G.I. JOE - Retro Series

[NSA]

Hmmm!!

$12.93 a figure is kinda steep.
$26.82 a vehicle.. same deal.

At the 25th anniversary the figures were like $5 and the vehicles $15 right?

• GIJ RETRO FIGURE MANTIS SKU# 513900390
• GIJ RETRO FIGURE DARKLING SKU# 233031189
• GIJ RETRO FIGURE SCORPION SKU# 634866260
• GIJ RETRO FIGURES TARANTULA SKU# 606601997
• GIJ-RETRO-FIGURE-MAYFLY SKU:
• GIJ RETRO VEHICLE COBRA H.I.S.S. SKU# 388022731
• GIJ RETRO VEHICLE AWE STRIKER SKU# 926584486

[Link]

 

[zodiacflash]

Yeah I cant remember right off the top of my head how much the 25th figures went for, but yes the vehicles were somewhere between 10 and 15 bux. That's dirt cheap for a vehicle and a figure. Plus, the Conquest and Rattler were only around 30. I remember first seeing that in the store and thinking it had to be a mistake. Nope... Nice and cheap. I haven't found any pictures of these new ones yet. At those prices, I'll be on the fence about them if they don't look absolutely spectacular.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I don’t recognize even one of those figures. Was that some post movie “jumped the shark” series or something?

 

[Giga Bread]

They’re all codenames of codenames.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Oh good, because those sound “Corps” worthy.

 

[pcsguy88]

Are they o-ring figs? I’d certainly buy a few of those to toss in with my reissue Transformers.

 

[NSA]

I don't know if I can get on board with O-ring figures, unless the packaging is top notch and I'll never open them.

I still kept a set of the first few 25th anniversary waves MOC just for shits, I liked the silver foil cards.

 

[pcsguy88]

Yeah, they can’t have that damn red sticker like the Star Wars ones and I’d just want 2 or 3 on the card for effect.

 

[NSA]

If the vehicles come in full cardboard boxes like the original (no damn plastic view box), I'd snatch those up too.

 

[nacho]

Agreed. The only clear plastic should be the figure window.

 

[Giga Bread]

I thought they weren’t using plastic packaging anymore?

 

[Giga Bread]

So 3 of the figures are Destro, SE, and Roadblock. Those were the same codenames in the 6” line. Mantis is s mystery

 

[NSA]

That's kind of dumb to do the same figures in both lines. Why not mix it up?

 

[Videoviper]

Given the code names I thought it would be 90s Joes.

 

[Videoviper]

Walmart "collector con" has the following figures going up today

Pictures are not all up yet buy they look like 25th molds
Snake Eyes
Baroness
Storm Shadow

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

G.I. Joe Retro Collection Snake Eyes Toy 3.75-Inch-Scale Collectible Action Figure with Multiple Accessories, Toys for Kids Ages 4 and Up

• RETRO COLLECTION: The G.I. Joe Retro Collection is inspired by the rich past of G.I. Joe, celebrating the over-50-year legacy of the brand with classic figure design and detailing
• CLASSIC-INSPIRED RETRO PACKAGING: G.I. Joe Retro 3.75-inch-scale figures and vehicles are presented in packaging that features original retro Hasbro branding (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
• YO JOE!: Fans and collectors can imagine heroic action and adventure with the Snake Eyes toy featuring 14 character-inspired accessories
• HIGHLY POSEABLE WITH CLASSIC DETAILING: This G.I. Joe Retro Collection Snake Eyes figure features classic detailing and multiple points of articulation for dramatic action poseability (some poses may require additional support)
• LOOK FOR OTHER G.I. JOE RETRO FIGURES TO COLLECT: Look for other G.I. Joe Retro Collection figures to build teams of Joe heroes and Cobra villains (Each sold separately. Subject to availability)

Snake Eyes is proficient in 12 different fighting systems, is highly skilled in the use of edged weapons, and has extensive training in jungle, desert, and arctic survival.
With the Retro Collection, fans can imagine exciting action and adventure from the pulse-pounding world of G.I. Joe! Featuring figures and vehicles inspired by the over-50-year legacy of G.I. Joe, the Retro Collection offers classic deco, design, and multiple points of articulation, as well as packaging accentuated by retro Hasbro branding. Offering collectors the quality and attention-to-detail they’re looking for, these fun action figures will look great displayed in any G.I. Joe action figure and vehicle collection! Each sold separately. Subject to availability.
Look for more 3.75-inch-scale G.I. Joe Retro Collection figures to build teams of Joe heroes and Cobra villains! Each sold separately. Subject to availability.
G.I. Joe and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.

• Includes: figure and 14 accessories.

• Figure scale: 3.75 inches

• Ages 4 and up

 

[Videoviper]

Hiss tank & awe strike are listed also.

 

[NSA]

I broke down and pre-ordered the three figures. Will give them the benefit of the doubt to start... Don't need the vehicles though.

 

[Videoviper]

Hiss tank

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

Awe strie check link it currently listed as not available. But likely is. The sites for the figures load differently based on the links that you click. (some have pictures some don't same product.)

 

[nacho]

Man, it didn't take long for those to vanish. I missed out on all the figures... stupid job. Fortunately, I've seen all the retro Transformers figures in my local WMs, so hopefully they'll be plentiful in-store just like those.

 

[Videoviper]

apparently some things went up very early, others looked like they were uploading things 1 by 1 with content missing. so who knows.

 

[NSA]

I do like the cards for these, really feel vintage

 

[nacho]

The packaging is 90% of why I would buy these. I have all of these figures many times over already. But these feel more retro, and it's because they're using the original card art (not modern redo art), and they're using the big white letters with no border. The 25th cards used a noticably shorter Joe font which I always felt took away from the retro feel of those releases b/c the letter proportions were off. So these definitely hit a more nostalgic note for me.

That being said, I'm bummed they did away with the Real American Hero subtitle. It might be because of some innocuous reason like the giant blisters didn't leave room, but in the back of my mind, it makes me cringe to think that Hasbro left it off because "american" and "hero" soldiers likely doesn't fit with the narrative of many people these days. I don't want to believe that toy packaging is bowing to the insane political fringe of our nation, but at the very least, I can't help but wonder.

From an aesthetics standpoint, I find it strange that the blister doesn't go to the right edge, thus revealing a bit more artwork. There seems to be far too much black on the right. Not that it really matters, but it's a strange choice to go with vintage artwork and cover half of it up. You can't even see Snake Eye's pointing arm. I've always wanted to know what he was pointing at, but now he's just kneeling. Maybe he's protesting.

 

[NSA]

The Snake Eyes bothers me a little because the figure in the blister doesn't match the artwork. Baroness and Storm Shadow are close enough not to bother me.. but that's a totally different Snake Eyes!

 

[ThunderDan19]

Don't look at Stormy's arms...

 

[Sgt301]

I finally saw these at Walmart today, baroness, storm shadow, SE, I think that’s all they had and I left them on the pegs. Wish they’d gone with some soldiers that blend better with my MTF and Joy Toy guys. No place in my army for gay ninjas and pimps

 

[Videoviper]

There is allways room in the Army & Navy for Pimps. Especially while on leave.

 

[Sgt301]

Penicillin time

 

[pcsguy88]

Left them hanging. JoyToy has ruined everything else for me.

 

[Sgt301]

Exactly, I kept looking for them but then there they were and I couldn’t pull the trigger

 

[nacho]

More for me...

 

[ThunderDan19]

Stopped by my Wallyworld today to see what they had (BTW, I have no interest in buying these for $12 a pop). What they had were 16 Hiss tanks warming the shelves (yes, I know it’s early and Christmas is coming, but 16 of the one vehicle they had?) and about a dozen of some kind of nano version (Gi Joe painted, non-poseable army men?). No 4” figs and no 6” Classifieds.

I will say the boxes for the HTs are what they should have used for the 25th. A way better construction than the see through plastic ones. But still no sale for $25. And it was sad that they had one vehicle. Not a great restart for Joe 4” in my opinion.

 

[nacho]

I don't really think they're trying to "restart" the 4" line, no moreso than the retro TF walmart exclusives are for transformers. They're just cool nostalgic throwbacks with limited SKUs.

The boxes for the retro vehicles are definitely better than the 25th releases art-wise, and the cardboard is substantially thicker than their vintage counterparts. None of the original joe basic vehicles (outside of the massive vehicles and sets) had cardboard that sturdy.

My WMs currently only have the little metal figures. No 4", no 6", no vehicles. Those little metal guys don't appeal to me, but some kids like them. I know they made Justice League figures like that a couple of years ago, and my daughter has a ton of the Harry Potter ones. They remind me of the Star Wars Micro Machine playsets they had when we were kids. But overall, I'd like to actually find Joe products, not just reading about them online.

 

[NSA]

I ended up canceling my Walmart preoreders for the retro figures.. I really just don't need them at this point. Wish they were all new sculpts and stuff.

 

[jersey john]

This is just a placeholder. They can’t release the movie figures due to the movie being pushed back from covid. So they repacked many 50th items to throw fans a bone while they wait. They don’t want to make the same mistake they made with retaliation. This is just a way to repack some old stuff in new cheap deco to grab some easy cash until they release the movie and movie figures.

 

[nacho]

The retro re-releases are a nice side-line for TF, never more than one or two out at a time, just to attract collectors and lapsed 80's dads. This is basically the same with Joe. Anytime a whole "line" is a single retailer exclusive, you know it's not meant to be extensive or long term. But that's ok. I don't expect to have a whole wall of these retro Joes, but they're cool to look at.

Most of us have all the figures already, but the nostalgia packaging is worth a purchase for me. Maybe I'm just conditioned to buy these since I have been double-dipping on retro packaging for SW figures for over a decade.

SW repacks modern figures, and TF repacks classic 80's designs. I think I would have preferred that these Joes be vintage o-ring figures, but iirc, a lot of those molds are toast, so I get the modern repacks.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Repacks should be a lot cheaper than these. They won’t even tempt me until they reach the clearance aisle.

 

[Sgt301]

I’ve seen and passed on a bunch of SE, several Baroness and SS, even a destro or two while out shopping. I finally bought my first retro figure today, the roadblock, but $12 bucks hurt just a little I am yet to see the AWE Striker on the shelves but have seen a battalions worth of Hiss Tanks at several Walmarts.

 

[nacho]

I saw a slew of HISS tanks too, no AWE Strikers until I looked on the top shelf where they were all stashed. Like they put half the case on the shelf and didn't realize there was more than one SKU in the case or something.

 

[Sgt301]

Yeah, I looked on the overhead too but only found extra hiss tanks. I wish the hiss tanks had looked like real tanks instead of what Robby the Robot would’ve rode in. I could always repaint them but I don’t have the ability to accept that vehicle design into my collection.

 

[nacho]

It's obviously impractical for the real world, but I like the design, big and imposing, almost looks like a snake about to strike. But that's my nostalgia-goggles talking.