A walk down memory lane...

[Ripcord]

When you were a kid, walking dont the toy isle and saw all the GI Joes on the pegs what made you decide to get "that" figure? Did you make your decision based on the Sunbow cartoon, Marvel Comic, or did the figure just look too cool to pass up?

Here is one I'll share: I picked up Mainframe after seeing the Sunbow episode that he and Zarana were in and also seeing him and Beach Head in Val Tepes crypt. He just seemed cool in the cartoon.

So what made you choose a certain character?

[sharky]

The look of the figure mostly and sometimes the accessories. For example, I liked how Tunnel Rat's flashlights attached to his backpack. And, I liked his bag of TNT. So, I got it. I didn't really care about the Tunnel Rat character per se.

[CrimsonTwins]

Shipwreck - a fighter, and his voice!!

[Dagger]

I got most of mine because of how cool they looked. Except Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow I always wanted the new SE & SS figure, but they also looked cool.

[lardman]

Comic primarily for me, though I would also be on the lookout for cool/interesting uniforms (otherwise I'd never have bought Falcon for example)

[TK1945]

For me, it was checking out the insert catalogs that came with vehicles.

[Lantern_Lad]

I have to say all of the above... the toon, comic, the awesome look of the figures. It wasn't until the real day-glo figures started that I started to lose interest...

Now it's just fun to get them, regardless of their colors.

[ShadowNinja]

Any and all ninjas

[Jettfire]

Here is one I'll share: I picked up Mainframe after seeing the Sunbow episode that he and Zarana were in and also seeing him and Beach Head in Val Tepes crypt. He just seemed cool in the cartoon.

That episode is the exact same reason why I finally picked up the 25th Mainframe. He actually ended up being a much cooler figure than I thought he was.

[fireflyguy]

Man, it's kinda hard to remember. But I'm pretty sure that I picked 'em bases on how cool I thought they were. To this day, my favorite character is Firefly, and it's because he had a walkie-talkie and I thought his rifle and backpack was cool. And the card art really sold him for me also. And I think it was that way for most of the Joes I got --- style, appearance, accessories all played a factor. I can't say that the comic or the cartoon played any factor even though I was into both.

[Tuskegee Joe]

I picked up Mainframe after seeing the Sunbow episode that he and Zarana were in and also seeing him and Beach Head in Val Tepes crypt. He just seemed cool in the toons.


That episode is the exact same reason why I finally picked up the 25th Mainframe. He actually ended up being a much cooler figure than I thought he was.

Imagine how cool it would be to have that alll in the 3rd movie? Lots of fans do want Zarana in the films. And this new film crew seems to listen to what fans want (e.g. Silent Innerlude homage). The episode with Zarana + Mainframe also had a lot FLAGG action. Yeah. Mainframe is cool. Would be even cooler to see him and Zarana in the next movie.

[monstermonkey]

I was brainwashed by the "collect em all!" mantra...so I wanted every figure, and would pick up whoever was available at the store. Most of the time I only had enough money to buy one figure in one visit, so it was how cool they looked, combined with if they were memorable in the comic. I do remember the spring of '84 when series 3 was out yet not all were in stock at the same time at the Caldor down the road from where I lived. It seemed like one new figure would show up on a weekly basis...so one week I bought Ripcord, the week after Blowtorch, maybe a few weeks after that Recondo, then I had some b-day money and picked up Mutt and Spirit on the same day.

I also remember when the second series came out, and I wanted Gung Ho so bad, I bought him at some overpriced specialty store in the mall (sold comics, toys, D&D stuff, those iron on t-shirts, and adult "novelties" in the back, hah) where he was about a dollar more than the other stores around, but hey, I got my Gung Ho.

[Zartanman]

Well sure I liked certain figures more because of their accessories or sculpting, for instance I LOVED Blizzard because of all his cool gear and the way he looked. But honestly when I was a kid I was a HUGE completest, When a new wave came out I would run in with a cart and try to get one of every figure that was new on the back of the cards, then I'd go put them all on Lay-Away and pay them out over three months.

[jogunwarrior]

My brother always chose his figures based on their boots. I went for what I thought looked cool and the accessories. Figures with little to no accessories or dressed plainly didn't do much for me when I was a kid, so you can imagine what a big Battle Corps fan I was. This is also why 1990 is my favorite Joe year ever: The accessories were awesome, and the figures had excellent molded details while still maintaining muted colors

[CrimsonGuard101]

I was brainwashed by the "collect em all!" mantra...so I wanted every figure, and would pick up whoever was available at the store. Most of the time I only had enough money to buy one figure in one visit, so it was how cool they looked, combined with if they were memorable in the comic. I do remember the spring of '84 when series 3 was out yet not all were in stock at the same time at the Caldor down the road from where I lived. It seemed like one new figure would show up on a weekly basis...so one week I bought Ripcord, the week after Blowtorch, maybe a few weeks after that Recondo, then I had some b-day money and picked up Mutt and Spirit on the same day.

I also remember when the second series came out, and I wanted Gung Ho so bad, I bought him at some overpriced specialty store in the mall (sold comics, toys, D&D stuff, those iron on t-shirts, and adult "novelties" in the back, hah) where he was about a dollar more than the other stores around, but hey, I got my Gung Ho.

Yes, and one day I will get Hasbro for this lol...the thousands they kknew we would one day spend after being subjected tot his brainwashing test in the 80s to "collect them all"....they plated a seed back then and that seed has grown and bearing much fruit today. I will write abook about it and then a movie deal and I will turn the tide!

[dpstro]

I always liked the figures I saw in the cartoon so I could replay it my way.

[Wylde Weezle]

I remember really wanting the Scrap Iron figure because I didn't have a lot of Cobra figures to square off against my growing collection of Joes. He came with missiles so I figure he could take out a bunch of 'em at a time, and I liked the colors on him. The card art was pretty cool.

[mister-x]

the cartoon had a little to do with my choice...
but i had to have them all!!!

i kept a cardback with me, so i could ''X'' out the figures i got

[DPrime]

The more military, the better. Camouflaged figures were especially desirable, even if it was only the pants or something (e.g. Sgt Slaughter). Even guys like Spearhead and (some of) the Tiger Force had an edge over other figures, as far as I was concerned.

Ditto for vehicles. They didn't have to be "realistic" per se, but they had to be green, generally, at least. :)

[Goin' Commando]

I remember when the 86 Joes first showed up. I could only get one and I seem to recall them hitting before I had seen Arise Serpentor Arise. I choose Leatherneck because he just looked like a tough guy. I liked green camo at the time as well. Seeing all those on the shelf sticks out in my mind.

[SgtChameleon79]

I always just picked the Joes/Cobras I thought were "cool" looking, and it depended on how much of my allowance my parents gave me I had to spend. When I collected Joes were around $2 so I could get 2 or 3 at a time. Those were the days.

[GI Joe Eternal]

Completely agree with DPrime. I had to have the more realistic military figures. Got everything I could 82-85. 1986 was tough because of Sci-Fi (neon). With few exceptions, 1987 just got ridiculous. I became very selective (e.g., Hit & Run).

After that, I only bought because of the comic. SAW Viper was purple and goofy-looking, but after reading Hama's story with him wiping out some Joes, I turned my town upside down looking for the figure.

[Trigue]

Prior to 1986 I just don't remember that well. For the most part from 82 to 86 my parents and other family members would buy my Joes. I do remember always, always looking for what I called "shielded" Cobra Commander, the CC with helmet. I always wanted Cobra Commander, didn't have one til 1992. My mother would tell me that I can pick out two or three figures or one small vehicle. And of course I'd grab the WHALE or something huge and Mom would just shake her head and say put it back. I never even knew there was a comic til around 1988 or 1989, so in those early days the Sunbow cartoon had the most impact me. I'd play with my Joes and Cobras pretty much exactly like an episode of the show.

Those early years I didn't get go to the store very often, but around 87 started going alot more often and I'd pick out my Joes. It was a very different feeling, I guess thats what to call it. With out the cartoon, the Joes didn't have the same draw or something. It's like you'd see Duke, Gung-Ho, Wet-Suit and whoever and because of the cartoon it's like you knew them. But then there wasn't a cartoon and all these new figures , I guess they seemed like strangers or something. I didn't have any attachment to them, unless it was a new verison of someone. When I saw dressblues Gung-Ho, I had to get him.

I did have the whole "gotta get them all" thing going on, but my first picks were always the figures that had the most military look to them. It wasn't til I had a bunch of that years figures that I'd start getting the bright/neon or other wise odd looking figures just because I didn't have it. It's like Lightfoot, I only got him because I had the rest of the figures that were on the pegs in the store at the time. Did most of my Joe shopping at either K-Mart of Hill's Department stores. And they pretty much always had the same selection. Except for the Fang II, Hill's never had it but K-Mart did.

The DIC cartoon didn't have any impact on my buying Joes, I only saw four episodes of it and didn't really care for it back then. The thing that really got me was when they had all the sub-teams coming out. I liked them because it gave me a chance to get a bunch of the old vehicles and figures I never had. Like Flint and Duke. They could of been painted bright pink, but I'd still want that Flint and Duke and a tiger sting, paw, claw and whatever else. Just cause it was something from the "golden years" I didn't have.

And lastly, I was always a sucker for a boat. If it actually floats, it was in the tub and in the pool!

[RolandofGilead]

The first time I saw Joes, I picked the coolest I could find. These were Rock N Roll and Flash. I looked up and down the toy aisle at Gemco, but couldn't find the cool Commando guy. From then on, it was based on what was on the back of the card. I'd study them over and over, planning who to get next each time.

[KushViper]

I usually decided which figures I'd buy next based on the little thumbnails on the back of the card. That tiny little picture was enough for me. I remember the last one I searched for was Night Creeper. Saw it on the back of another figure's card but was unable to find it for a while. Got it at Kiddie City.

[Shipshape1983]

Major Altitude cus he looked like my dad.

[MightyMegs]

Cobra always had the greatest chance of being picked. I based it on the look/coolness/fun of the figure. Ties were broken by who had the most interesting file card.

[Lifeline 71]

For me, in most cases it was the look of the figure and the file card. Sometimes it was because they had a certain specialty I liked. Some examples would be getting Torpedo because he was a (SEAL) diver and I lived on a lake, Snow Job because I liked winter, and Lifeline because I wanted to be a paramedic.

[Fire_Fly]

these were my memories Damn the good ol days
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/kidd_/realtoyisle.jpg

[lazlo76]

Mostly it would be on how cool they looked, I picked up Raptor thinking he would be the next Zartan based on the cool eye makeup and outfit, it didn't dawn on me as a kid what a ridiculous character he was.

Even as a kid I took the risk of buying Lady Jaye because of course all boys thought girls had cooties.

[9deadjoes]

for me its the 1982 full size hasbro toy fair catalog

[Rainbow Viper]

Well my first several figures I had were jinx, stalker, snake eyes 89, serpentor, and night viper. jinx and snake eyes because of the ninja thing. stalker was appealing cuz he came with the kayak so it felt like he came with a vehicle too. I had to mail order serpentor just cuz he looked super cool. I kinda think Hasbro might be doing a good thing by focusing on the ninas. cuz i do know that the ninjas were popular with me at that young age.