G.I. Joe -- The Real American Heroes!

When it comes to G.I. Joe, where to begin? An iconic 1980's story and franchise, it is beloved by many fans and collectors. What's great about G.I. Joe is that the franchise is steeped in both the history of action figures and vintage in its own right. G.I. Joe figures were among some of the first toys that spawned the beginnings of action figures. So if you collect action figures you owe G.I. Joe its due respect. We love that. Then, of course, G.I. Joe's are awesome because they are not superheroes -- they are each just expertly skilled in their own respective weaponry and fields of battle. That makes it easy to find a favorite character to root for. Flint anyone? G.I. Joe figures are unique because they have been around for what seems like ages now. There are various sizes to collect, from the more lifelike 12 inch size to the rabbid 3 3/4 inch versions. Lots of weapons, lots of accessories and generally lots of variations to enjoy.
It's also neat that G.I. Joe is certified awesome. We don't have to sit here and defend this franchise. It's cultural iconic run in the 1980's helped to ensure that everyone has "The Real American Hero" slogan imprinted in their brain. Even the graphic text is recognizable to many people that aren't die hard enthusiasts.
Yet another reason why G.I. Joe is superb, is hands down the villains. The Cobra unit is deep with great bad guys and bad gals. Instead of just one villain, there are many to be wary of. What's better is they all have specific beefs with various G.I. Joe characters and that makes the tension between two facing off very interesting. Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes, anyone? Without anymore G.I. Joe worshiping let's look at some of our favorite figures:

                

                                 

The figures you see pictured came out during what we like to refer to as "the great wave of the G.I. Joe resurrection." Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the franchise, there was a release of many cool retro editions. They featured great package art and stellar design on the figures themselves. It was a great time. Here's some more house favorites:


                         



To conclude -- G.I. Joe is a great franchise. Characters, stories, and varied product to enjoy. The question is not do you have a Snake Eyes --- but how many Snake Eye's do you have. --- Radar Toys