed further the character of the son in any media. I love Clutch cuz he uses motor oil on his hair 🤣
The first 13 in 1982 is what got me interested in Gi-Joe. I love the first 13 & the vehicles. I had family serving in the military at the time, & my father was a ww2 vet. I was hooked. Yo! Joe!!!
OG 13 for the win :) One interesting fact that I heard was Hasbro supposedly planned the price points of the entire first wave so that they could all be bought under $100. Figures and vehicles...not sure if that's true...but it seems plausible :)
My first Joe was Stalker. I remember going to a toy store in a mall in Pennsylvania. Me and my brother visiting my grandparents at the time. I was looking through the figures. I wanted Breaker because he had a ton of gear. Only brother noticed he didn’t have a gun. He went with Grunt and I got Stalker. I do agree that 83 had more variety.
My Brother and I played with the OG Gi Joes (12 inch) back in the day. In 1982 we were in the Marines in North Carolina and bought these little guys when they came out. His wife and my girlfriend at the time thought we were crazy for lining them up in the living room during our off time and shooting them off of the couch with rubber bands! Great memories. Lol!
My older brothers also played with the OG " stuff which is why when ARAH came out in he was adamant that I get myself some. It's a good thing he never gave me a choice in the matter :P
Lucky! For some reason I think Snake Eyes was the only one of thenoriginal 13 I never got...I guess my dad thought he was a bad guy and didn't bother to get him 😅
Back in 1983, a neighbor kid, who had got every toy he wanted, introduced me to G.I.Joes. I ran home and begged my mom to take me to the store so I can get a "joe". Wasn't until five days later I got Stalker. I still have that figure.
well, put on your pack shoot!, because down the hole we All go. lol the G.i.Joe Rabbit's have plans to finish out the Original 13, and as you are probably aware some have already been made and released. (so fingers crossed Hasbro doesn't tank) Cheers my fellow collectors. (if you already knew that, then kew'dos to you, as for me, i am just catching up after getting back on my feet, and a new lease on life) Happy new year "here to winning"👍
@@elrayoxephier1393 yes while I have managed to stay away from Classified, I have been monitoring closely which of the OG have been released...almost halfway there. If Flash comes out..then you know Grand Slam can't be far behind....
oh ok, well despite the problems with G.i. Joe classified, thats what i collect , i did leave it for a bit but recently got back to it. I love your video because it really helped me with a few questions i had, and i love the heart you put into it, really gave me nostalgia vibes. Thank my brother ❣️ Cheers
As a 10 year old boy in 1982, whose father was in the Army, I gravitated instantly to the original G.I. Joe line. And Flash was, and still is my favorite Joe of all time.
I was 14 in '82/ Like you I was looking for Star Wars figures in my local store and discovered the Real American Hero line. I grew up with the original GI Joes as well as the Adventure Team and Super Joe lines so I was excited to see GI Joe back on store shelves! I picked up 2 figures originally, all I had money for. I picked Snake Eyes and a Cobra Officer. I chose the Officer over the Trooper because it came with an AK-47 and the Trooper had a sniper rifle.
For some reason I can't recall seeing Snake Eyes out in the wild. But the next chance I got, I went for both. The Cobra officer and soldier..just to give Short Fuse and Flash some guys to fight :)
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a Marine brat, I left the Philippines in 1982 at age 10. I was in the Hostess House at Camp Lejeune and I was given new olive drab G.I. toys to play with (Flash and Rock 'N Roll and the motorcycle seem to present in my memories). I later discovered G.I. Joe comics in the 7th grade on the school bus with Issue 21, Silent Interlude. The was the beginning of a huge real life G.I. Joe adventure for me. Twenty years in the Marine Corps (1992~2012). Oh, the nostalgia.
I fell for them, too! It was 1982. Straight Arm Flash and Short Fuze were my two first Joes ever. I think my third one was Zap with the two handle bazooka. I was still into Star Wars at the time, but after the 1983 Joes hit the shelves, I realized that this was gonna be big! I never quite got into the ROTJ figures once Kenner released them. Only the Joes mattered! But those initial ten issues of the comic with the 0G13 were far better in my book than the Sunbow cartoon. The realism of those early issues and the founding members has yet to be matched!
Nice we had the same first two Joes! And I never looked back and Star Wars was just a distant memory...except for the random ewok here and there :) As much as I enjoyed the cartoon, on a whole I think it was the early Marvel comic that really won over the most of the hardcore fans...Given that they were mandated to introduce new characters to promote to new toys in almost every issue, I think Larry Hama did a fantastic job in maintaining the overall quality for most of the original run :)
What a difference knees & elbows, make, right? Growing up in the late 70s - early 80s, I had an original 12" GI Joe, but the 3.75" scale wasn't huge yet. I had some Adventure People with vehicles (rescue chopper & news van were frikking awesome), & 5POA thing didn't even register with me. But then Micronauts came out that were much more poseable, & while I didn't have a lot, they represented an advancement, to me. When Star Wars came out, of course I was down for it, but there was definitely a disappointment when I realized they were 5POA. I still collected quite a few, but always had a feeling in the back of my mind that they felt like 'little kids' toys. When GI Joe was relaunched in that scale tho, I dropped Star Wars like a hot potato. Joes were _sooo_ much cooler then Star Wars figures. Clutch was my favorite then, because he looked pretty much like my old 12" Joe. Of course I had no idea of the lineage & relationships going on behind the scenes for all these lines. Now when any 'retro' figure comes out with 5POA, there's a part of me that's like, why would they want to emulate the 'downgraded' figure style? I get it, Star Wars was leagues more popular than Micronauts, but dammit give me knees & elbows! I wonder sometimes if there's an alternate timeline out there where Mego picked up the license for Star Wars. I'd like to think it led to world peace 😂
The added articulation was definitely a game changer! I'm with you, I guess they have their own charm but I never got into all this reaction/retro toylines ....give me elbows and knees any day!
Wow mego does bring me back to some of the first "action figures" I had growing up! A mego Star Wars toyline would definitely be an interesting alternate timeline!
I was late to the party with GI Joe, so never really saw the first 13 on the shelves. Most of mine were found in yard sales later on when the line was more mature. When the anniversary figures came out, I went hard on those, but I recently gave away all my 1/18th Joes and moved over to Classified. I do miss the vehicles, but I just love the 6" scale so much better.
What's not to love about Classified! I just have a huge 1/18 scale collection that I can't justify another Joe collection to my wife ha ha. But the temptation is so REAL!
got my first joe in either 82 or 83. straight arm breaker. then i got a swivel grunt. loved them. never understood why the first guys were the same green, except for the later ones of the 13.ended up with about 40 figures and several vehicles. i got duke and a cowled cc with flag points. duke became my favorite, until much later when i got flint. now i'm a modern collector with about 500 figures and almost every single vehicle there was.
I think it was more of a cost cutting thing for a brand new "experiment"...aside from them being "army men", they saved on very minimal paint deco throughout the first wave. Once the first wave was a success they had a bigger budget for the 2nd wave and beyond :)
That first year or so of GI Joe figures really were like more posable versions of those "little green army men" figurines: the radio man, the bazooka soldier, the mortar guy, the one with the M-16.... Yeah, the minesweeper was a little later. But around that time we also got the diver that was also a common army man toy.
Well I was NOT the first kid in my house to get one. My little brother came back from grocery shopping with my Mom with TWO Short-Fuse figures. Once I saw Breaker and Flash- I was hooked. My gripe was the lack of flexible thumbs, but it in no way stopped my Love and appreciation of the line. My favorite guy was Hawk- the silver belt stood out and I loved the MMS. Breaker was a close second with Flash (kinda irked me that Breaker didn't come with an M16 like Grunt though). I was 13, and about to leave all the action figures behind- this line catapulted me into the hobby for decades to follow though.
My first Joe was Flash, and I still remember the exact moment my mom gave the treasury size edition of GI Joe #1 from Marvel comics. Childhood in the 80s was amazing, how lucky we were.
My first G.I.Joe figure was Flash. I was a big fan of the animation so I wasn't aware of the original 13 until about 1990. Tripwire was the second character i remember having and the first one i kept the file card from.😊
Flash was definitely my favorite of the original team. He just stood out for me :) Which is why I really felt bad when he was barely seen in the cartoon...but I guess when EVERYONE uses lasers, your "specialty" kinda gets redundant 😅
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf I only had about 3 or 4 of the toys before I started watching the cartoon. Torpedo instantly became my favorite once I found out what a S.E.A.L. was and his unique loadout. I always gravitated to the Stormtrooper looking characters.
I learned of G. I. Joe first via the Marvel Comic (thankfully, Marvel, Not DC, got the license) and G. I. Joe #5 was my fave issue. General Flagg & Clutch were my fave characters. A classmate of mine gave me an extra 1985 Joe Toy Catalog, and Torpedo was the first figure I got for Php 60.00 . I liked the filecard details and the fact that Hasbro's G. I. Joe outclassed Kenner's Star Wars line in terms of poseability with its swivel arm battle grip. And the real life weapons the early figures had.
Yup I was a diehard starwars toy fan until my brother "forced" me to try out GIJoe. And I haven't looked back since 😅 I also had tye VAMP and clutch. That was the first vehicle I was given by my parents so it has a lot of nostalgia attached to it for me. Such a shame the Classified version is so hard to get nowadays. Strongly considering just getting a Stinger and repainting it 😅
Short Fuze and Snake Eyes were my first two Joes. Which version of the toy line is this ? They are obviously a smaller scale than the current classified line.
are you referring to the 25th Anniversary line? yes they're still in the 3.75 - 4" scale similar to the 82 stuff...but with even more articulation and added details/accessories. They came out in 2007 and continued on for a few more years after that reaching up to the 30th Anniversary :)
Wow! Shot me back. 1982/83. Hated getting clothes for Christmas. My mom had hid about 8 GI Joe’s in a Christmas wrapped sears clothing box. You know the ones. Long, thin, rectangular boxes. I shook it, threw it to the side. She did a good job of masking what was inside. She stopped it with her foot, kicked it back towards me. I remember opening that bastard in anger and speed just to get the thank you’s out of the way. It was an awesome surprise. She was good at that. Should’ve known better. She died the next Christmas of Cancer. She left this little shit with some good memories though.
Us kids in the 80s have the best memories IMHO:) sorry to hear about your mom, buts I'm sure she's smiling up above as you recall Happy memories of her :)
My birthday in 1982 was where it all began. I got the MOBAT and it was glorious. By the next year I had whole the collection. Now I guess I need them in 6 inch. Lol
Nice! As an 80's kid, the o-rings definitely have their nostalgic charm. Although I ended up planting my Joe flag with the updated 25th anniversary line :) Although the new 6" Classified is extremely tempting!
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf they're about to release a retro duke! Can't miss that figure again I still don't have a duke! But hopefully they'd make those troopers too!
@@karlmeisterfilms9112 yup! loving those retro figures :) harder and harder to resist...although I do think the Ultimates version by Super 7 is the best Duke produced so far :)
My first G.I. Joe figure was the driver that came with the Cobra HISS Tank. But it wasn't until 1984 when my cousin gave me Mutt and Storm Shadow that I was hooked.
I never got the HISS but then again most vehicles where out of my allowance range...I did get MUTT though and it was a big deal back then to get the first Joe with an animal partner :)
I didn’t get GI Joe until 1983/84 probably. Most likely because there were not many new Star Wars figures out. I needed a new line and GI Joe hit that mark. I think I got like Doc, Torpedo and/or Blowtorch first. I did eventually see the first 13 at a drug store in the next town over from where I grew up. I remember seeing them and freaking out cause this store still had the originals. I saved every penny of my allowance and went back as often as I could until I had them all. I got Rock n Roll and/or Breaker first. Those two have always had a special place in my collection
While I was in the 1st grade in the Philippines, my classmate brought two Joes, Snake Eyes and Stalker, to school to show to his classmates. Of course this was my first introduction to Joes so I already liked them before I even knew who they were. Heck, even my classmate didn’t know who they were and he only got them when his dad brought them back from a business trip from the US. After playing with them a little, I was instantly hooked. The articulation was out of this world for the time and place I was at. My area had dollar level toys that were mostly solid plastic figures with minimal articulation. You were lucky to have a humanoid toy that could move its arms up and down. I can confidently say that Joes solidified my love for highly articulated toys. Stalker was awesome, but it was SnakeEyes that was my instant favorite. Garbed in all black, I immediately imagined he was a martial artist and ninja. I had no idea who he was but I imagined right a year or two later when I moved to the US. After a few months living in the US I visited my first TRU. Saw some familiar looking military guys on the pegs and had my parents ask an employee to see if they had anymore in stock. Guy went to the back and pulled out a sealed box that contained a bunch of joes. There was no Stalker, but there was one SnakeEyes. It was like finding the Holy Grail. Been a Snake Eyes fan ever since. Lol.
Nice Philippines :) The added articulation of the ARAH toys were a true game changer for a whole generation of kids used to playing with 5poa Star Wars figures. I know that I never looked back after my first few Joes :) I can really imagine your excitement over finding Snake Eyes out in the wild all those years ago. I don't think I ever found him so great job!
My 1st joes was DOJO first seen and bought at Alimall Cubao vintage dojo 1993 Thankyou sir christ kay BlindMaster nka Display na sa mahiwagang cabdisplay ko.👍
@@hansolo-ix2pb nice! I’m afraid I was out of collecting Joes when they got to Tiger Force....but years later I really got into the whole concept of a unified deco. Although what I really got into was Night Force :)
I think it's cool that they had a black, hispanic and female as part of the original team. back then we didn't really think too much about it. It didn't seem that big of deal. As an adult though I realize that it was pretty progressive on the part of an 80s toy company (or Larry Hama).
Yes completely agree, it may have been intentional, but it felt natural and organic because they didn't call attention to it. They focused on what was the core of the toyline, that these were "real american heroes" and that the "fought for freedom wherever there's trouble", regardless of sex or race. they were all soldiers :)
Nice review bro, but the Sunbow cartoon never had Grand Slam in the cartoon, they could've gave him the silver pads to so kids could tell the difference?🤔🤷🏾♂️
Just lifted the definition off Google :) but I guess that refers to a more general meaning? But to be fair, while I don't claim to be an expert...doesn't infantry kinda refer to a non specialist soldier? like a foot soldier or "pawn" in chess terms?
@StoriesFromTheToyshelf no, infantry is a very specialized job. It is the most demanding job in all the military. The most physically demanding, most discipline demanding, most stressful. It is insulting to call them unskilled or unspecialized
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Yeah, for those who have nostalgia for them I understand. I like Stalker and Scarlett but don't like them enough to buy their figures.
@@poloshirtsamurai who are you favorite Joes from the later waves? 88 was actually the last full wave i collected....Hit and Run, Blizzard and Spearhead were favorites from that year :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf My Brother had Hit&Run and I bought Blizzard, Astro Viper and Iron Grenadier. Wanted Spearhead, Repeater and Muskrat but they didn't appear in our area.
Grunt was the 1st GIJOE figure I saw/held. When they added the swivel arms, they became my Standard.👍🏾 However, I think the Anniversary figures suck!👎🏾 I'm looking forward to what Super 7 Orings will look like.👍🏾
HA ha well I'm Asian...from the Philippines, where race isn't that big of an issue. Plus as a kid, I really didn't care if Stalker was black...he had a cool and unique look with his camo pattern and beret....even back then I knew he was kind of a bigger deal than lets say...Short Fuse :)
Yes I know that. As I state in the video. The "Original 13" is just a nickname used by many fans for the first Joes from the 1982 A Real American Hero line.
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Man, that's AWESOME! I remember leaving her outside one day and coming back to find her all BLUE! I had no idea she color changed! But I think she cooked for too long, too, cuz that was the first and LAST time she ever color changed!😢😆🤷♂️
I still love the og 13 quite a lot, I was an early 82 adopter, and had AT 12's much younger, at ...13 I cared a lot more about my things then, my first hit was the mobat and Stalker looking back at it, things could have been much better with a different business model... when you want to get into Batman, you will not settle with just the Joker.... all the characters are secondary to Batman we had years without Hawk, but constantly had Cobra Commander, that explains why many people like CC better than the hero, Hawk. this blunder was allowed for money, the mms was nt available anymore, so the money conflicted with the story... cancelling characters was a dumb concept, add more, don t take out stuff, unless it s a flunk, like Deep six that can t move caused by a gimmick. by messing the story, you lose fans, and can t get new ones either, you crash.... the story is about Hawk vs CC and their teams Batman vs Joker and friends I used to buy it all in the 80s, ok, it s 6' now and way more expensive, but even then, I would only buy the best now, no compromise because of this overproduction - consumerism, we never went deep with these 13 characters, really with classifieds, I m sticking to 82 - 83 mostly, and only essential Cobras, why? because knowing the characters really well makes you love them if done right, and that s the best fun one can have with these toys - icons - symbols of courage and values psa Hawk ; don t over eat kids! you ll get sick as heck!!! so now you know... good show bro
Thanks! appreciate it! Yes never understood the rationale behind sticking Hawk with the MCC. They could have at least paired him up with a more exciting vehicle, like the RAM cycle. It would quite some time until I realized that he was actually the Joe leader....
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf oh I understand the rationale to have him in control of the most strategical - powerful weapon of the team, but 84 without him was a big mistake, even with Duke around, figure this ; if Luke was not part of empire strikes back, but his cousin instead, what happens when he comes back in 'return' ? people are attached to his cousin now, to the least, it s confusing... but since both were blond, it s even worse, Duke should have been brown haired or black, like the tiger force version, that hints at the bug Hasbro then had on their hands, thanks for the reply bro
But as a toy, at least for me, the missile system wasn’t all that exciting :p. And I know this might be n unpopular opinion but I actually preferred Duke over Hawk. It was probably intentional on Hasbro’s part to later recollection Hawks hair brown to better differentiate him :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf at 13, I knew the missiles were superior in power and range, but, I m a military passionate, they designed Duke far more attractive than v - 1 Hawk, who s to blame? agreed, thanks bro
Sorry to bust your bubble man but those aren't The originals The originals actually were Barbie song size dolls and we're pretty cool I had deep six and rock and roll and he actually had a fuzzy beard mustache and hair as well😮 you should really check you fax Mack😢
I’m only referring to the A Real American Hero line that started in 1982, of which these guys were the first of. And they are just referred to the “original 13” by many fans and collectors of That line like myself. Of course I’m aware of the original larger Joes that came before these guys. It’s what my older brother played with, and which is why he turned me on towards these new smaller versions :).
The original 13 were boring, it wasn't until wave 2 in 1983 thst the line took off with more unique looking uniforms like Snow Job , Airborne and Torpedo and even Doc .... To much Green is bad thing
It was a good start! I'll take green + added articulation and accessories..BUT I do agree the first time I saw the next wave with all the added variations and color I was completely blown away. Airborne is my favorite Joe to this day ;)
Gung Ho actually kinda scared me as a kid 😅 but yes I loved how the line branched out and became more visually interesting in its second year and never looked back! But for me there still is a certain charm to the original 13 green team :)
I like that the base was basic military, adding colours specialities was brilliant though, BUT, I can t live without each either, they complement like a glove, my team will be 80% military 20% speciality, and that s the beauty of the offering, as you pick your team and opposition
Who is your favorite member of the Original Thirteen?
Snake-Eyes, Ms. Scarlett (of course! (❤️)), Stalker & Hawk. Wish there were figures as well for Generals Austin & Flagg.
@dinomonzon7493 yeah I would've loved a Flagg figure. I think they did opening the 90s but if I remember correctly it was the original Flaggs son or something
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf
That's right- the General Flagg figure released in 1992 was the son of General Flagg from the Marvel Comics series. In G. I. Joe #16, Larry Hama implied that he had a son:
"No disrespect intended, General Flagg, but if this is what you mean by keeping things under wraps, your kids must not be very surprised at Christmas time...
Weird but True- the G. I. Joe Collector's Club released a General Flagg II figure. And that figure's file card reveals he's won the Medal of Valor- the Philippines' counterpart to the US Congressional Medal of Honor (!).
The original General Flagg only got a very poorly made figure when they released the Joe Comic 3-packs set. Shoddily made IMHO.
I imagine a Proper General Flagg figure to sport his US Army Class-A Dress uniform with removable cap and aviator glasses and a holster and M-1911A1.
I liked General Flagg because he seemed to have been modeled after US General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, who is one of my real life heroes. General MacArthur was Supreme Commander Allied Powers; Commander-In-Chief United Nations, Commander-In-Chief Far East, Commanding General, United States Army, Far East as well as Governor of the Ryukus Archipeligo.
I like Clutch because he's a fun character whose driving skills spooks both Hawk and Scarlett, plus he likes to tease her a lot. Pity he never got to make a move on Jinx...
Too bad Larry Hama also never had a scene where he tells new Joes before introducing Scarlett- "I want you guys to meet the future Mrs. Steinberg..." within earshot of Hawk & Snake-Eyes...
@dinomonzon7493 that's a LOT of info on Gen Flagg. Appreciate it though 👍👍👍
Hopefully they'll give him due recognition in the Classified line at some point. It would have been cool if they had developed further the character of the son in any media.
I love Clutch cuz he uses motor oil on his hair 🤣
The first 13 in 1982 is what got me interested in Gi-Joe. I love the first 13 & the vehicles. I had family serving in the military at the time, & my father was a ww2 vet. I was hooked. Yo! Joe!!!
OG 13 for the win :) One interesting fact that I heard was Hasbro supposedly planned the price points of the entire first wave so that they could all be bought under $100. Figures and vehicles...not sure if that's true...but it seems plausible :)
The black and white shot of a shelf full of Joe toys(at TRU ) brings back those memories.
Those were the best! Floor to ceiling!
My first Joe was Stalker. I remember going to a toy store in a mall in Pennsylvania. Me and my brother visiting my grandparents at the time. I was looking through the figures. I wanted Breaker because he had a ton of gear. Only brother noticed he didn’t have a gun. He went with Grunt and I got Stalker. I do agree that 83 had more variety.
Yeah Breaker had a real unique head set. But the no gun was a dealbreaker :p
My Brother and I played with the OG Gi Joes (12 inch) back in the day. In 1982 we were in the Marines in North Carolina and bought these little guys when they came out. His wife and my girlfriend at the time thought we were crazy for lining them up in the living room during our off time and shooting them off of the couch with rubber bands! Great memories. Lol!
My older brothers also played with the OG " stuff which is why when ARAH came out in he was adamant that I get myself some. It's a good thing he never gave me a choice in the matter :P
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Roger that!
Snake eyes was my first Gi joe, saw him at the drug store on a peg and begged my mom for him back in 1982
Lucky! For some reason I think Snake Eyes was the only one of thenoriginal 13 I never got...I guess my dad thought he was a bad guy and didn't bother to get him 😅
Cash cow for the win! Definitely one of greatest strokes of luck for Hasbro!
My first GIJOE was Stalker. First seen and bought at department store called Mervyn's located in Fresno, CA.
Great “first”! Even back then I knew that he was meant to be a standout in the group with his unique and cool camo pattern :)
Stalker and Rock N' Roll will forever be my boys!
Can't go wrong with those two :) Stalker I loved from the start, but it took me a little longer to appreciate Rock n'Roll, but it's all good now!
And don't forget the "Lost 14th", Shooter, Joe Sniper.
Yeah! It would've been awesome if we gotnher back in 1982. 😅 I gotta track me down a modern version of her!
@@elgoodo7 For the longest time, Shooter was just a name on a monitor.
Yup! Just an Easter egg tribute to Jim Shooter :) I think it was in IDW where they actually turned shooter into a real Joe.
She's not forgotten, although given her character I thin she prefers to be ...makes her job easier :)
Back in 1983, a neighbor kid, who had got every toy he wanted, introduced me to G.I.Joes. I ran home and begged my mom to take me to the store so I can get a "joe". Wasn't until five days later I got Stalker. I still have that figure.
I wish I still had all mu original JOes....unfortunately I ended up selling off most of them :(
I really want the classified series to do this first wave in its entirety.
you and me both....but that would lead to me falling down yet another toy collecting rabbit hole 😅
well, put on your pack shoot!, because down the hole we All go.
lol
the G.i.Joe Rabbit's have plans to finish out the Original 13, and as you are probably aware some have already been made and released.
(so fingers crossed Hasbro doesn't tank)
Cheers my fellow collectors.
(if you already knew that, then kew'dos to you, as for me, i am just catching up after getting back on my feet, and a new lease on life)
Happy new year "here to winning"👍
@@elrayoxephier1393 yes while I have managed to stay away from Classified, I have been monitoring closely which of the OG have been released...almost halfway there. If Flash comes out..then you know Grand Slam can't be far behind....
oh ok, well despite the problems with G.i. Joe classified, thats what i collect , i did leave it for a bit but recently got back to it.
I love your video because it really helped me with a few questions i had, and i love the heart you put into it, really gave me nostalgia vibes. Thank my brother ❣️
Cheers
As a 10 year old boy in 1982, whose father was in the Army, I gravitated instantly to the original G.I. Joe line. And Flash was, and still is my favorite Joe of all time.
I really hated how Flash wasn't given as much exposure as many of the other OG 13 members...it was so obvious that he looked the coolest :P
Oh, wow! We share history here. I was 10 in 1982, Marine brat, And I too instantly gravitated to G.I Joe. Flash was also a favorite.
I had the time of my life assembling the original 13 during the 25th anniversary line. A tad expensive, but worth every penny. Good times!
Hasbro definitely didn't make it easy including many of them with vehicles and multi packs....thank God for eBay :P
I was 14 in '82/ Like you I was looking for Star Wars figures in my local store and discovered the Real American Hero line. I grew up with the original GI Joes as well as the Adventure Team and Super Joe lines so I was excited to see GI Joe back on store shelves! I picked up 2 figures originally, all I had money for. I picked Snake Eyes and a Cobra Officer. I chose the Officer over the Trooper because it came with an AK-47 and the Trooper had a sniper rifle.
For some reason I can't recall seeing Snake Eyes out in the wild. But the next chance I got, I went for both. The Cobra officer and soldier..just to give Short Fuse and Flash some guys to fight :)
Best video documenting the first run of Joes! Would be awesome to do the entire series Keep up the good work!!
Thanks! Appreciate that! Well this seems to my successful video so far so it would make sense to continue at some point :)
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a Marine brat, I left the Philippines in 1982 at age 10. I was in the Hostess House at Camp Lejeune and I was given new olive drab G.I. toys to play with (Flash and Rock 'N Roll and the motorcycle seem to present in my memories). I later discovered G.I. Joe comics in the 7th grade on the school bus with Issue 21, Silent Interlude. The was the beginning of a huge real life G.I. Joe adventure for me. Twenty years in the Marine Corps (1992~2012). Oh, the nostalgia.
The comics were epic! To this day I still remember iconic comic only characters like Kwinn, Dr Venom and Scarface! :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Ah, yes. Those were early characters that died before issue #21, Silent Interlude.
The classic Silent Interlude :)
I fell for them, too! It was 1982. Straight Arm Flash and Short Fuze were my two first Joes ever. I think my third one was Zap with the two handle bazooka. I was still into Star Wars at the time, but after the 1983 Joes hit the shelves, I realized that this was gonna be big! I never quite got into the ROTJ figures once Kenner released them. Only the Joes mattered! But those initial ten issues of the comic with the 0G13 were far better in my book than the Sunbow cartoon. The realism of those early issues and the founding members has yet to be matched!
Nice we had the same first two Joes! And I never looked back and Star Wars was just a distant memory...except for the random ewok here and there :) As much as I enjoyed the cartoon, on a whole I think it was the early Marvel comic that really won over the most of the hardcore fans...Given that they were mandated to introduce new characters to promote to new toys in almost every issue, I think Larry Hama did a fantastic job in maintaining the overall quality for most of the original run :)
What a difference knees & elbows, make, right? Growing up in the late 70s - early 80s, I had an original 12" GI Joe, but the 3.75" scale wasn't huge yet. I had some Adventure People with vehicles (rescue chopper & news van were frikking awesome), & 5POA thing didn't even register with me. But then Micronauts came out that were much more poseable, & while I didn't have a lot, they represented an advancement, to me. When Star Wars came out, of course I was down for it, but there was definitely a disappointment when I realized they were 5POA. I still collected quite a few, but always had a feeling in the back of my mind that they felt like 'little kids' toys. When GI Joe was relaunched in that scale tho, I dropped Star Wars like a hot potato. Joes were _sooo_ much cooler then Star Wars figures. Clutch was my favorite then, because he looked pretty much like my old 12" Joe. Of course I had no idea of the lineage & relationships going on behind the scenes for all these lines. Now when any 'retro' figure comes out with 5POA, there's a part of me that's like, why would they want to emulate the 'downgraded' figure style? I get it, Star Wars was leagues more popular than Micronauts, but dammit give me knees & elbows! I wonder sometimes if there's an alternate timeline out there where Mego picked up the license for Star Wars. I'd like to think it led to world peace 😂
The added articulation was definitely a game changer! I'm with you, I guess they have their own charm but I never got into all this reaction/retro toylines ....give me elbows and knees any day!
Wow mego does bring me back to some of the first "action figures" I had growing up! A mego Star Wars toyline would definitely be an interesting alternate timeline!
same here for Breaker and Rock n roll, Hawk, Short fuse, all seemed copies of my old 12'... ha, ha!
@@cyberfrank-bx2nv I guess they kinda patterned the first ARAH head sculpts after the original 12" line? I can see the similarities too :)
I was late to the party with GI Joe, so never really saw the first 13 on the shelves. Most of mine were found in yard sales later on when the line was more mature. When the anniversary figures came out, I went hard on those, but I recently gave away all my 1/18th Joes and moved over to Classified. I do miss the vehicles, but I just love the 6" scale so much better.
What's not to love about Classified! I just have a huge 1/18 scale collection that I can't justify another Joe collection to my wife ha ha. But the temptation is so REAL!
got my first joe in either 82 or 83. straight arm breaker. then i got a swivel grunt. loved them. never understood why the first guys were the same green, except for the later ones of the 13.ended up with about 40 figures and several vehicles. i got duke and a cowled cc with flag points. duke became my favorite, until much later when i got flint. now i'm a modern collector with about 500 figures and almost every single vehicle there was.
I think it was more of a cost cutting thing for a brand new "experiment"...aside from them being "army men", they saved on very minimal paint deco throughout the first wave. Once the first wave was a success they had a bigger budget for the 2nd wave and beyond :)
That first year or so of GI Joe figures really were like more posable versions of those "little green army men" figurines: the radio man, the bazooka soldier, the mortar guy, the one with the M-16.... Yeah, the minesweeper was a little later. But around that time we also got the diver that was also a common army man toy.
Exactly :) which adds to their charm. The minesweeper was also green :)
Very good video!
Thanks!
Well I was NOT the first kid in my house to get one. My little brother came back from grocery shopping with my Mom with TWO Short-Fuse figures. Once I saw Breaker and Flash- I was hooked. My gripe was the lack of flexible thumbs, but it in no way stopped my Love and appreciation of the line. My favorite guy was Hawk- the silver belt stood out and I loved the MMS. Breaker was a close second with Flash (kinda irked me that Breaker didn't come with an M16 like Grunt though). I was 13, and about to leave all the action figures behind- this line catapulted me into the hobby for decades to follow though.
Man those thumbs were really brittle....that and the crotches were notorious for always breaking 😂
Great video! I've found a kindred spirit. Same age, Short Fuze was my first, also still love the original 13, and prefer the original Snake Eyes!
Thanks! I admit that the second version of Snake Eyes was really cool as well...but at the end of the day, I'll take the Commando Snake Eyes :)
My first Joe was Flash, and I still remember the exact moment my mom gave the treasury size edition of GI Joe #1 from Marvel comics. Childhood in the 80s was amazing, how lucky we were.
Best time to be a kid :)
My first G.I.Joe figure was Flash. I was a big fan of the animation so I wasn't aware of the original 13 until about 1990. Tripwire was the second character i remember having and the first one i kept the file card from.😊
Flash was definitely my favorite of the original team. He just stood out for me :) Which is why I really felt bad when he was barely seen in the cartoon...but I guess when EVERYONE uses lasers, your "specialty" kinda gets redundant 😅
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf I only had about 3 or 4 of the toys before I started watching the cartoon. Torpedo instantly became my favorite once I found out what a S.E.A.L. was and his unique loadout. I always gravitated to the Stormtrooper looking characters.
@@demetricsmith471 I thought it was cool that Torpedo was proficient with the Filipino butterfly knife (bali-song) since I am Filipino :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf 🔥
Short Fuze and Flash were my first two JOE's. Also, where did you get the custom web gear for your Short Fuze?
It’s been years since I got that custom web gear...so sorry I don’t remember...maybe it was marauders gunrunners? Wish I could give you more info!
Awesome video bro
Thanks :)
I learned of G. I. Joe first via the Marvel Comic (thankfully, Marvel, Not DC, got the license) and G. I. Joe #5 was my fave issue. General Flagg & Clutch were my fave characters.
A classmate of mine gave me an extra 1985 Joe Toy Catalog, and Torpedo was the first figure I got for Php 60.00 . I liked the filecard details and the fact that Hasbro's G. I. Joe outclassed Kenner's Star Wars line in terms of poseability with its swivel arm battle grip. And the real life weapons the early figures had.
Yup I was a diehard starwars toy fan until my brother "forced" me to try out GIJoe. And I haven't looked back since 😅 I also had tye VAMP and clutch. That was the first vehicle I was given by my parents so it has a lot of nostalgia attached to it for me. Such a shame the Classified version is so hard to get nowadays. Strongly considering just getting a Stinger and repainting it 😅
Short Fuze and Snake Eyes were my first two Joes. Which version of the toy line is this ? They are obviously a smaller scale than the current classified line.
are you referring to the 25th Anniversary line? yes they're still in the 3.75 - 4" scale similar to the 82 stuff...but with even more articulation and added details/accessories. They came out in 2007 and continued on for a few more years after that reaching up to the 30th Anniversary :)
Wow! Shot me back. 1982/83. Hated getting clothes for Christmas. My mom had hid about 8 GI Joe’s in a Christmas wrapped sears clothing box. You know the ones. Long, thin, rectangular boxes. I shook it, threw it to the side. She did a good job of masking what was inside. She stopped it with her foot, kicked it back towards me. I remember opening that bastard in anger and speed just to get the thank you’s out of the way. It was an awesome surprise. She was good at that. Should’ve known better. She died the next Christmas of Cancer. She left this little shit with some good memories though.
Us kids in the 80s have the best memories IMHO:) sorry to hear about your mom, buts I'm sure she's smiling up above as you recall Happy memories of her :)
I love how our parents took joy in making their kids happy with awesome toys! Now that I have my own kids...it really makes me realize their joy!
Cheers my brothers
My birthday in 1982 was where it all began. I got the MOBAT and it was glorious. By the next year I had whole the collection. Now I guess I need them in 6 inch. Lol
That's probably the best toy to start the collection with :) I can relate...been trying my hardest to resist Classified :P
The Classified line should have been the original 13 with their original outfits and equipment.
Man I've been fighting the temptation to get into the Classifiedbline...but if they release all the original 13 there, I'm dead! Ha ha
Classifieds original 13 pack would be awesome!
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf I want the outfits that the 3.75 had.
I would love to see a Classified commando Snake Eyes with uzi and satchel
They’re starting....with that upcoming retro styled Scarlett :)
G.I JOE my Uncle's and Dad and older friends used to have those O-rings!
I got introduced to the fully articulated classified ones in 2019
Nice! As an 80's kid, the o-rings definitely have their nostalgic charm. Although I ended up planting my Joe flag with the updated 25th anniversary line :) Although the new 6" Classified is extremely tempting!
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf they're about to release a retro duke! Can't miss that figure again I still don't have a duke! But hopefully they'd make those troopers too!
@@karlmeisterfilms9112 yup! loving those retro figures :) harder and harder to resist...although I do think the Ultimates version by Super 7 is the best Duke produced so far :)
My first G.I. Joe figure was the driver that came with the Cobra HISS Tank. But it wasn't until 1984 when my cousin gave me Mutt and Storm Shadow that I was hooked.
I never got the HISS but then again most vehicles where out of my allowance range...I did get MUTT though and it was a big deal back then to get the first Joe with an animal partner :)
I didn’t get GI Joe until 1983/84 probably. Most likely because there were not many new Star Wars figures out. I needed a new line and GI Joe hit that mark. I think I got like Doc, Torpedo and/or Blowtorch first. I did eventually see the first 13 at a drug store in the next town over from where I grew up. I remember seeing them and freaking out cause this store still had the originals. I saved every penny of my allowance and went back as often as I could until I had them all. I got Rock n Roll and/or Breaker first. Those two have always had a special place in my collection
I think ARAH came in at the perfect time as Star Wars was winding down :) cool that you got to play catch up with the original 13 !
While I was in the 1st grade in the Philippines, my classmate brought two Joes, Snake Eyes and Stalker, to school to show to his classmates. Of course this was my first introduction to Joes so I already liked them before I even knew who they were. Heck, even my classmate didn’t know who they were and he only got them when his dad brought them back from a business trip from the US. After playing with them a little, I was instantly hooked. The articulation was out of this world for the time and place I was at. My area had dollar level toys that were mostly solid plastic figures with minimal articulation. You were lucky to have a humanoid toy that could move its arms up and down. I can confidently say that Joes solidified my love for highly articulated toys.
Stalker was awesome, but it was SnakeEyes that was my instant favorite. Garbed in all black, I immediately imagined he was a martial artist and ninja. I had no idea who he was but I imagined right a year or two later when I moved to the US.
After a few months living in the US I visited my first TRU. Saw some familiar looking military guys on the pegs and had my parents ask an employee to see if they had anymore in stock. Guy went to the back and pulled out a sealed box that contained a bunch of joes. There was no Stalker, but there was one SnakeEyes. It was like finding the Holy Grail. Been a Snake Eyes fan ever since. Lol.
Nice Philippines :) The added articulation of the ARAH toys were a true game changer for a whole generation of kids used to playing with 5poa Star Wars figures. I know that I never looked back after my first few Joes :)
I can really imagine your excitement over finding Snake Eyes out in the wild all those years ago. I don't think I ever found him so great job!
My 1st joes was DOJO first seen and bought at Alimall Cubao vintage dojo 1993
Thankyou sir christ kay BlindMaster nka Display na sa mahiwagang cabdisplay ko.👍
Nice! Ninja Force:) you're welcome! and thanks for checking out the channel! Enjoy the BlindMaster!
wow, I have never seen a 25th Zap in person. Grunt was the one that caught my eye. Flash was the one that hooked me.
He was the last of the OG13 to be released..and it wasn't easy to get him since he was included in a 7 figure set towards the end of the line :(
I had a little green army men in the lamp doing some sniper work. I forgot about it and it melted to the light bulb and my parents got mad.
R.I.P. little green sniper
I had Grunt, Clutch, Snake Eyes and Breaker, bought them at Macy's
Great way to start!
Roadblock was my first joe
For some reason I never got Roadblock....my loss :)
Which Roadblock do you prefer? The original one or the later one with the light green vest?
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf I prefer the original and tiger force Roadblock
@@hansolo-ix2pb nice! I’m afraid I was out of collecting Joes when they got to Tiger Force....but years later I really got into the whole concept of a unified deco. Although what I really got into was Night Force :)
I think it's cool that they had a black, hispanic and female as part of the original team. back then we didn't really think too much about it. It didn't seem that big of deal. As an adult though I realize that it was pretty progressive on the part of an 80s toy company (or Larry Hama).
Yes completely agree, it may have been intentional, but it felt natural and organic because they didn't call attention to it. They focused on what was the core of the toyline, that these were "real american heroes" and that the "fought for freedom wherever there's trouble", regardless of sex or race. they were all soldiers :)
This needs 80s music, not generic youtube music. I know, copy right. But damn.
haha thanks! 80s music is the best :) you'd think a lot of the artists would appreciate the added exposure :)
Nice review bro, but the Sunbow cartoon never had Grand Slam in the cartoon, they could've gave him the silver pads to so kids could tell the difference?🤔🤷🏾♂️
Yeah I couldn’t find any animation stills of Grand Slam anywhere, and it seems like Stalker took his place as the jet pack expert in the cartoon :)
Flash was my favorite original Joe too.
great minds think alike :)
My first 2 joes were footloose and barbecue
Had both of those too :) I remember BBQs little water gun always getting lost!
Grunt does not mean low rank or low skill. It simply means infantry. Those that do the hard dirty work.
Just lifted the definition off Google :) but I guess that refers to a more general meaning? But to be fair, while I don't claim to be an expert...doesn't infantry kinda refer to a non specialist soldier? like a foot soldier or "pawn" in chess terms?
@StoriesFromTheToyshelf no, infantry is a very specialized job. It is the most demanding job in all the military. The most physically demanding, most discipline demanding, most stressful. It is insulting to call them unskilled or unspecialized
@@djbillutley ok noted..again as a non military guy, I stand corrected :)
Got into GIJoe in 88 and never even heard of the original 13. Didn't care for them now.
Compared to the newer Joes, the original 13 do look visually plain. But for someone who came in from the very start, they do hold a special charm :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Yeah, for those who have nostalgia for them I understand. I like Stalker and Scarlett but don't like them enough to buy their figures.
@@poloshirtsamurai who are you favorite Joes from the later waves? 88 was actually the last full wave i collected....Hit and Run, Blizzard and Spearhead were favorites from that year :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf My Brother had Hit&Run and I bought Blizzard, Astro Viper and Iron Grenadier. Wanted Spearhead, Repeater and Muskrat but they didn't appear in our area.
I think Spearhead was the first one I got....loved that he had a bobcat!
Grunt was the 1st GIJOE figure I saw/held. When they added the swivel arms, they became my Standard.👍🏾 However, I think the Anniversary figures suck!👎🏾 I'm looking forward to what Super 7 Orings will look like.👍🏾
I wouldn't say they suck...but I will say that the first few waves do not age as well as the vintage ones :)
Good thing you didn't care that stalker was African-American because this video could have went in a whole different direction😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
HA ha well I'm Asian...from the Philippines, where race isn't that big of an issue. Plus as a kid, I really didn't care if Stalker was black...he had a cool and unique look with his camo pattern and beret....even back then I knew he was kind of a bigger deal than lets say...Short Fuse :)
So here's the real question...Scarlett, Lady J...or the Baroness? You know what I'm talking about.
I'll always go with the ....original:) Scarlett all the way :) with Cover Girl a close second 😅
Those are not the original GI Joes. The line has been around since the 1960s.
Yes I know that. As I state in the video. The "Original 13" is just a nickname used by many fans for the first Joes from the 1982 A Real American Hero line.
My first Joe was Zarana
I remember getting Zarana and Zandar in one go and I was in Dreadnok heaven!
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Man, that's AWESOME! I remember leaving her outside one day and coming back to find her all BLUE! I had no idea she color changed! But I think she cooked for too long, too, cuz that was the first and LAST time she ever color changed!😢😆🤷♂️
Aw man! Well at least she was still in one piece and playable I’m assuming :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf Yes, and I still have her!🥰
@@judgechan9036 nice! I wish I still had my original Joes.....I ended up selling them years ago :(
I still love the og 13 quite a lot,
I was an early 82 adopter, and had AT 12's much younger,
at ...13 I cared a lot more about my things then, my first hit was the mobat and Stalker
looking back at it, things could have been much better with a different business model...
when you want to get into Batman, you will not settle with just the Joker....
all the characters are secondary to Batman
we had years without Hawk, but constantly had Cobra Commander,
that explains why many people like CC better than the hero, Hawk.
this blunder was allowed for money, the mms was nt available anymore,
so the money conflicted with the story...
cancelling characters was a dumb concept, add more, don t take out stuff,
unless it s a flunk, like Deep six that can t move caused by a gimmick.
by messing the story, you lose fans, and can t get new ones either, you crash....
the story is about Hawk vs CC and their teams
Batman vs Joker and friends
I used to buy it all in the 80s, ok, it s 6' now and way more expensive, but even then,
I would only buy the best now, no compromise
because of this overproduction - consumerism, we never went deep with these 13 characters, really
with classifieds, I m sticking to 82 - 83 mostly, and only essential Cobras,
why? because knowing the characters really well makes you love them if done right,
and that s the best fun one can have with these toys - icons - symbols of courage and values
psa
Hawk ; don t over eat kids! you ll get sick as heck!!!
so now you know...
good show bro
Thanks! appreciate it!
Yes never understood the rationale behind sticking Hawk with the MCC. They could have at least paired him up with a more exciting vehicle, like the RAM cycle. It would quite some time until I realized that he was actually the Joe leader....
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf oh I understand the rationale to have him in control of the most strategical - powerful weapon of the team, but 84 without him was a big mistake, even with Duke around, figure this ; if Luke was not part of empire strikes back, but his cousin instead, what happens when he comes back in 'return' ? people are attached to his cousin now, to the least, it s confusing... but since both were blond, it s even worse, Duke should have been brown haired or black, like the tiger force version, that hints at the bug Hasbro then had on their hands, thanks for the reply bro
But as a toy, at least for me, the missile system wasn’t all that exciting :p. And I know this might be n unpopular opinion but I actually preferred Duke over Hawk. It was probably intentional on Hasbro’s part to later recollection Hawks hair brown to better differentiate him :)
@@StoriesFromTheToyshelf at 13, I knew the missiles were superior in power and range, but, I m a military passionate, they designed Duke far more attractive than v - 1 Hawk, who s to blame? agreed, thanks bro
Sorry to bust your bubble man but those aren't The originals The originals actually were Barbie song size dolls and we're pretty cool I had deep six and rock and roll and he actually had a fuzzy beard mustache and hair as well😮 you should really check you fax Mack😢
I’m only referring to the A Real American Hero line that started in 1982, of which these guys were the first of. And they are just referred to the “original 13” by many fans and collectors of That line like myself. Of course I’m aware of the original larger Joes that came before these guys. It’s what my older brother played with, and which is why he turned me on towards these new smaller versions :).
The original 13 were boring, it wasn't until wave 2 in 1983 thst the line took off with more unique looking uniforms like Snow Job , Airborne and Torpedo and even Doc .... To much Green is bad thing
best time to be alive was the 80's and early 90's..... man we getting old lol
It was a good start! I'll take green + added articulation and accessories..BUT I do agree the first time I saw the next wave with all the added variations and color I was completely blown away. Airborne is my favorite Joe to this day ;)
Gung Ho actually kinda scared me as a kid 😅 but yes I loved how the line branched out and became more visually interesting in its second year and never looked back! But for me there still is a certain charm to the original 13 green team :)
I like that the base was basic military, adding colours specialities was brilliant though,
BUT, I can t live without each either, they complement like a glove,
my team will be 80% military 20% speciality, and that s the beauty of the offering,
as you pick your team and opposition
@@cyberfrank-bx2nv agree although I do draw the line when the turned everyone into neon clad ninjas 😅
May Favorite from original 13 is SakeEyes🥷
Mine was Flash :)