Overtaken by nostalgia at a Wal-Mart yesterday

[smokehouse]

I used to think back about what my local K-Mart looked like back during the glory days of the Joe line…pegs and pegs of Joe figs, shelves of vehicles. I remember going into Kay Bee and TRU from time to time as well, they had so much Joe stuff stocking the shelves back then...

Walking through a Wal-Mart yesterday I caught a glimpse of that feeling again. Coming around a corner I saw 3 vertical pegs of Joes, out in front was Duke on one, V1 Storm Shadow on the other and Firefly on the bottom…

For split second I was a kid again…

I just stood there for a second remembering how neat it was to be a kid, how I used to go to the store and run to the “joe isle” and fondle each figure wishing I could get one, reading the cardbacks one by one, picking up vehicle boxes and looking at the back of the box taking time to read every "realistic detail" description.

What a cool time that was…


And for a few seconds yesterday I was that kid again, no work, no bills, no stress…just that childlike amazement I haven’t felt in years.

It was pretty amazing.

I understand it is kind of corny to get that feeling from a toy but that’s what just happened to trigger it. I tried to tell my wife and she didn’t really understand…I figured you guys would.

[sound~wave]

Hey man i live in canada right near niagra falls, we dont get the joes over here. so i decided to go to the u.s to target and when i walked into the isle, i felt the same feeling i grabbed all the joes i wanted from the 25th line and ran to the counter to pay for them.

my girlfreind was with me and she doesnt get it either she thinks i waste my money. but frack at least if i go broke i can sell them i said to her who the frack u gonna sell all ur shoes too if u went broke. lol

Please Use Frack!

[jignacio_2k]

I'm right there along with you Smokehouse. That same feeling actually happens everytime I go to the toy isle at the local walmarts when they have some in stock lol. It always trips me out when I see the pegs full, I stand there for a second and say to myself...this is soo fricken cool! Anyways I'm sure the majority of the people on this board feel the same way as you and I when we all see peg fulls of joe's (thats only if they stocked lol). My wife tells me I'm fruity when I tell her this also :rolleyes:

Those childhood years were great times man, great times! But these are are also great times to be a joe fan also ever since the 25th line came out.:)

[tkprime]

I too feel the childlike amazment, my Wal-Mart did an entire endcap full of joes, for that moment I was 11 all over again.

[SnakeEyes]

When I saw those 6 pegs yesterday, I freaked out! My 7yr old literally said "dad, you're nuts"! My wife thinks I'm a dork...but aren't we all at some point in time!!!

[Porkchop Sandwiches]

Totaly feeling this thread. When I saw these 25th Joes for the first time I was hooked. They brought back lots of fun childhood memories. I've been hunting non stop and I love it. It is cool going to the stores and seeing the pegs full. I do have to say though that I rarely see more than 4 full pegs. I do remeber back in the day there being pegs and pegs of Joes. It is good fun though the feelings they bring back.

[Xerofall]

My wife doesn't understand either... but I keep telling her, sports fans decorate their houses with sports stuff, they have Super Bowl Sunday, NBA playoffs-finals, put decals of their favorite team on their vehicles, etc...

Nascar fans decorate their houses with Nascar stuff, put decals on their SUVs, wear t-shirts, etc...

So why can't I? Is GI Joe any less lame as Nascar or football-basketball-baseball-hocky? Not to me.

I felt the same way when I went to Wal-Mart and found Flint and a ton more figures... YAHOO! AND... AND I was able to get all of them at once. Back when I was a kid, I could only afford one at a time with my allowance.

Now that I'm making money off eBay, I can afford to buy as many as I can. What a great feeling since I wasn't able to get some of these figures as a kid.

[GunghosLipHair]

im in the same boat. Although i did buy a good amount of joes growing up , now i can troop build and buy one to open and one moc. Im lovin it.

[The Commander]

The Mrs. in my life doesn't know what to think of my Joe collecting, but I think she finds it amusing to see me rushing to the toy aisle first thing and looking for new Joes, or taking the barcode and putting it under the scanner (or worse finding someone with a scan gun) and trying to find out if they have any in the back.

Gotta love her for putting up with my zany (albeit fun) hobby!

[WildWeasel]

The Mrs. in my life doesn't know what to think of my Joe collecting, but I think she finds it amusing to see me rushing to the toy aisle first thing and looking for new Joes, or taking the barcode and putting it under the scanner (or worse finding someone with a scan gun) and trying to find out if they have any in the back.

Gotta love her for putting up with my zany (albeit fun) hobby!

My wife is kind of the same way. She gets a kick out of me when I talk about it. She does support me and doesn't give me a hard time about. Which I'm very thankful and glad I have an understanding wife.

The feeling when I see them in the stores or finally get an eBay item in hand is the same as everyone else. It takes you back to a time without the worries and responsibilities of an adult. Helps relieve the stress and it's great fun time collecting and sharing with others of the same interest.

[CG76]

My GF can't believe I've spent so much but is supportive since collecting makes me happy.

In addition to the ailes of GI Joes at Toys R Us, there also were also some for the Transformers, which had the coolest packaging.

Those were great times. Let's thank Hasbro for coming through in 2007, despite the somewhat lacking distribution. All in all, it was a banner year for Joe fans.

[tkprime]

Hasbro vp's should go back and look at what worked in marketing and advertising, (I'm sure they could give us some great new and exciting ads like "live the Adventure" or "Nobody beats G.I.Joe" if they really put themselves into Joe again) Yes I realize the movie is coming out, and that's great, but it's only a small fraction of what makes this line, fan's memories and the passing of the torch from father to son, that my friend is what makes me happy, now if only one of the V.P.'s from Hasbro had our drive and passion to get out and bring our beloved line back to it's glory, I'm talking vehicles, figures, playsets (How lame do you feel when you go into TRU and Power Rangers owns an isle, I know my stomach do turns, those isles belong to Joe)! But for now it does make me smile when I see chains like Wal-Mart devote an endcap to Joe & Cobra Command, My son's rush to get each and every figure, and I see in them what my parent's must've seen in me. That makes me one happy parent, YO-JOE & Happy Holidays.

[gijoe071681]

^^^^^what he said holds true for me as well

[jdizz76]

I still remember walking into a Mervyn's of all places as a 9 year old boy and finding the twin set of Tomax and Xamot...it was the first time in my life I actually contemplated leaving a toy in it's packaging...I loved it so much. Flash forward to the present and here I am again counting the days until I once again have those figures in my hand...still fighting the temptation of ripping a package open. Thankfully I've grown and can now spend what once took me months to save whenever I'm lucky enough to find a Joe. Life is good!

[shadowbat69]

Great times indeed. The toy aisles arent like that anymore. I remember Hills and Murphy Mart were the 2 big places for Joe hunting as a kid for me. Like you, I would be down that aisle forever looking thru the pegs, reading the packaging. GI Joe really did put a smile on my face, thats what the 25th line did, and thats what got me back to collecting Joe.

[Xerofall]

I remember finding Tomax and Xamot at a grocery store. Most grocery stores now-a-days only carry Corps figures if they even carry action figures. :(

[tuan_tran73]

I used to remember, my cousin and I went to TRU virtually every week to search for new Joes. I have not purchased a Joe since 1988, and I never realized that I am Back! but the problem in my area, Joes is a bit difficult to find. it seems like my local targets and Wally here get a box or two once a while. And Wave 4 and 5 are showing up many areas except here. I don't see anything, and now many stores are replacing 25th Joe sections with Wrestling figures. Its frustrating now. For instance one of the Wally near my work, they are no longer carrying them.

[lt0778]

i went to walmart today and their were like 6 pegs full of joes and their were some on the shelf i felt like i was 10 again i loved it.

[Falcon Fury]

Every target, walmart, heck, any store that MIGHT have figures... i gotta run to the isle, 1st thing. my wife says, " why can't we ever just stop by a store and shop like NORMAL people?? " she doesn't get it. it like hunting. the thrill of the hunt, and the treasure is the reward, definately worth displaying in house. ( why hide it? ) sports guys display sports stuff. heck, hunters display deer heads, lol. well i display my treasures as well.

well, im 27 years old, married 9 years, two kids, and my loving wife says i never really grew up, since i still collect "toys"....

....well, thats fine with me.

she absolutely hates my collections, and has officially nick named it all " crap ". she thought i would grow up later when she married me....

...... ha- ha.

now that this 25th anniversary collection is out, iv'e gone overboard. i display them all proudly. no no, you don't understand. i had to bring out all of my old moc joes, and display them all proudly as well. this is driving her nuts.....

.... well thats fine with me.

......ha-ha.

[thunderdan19]

Talk about nostalgia, I've been in a constant state of it for the last month+ now since I got in to the 25th figs, and I am constantly on hunting mode - stores, online, etc, collecting information all the time. Who's coming out next? Where can I get the best deals on the 25th figs? When are the comic packs gonna start showing up? Vehicles? On and on. I'd call it an obsession.

Last night I went searching for my old Joe comics and found the following:

13 original figs - Beachhead, Firefly, Scrap Iron, EEL, Snow Serpent, Crimson Guard (had perished in an unfortunate elastic band dry rot incindent), Law & Order, Shockwave, Python Patrol Viper, Heavy Metal, Thunder, Footloose & Crankcase
1 Mauler Tank
1 Mobat Tank
All my original GI Joe Marvel comics
A bunch of other comics: Star Wars, TMNT, ThunderCats, Silver Hawks, Spiderman other various.

Wow, I was actually making audible glee noises. ;)

It was a good omen so I ran to Walmart at 11:00 at night and found a case of Wave 5 (yahoo!) and bought 25th Anv IG Destro, Flash, Snow Job and CG. Wow, what a night!

Yeah, I think I'm beyond help by this time...

[quintonarledge]

Yep, my wife thinks that when I constantly say, "hey, let's stop at this Wal-Mart" every time we go anywhere to check the Joe pegs is cute. She especially thinks it is funny when I get super-excited when they have new figures, so she's very supportive. I've told her before that it's a great thrill to find new Joe products in the store or to finally score something that I always wanted as a kid on E-Bay. Plus, she knows that Joe-collecting isn't any weirder or worse than if I were really into NASCAR or golf or video games or crystal meth for example.

[NotFastEnuff]

I've got one better for you guys. My Mother is getting nostalgic over the new Joes. I grew up as an Army brat overseas. Spent 8 years in Germany, so there went most of the 80s for me. Got into Joes, but having only the PX and Toylands to shop from, and competing with every other Army and AF brat, it was slim pickings. So, my wonderful Mom helped. When she'd go shopping at other bases, we had 3 within an hour of each other, counting the one we lived on, she'd hunt for me. Now that the new ones are out, she loves to tell my kids who she used to take my list I'd make her and hunt for Joes for me. I also remember the lady that worked stock at the Toyland on Post would save the new cases for me, so I'd get first pick of the new figures. Life was great back then.

(Translation for non-military. PX is the Post Exchange, think WalMart. Toyland is the stand alone toy store on a base.)

[swafus]

I agree whole-heartedly!! I'm lucky enough to have a job that affords me alot of local traveling freedoms and I stop at a few retailers every day just to hunt for joes.

The way I see it, everyone geeks out on something. The same guy that thinks toy collecting is stupid is probably a huge baseball fan (which I find revolting) or is ravenous about Nascar ( a bunch of guys turning left for a few hours........zzzzzzzz....)
My girlfriend geeks out about make-up, shoes, clothes, etc. as do most women. Everyone you know has a geek out factor. Most of it can be traced back to a happy childhood memory or two.

[REAPER187]

Seeing the new 25th line makes me want to go back to my old house and dig up all of my fallen joes. I feel the same way I did when I was a kid...my wife says that I still am a kid...I will sometimes even just stand there and read the file cards in the store. I'm just a toy fan and to see the new sculpts and improved articulation takes me back to the 80's

[REAPER187]

Yep, my wife thinks that when I constantly say, "hey, let's stop at this Wal-Mart" every time we go anywhere to check the Joe pegs is cute. She especially thinks it is funny when I get super-excited when they have new figures, so she's very supportive. I've told her before that it's a great thrill to find new Joe products in the store or to finally score something that I always wanted as a kid on E-Bay. Plus, she knows that Joe-collecting isn't any weirder or worse than if I were really into NASCAR or golf or video games or crystal meth for example.

I use the crystal meth example all the time

[L0ki]

I get the same nostalgic feeling everyone here
gets. My story is different because I was living in
another country. My grandma was/is a business
woman who had to travel to the US every three
months or so. She would buy me a JOE here and
there as well as other figures.

[Blueman]

There's not much more I can add to this. I am in the same boat. Warm fuzzy feelings when I see the Joes. Heart skipping a beat when I find a new one that I want. Very supportive wife who understands and allows me to indulge myself. She has helped make this Christmas one the best.

Her and Hasbro (when they deliver).

[nacho]

I use the crystal meth example all the time

I used to use that excuse with my parents when I bought toys and comics as a kid..."Well, I could be buying drugs..."

I agree with everyone... that pure unadulterated feeling of age-10 joy as you round the corner and see all the Joe stuff... those few seconds where your eyes are scanning to see if they have anything new... it feels like your brain isn't working fast enough to keep up with your eyes... aaahhh bliss!

In regards to all the people with significant others that don't "get it", I have a slightly different approach. Confuse them with many many neurotic hobbies! I love Joe, TF, Marvel Legends, comics, cartoons, football (college and pro), nascar, antique cars, photography, etc... I managed to get her interested in comics, football, nascar, and photography, so she understands the craziness... she's doesn't care about Joe per se, but she at least understands the crazy hobby/collector neurotic mindset such that she doesn't give me a hard time :)