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12-15-2018, 12:52 PM | #1 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 3
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Hey guys, I wasn’t sure where to post this but it’s about a great experience and documentation for the Flagg so let me know if I should move it or anything.
I loved GIJoe in the mid 80s as a kid. I saved all the ID cards from each figure in a binder and pretended it was a military record you could pull orders from that cobra was always trying to steal. I still have that binder and found it in a toy box I have not looked in for decades. With it was something awesome. I was 12 when I started raking leaves for neighbors to save for the Flagg. It retailed for $109.95 and was on sale at Caldors which was a big anchor department store in the local mall in New York. It went on sale for $89 after tax in the fall of 1986. I was able to put it on layaway with a $40 deposit I had saved over summer. I went there with a bag carrying what I had raided from my piggy bank and my mom. She co-signed as it was pretty expensive. Over the next few weeks I worked as much as I could after school to save the rest. I hung around my moms office a lot after school as well because daycare really wasn’t a thing yet. When my moms coworkers found out about the plan to bring this 7’ aircraft carrier home and how long I was saving over summer they decided to take up a collection for the last twenty dollars I needed. I finished saving right before Christmas and my parents took me to go pick it up with a $49 balance. Years later I had given my son a shoe box sized military locker full of all the guys I had as a kid. In there was a fold out flyer of all the Joes coming out in 1986 with the ones I had at the time crossed off. One day my son came up to me and said ‘Dad, I want that for xmas’. It was the photo of the Flagg in that 1986 flyer. I had to break it to him that it was not available anymore and boy was he bummed. It had taken him some time to work up the courage to ask for something so big but it was too awesome for a 7 yro not to try. Then I got to work. I had the remnants of my collection and was able to reassemble the complete Flagg and found the missing or broken pieces through this community. I gave the Flagg to my son as a Xmas present that year when he was 7. After he fell asleep waiting for Santa, I set it up overnight under the Xmas tree with a few new troops and vehicles on deck. Boy was he surprised. With it, I gifted the binder of ID cards and the receipt from purchasing the Flagg from when I was 12. It is a great childhood experience to look back on for both him and I. We now have the Flagg setup in his bedroom. I just wanted to share this with the community here that helped me locate the parts I needed a few years back and thank you all. Enjoy the pic! John |
12-15-2018, 03:26 PM | #2 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Western, NY
Posts: 29
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As a new dad that story is awesome and I’m not ashamed to say it brought a tear to my eye. Great story and it’s awesome that your son loves GI Joe
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12-15-2018, 03:47 PM | #3 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Cobra Island & Massachusetts
Posts: 6,378
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Awesome story. This thread would have fit right in with the big 3 for Christmas thread. My son is 5 and I can't wait for the day he asks for my flagg. As of now he is mostly into G1 TF and Thundercats I never push anything on him I just let him gravitate to what he finds interesting so outside of a few modern Joe's that he likes to customize (head & gear swap) he doesn't pay much attention to joe although he does like Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow and loves Cobra Commander. Actually he likes most of the bad guys from various lines.
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12-15-2018, 07:33 PM | #4 |
just a Marine
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: central PA
Posts: 1,681
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awesome story and you are clearly an awesome dad.
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12-15-2018, 09:04 PM | #5 |
Snow Serpent
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 633
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This is a great story. Thank you for sharing. I too saved my money to buy my own Flagg and after purchasing it in full from Sears, I let my Mom talk me into returning it to instead buy $89 worth of Joe toys at TRU. Each year at Christmas I still write a letter to Santa asking for one! I also mention it to my wife and kids too
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12-16-2018, 10:16 AM | #6 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 3
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Thank you for the responses and compliments. My son and I have had a blast with it together. I was pretty surprised myself when I opened the binder to find that receipt for the Flagg. It was certainly special that my parents even let me purchase it. Good lesson for a kid though. I was pretty determined and saving for it was way better than receiving it as a gift now that I reflect on it.
Great community here. It was my first post but I’ve snooped for resources here for a long time. Cheers, John |
12-17-2018, 09:50 AM | #7 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 966
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that's one of the best stories i've read. Wish i had the gumption and foresight you did. Back then, that amount of money was so far beyond our capabilities it never entered my mind i could do that. great story
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12-20-2018, 03:47 AM | #8 |
Top Shelf
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Illinois
Posts: 628
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I love this story on so many levels. Thanks for sharing the receipt, I love that sort of thing. Giving my Flagg to my son is what brought me back into the hobby.
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12-20-2018, 11:45 AM | #9 |
I just want foam gliders.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Tooele (two-willa), Utah
Posts: 18,727
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Quote:
However that's a great story and makes it better that you can share it with your son.
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12-20-2018, 01:38 PM | #10 |
CG Immortal Commander
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: New York
Posts: 19,275
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Awesome!
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