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07-17-2010, 10:27 PM | #1 |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,547
|
After doing a bunch of stuff today that will probably get me flamed (youll need to keep reading if you want to find out), I just started thinking about how I got here. Well, lets see.....
So I was 5, going on 6 when the original line was released. I was playing with Star Wars at the time (who wasnt?) and we were at the laundromat in Augusta, Maine, doing our usual Sunday thing. We used to peruse the little strip mall which had a Sears, Zayres and little mom & pop drug store (I think it was called Ricks, or something like that). So anyway, we went into the drug store to get my gramps medication for him and there was a little toy isle that had Star Wars stuff. So I run down the isle and find the SW stuff and as Im looking at them, something next to me catches my eye: GI Joe. There were a couple random figures, Rock N Roll on the front peg. After begging my mother, I was able to score him. I ended up with him, Short Fuze and an Officer I think, but I dont recall seeing much more Joe stuff for quite a while. In '83 all hell broke loose. Zayres had shelfs stacked to the ceiling with Joes, which when youre 6 seems like it was 50 feet high, although it was probably a realistic 15. I scored a pile of guys that year that included Snake Eyes, Doc, Gung Ho, Snow Job, Torpedo and Destro (that I can remember). I played with Joes from this point on almost exclusively (with short stints of new SW, MOTU, Bravestar, Thundercats, Transformers and a few other things). Growing up poor I learned to take care of my stuff. I had a case (still have it, a cheap one from Laverdiers that holds 50 figures) that I kept all my men in and a few Fluff cans (those plastic white ones with red lids) that I kept all my accessories in. They stayed this way for YEARS as I grew up, moved out of the house, etc. When my family built a new house all of my Joes were in the barn in boxes, but the barn was torn down. They were put out on the lawn for me to go over when I had the time. At that time, 1996, I hadnt thought about them in a long time (I stopped playing with them in 1988 but received them as gifts until the following year) and really didnt care about them. When I saw them all layed out, I did snag the case of men and Fluff containers, but I didnt really care about the vehicles. I took what I could fit in my car at the time (maybe 10 vehicles) and called it good. Left behind was my Mobile Command Center (one of the most cherished Christmas gifts I had ever received or would ever receive), MAMBA, MAGGOT, Tomahawk, Devil Fish, TTBP, STUN, WOLF, ADDER, Tiger Fly, Tiger Shark and many other small vehicles and playsets I had collected from friends for next to nothing when they outgrew them. One of my favorite vehicles that was also left behind was the Thunder Machine, and this is why I wrote this. Last summer my sister, BIL and nephew were at the house and were we talking Joes. I had recently had my Joes out considering selling them but really hated the thought of parting with them. My BIL (who turned me onto this site) never stopped watching or collecting GI Joe. We were talking about the movie, how I hadnt seen it, etc., and then my nephew started going on about new toys. I told him about all the stuff I had and he was going crazy (he was 8 going on 9) and I remember there were still toys in the woods where my family dumped them when I didnt take them. We had a pile of old tonka trucks, matchbox, etc., that were there for other kids to play with when they came. Well, we checked it out and there was still the MAMBA, Devilfish, Tomahawk, STUN, WOLF, MCC and Thunder Machine. I said they could take whatever they wanted, I didnt want it, but when I saw the Thunder Machine I said, "Except this!", and I snagged it. It was all in rough shape, but my BIL said my nephew was loving it. Great, I had no use for it. When I got home I looked the TM over and realized it was pretty rough. Sitting out in the sun for 13 years hadnt been good to it. I put it in a plastic bag and stowed it. But, it got me thinking and I got my Joes out and started sorting them. Turns out I had about 30 complete figures, another 30 incomplete and accessories for another 30 that I had no Joe for. "Hmm....whats on ebay" I though. BAD THOUGHT! So, fast forward a year and Ive got a TON of my stuff back PLUS some. They didnt want the MCC because it was too gone, and after looking at her sitting on my grandparents back porch for the last year, I threw her in the back of my Jeep 2 weeks ago when we were down there. I pulled my TM out and started looking for parts..... So anyway (here is what made me think of all this, bless you if youre still awake and actually READING this) today I hit the local True Value, picked up some Future Glue, Krylon Fusion and a few others things to see how well it would work on my Thunder Machine. Turns out the paint is AWESOME! I broke it all down, cleaned it thoroughly, prepped it for paint and went to town on it. My TM looks BETTER than brand new (minus the stickers which were removed). My little buddy who has been toughing it out for a few weeks with some issues was psyched to help me with the paint (he supervised) and we played Joes tonight and he was pumped (I gave him a dozen of my junk doubles to play with). Im going to SLOWLY look for MCC parts and pieces (mine is totaled really) and redo it too, and Ive got an almost complete TM coming my way and depending on how nice it is, it or mine is going to be customized. I cant WAIT to do it and show it here, its going to look AWESOME! Anyway, I guess the whole point is these toys were such a big part of my life as a kid and are the same in my nephews life and headed that way with my son, and getting my TM cleaned up and repainted was a cool feeling. I felt like I was 10 again today, and thinking about how happy my son was watching and then playing with me, how happy my nephew was to get the old "junk" I didnt want just put a huge smile on my face and brought back a lot of good memories of when I was a child and would go into Zayres, Laverdiers and K-Mart and stare at the mounds of Joes when I was a kid. Hopefully some of you read this whole thing and it put a smile or two on your face, or a good memory in your head. Duane |
07-17-2010, 10:40 PM | #2 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: sitting in my tin can far above the world
Posts: 3,929
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Cool story. I did'nt see anything worth flaming about though. What part did I miss?
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Feedback: http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-feedback.html |
07-17-2010, 10:46 PM | #3 |
Oldschool fan
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 1,522
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a good read and have fun, that is what i am about with my collecting
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07-17-2010, 10:47 PM | #4 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ne
Posts: 95
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So you just got into collecting in 2009? Glad to see some are still coming on board. Awesome story!
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07-17-2010, 10:56 PM | #5 |
IG 4 LIFE
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: The last place you would think
Posts: 17,671
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Great story man. Thats pretty much how I explained myself to my wife. To transport a 35 year old father of two to a 10 year old kid landing a skystryker on the deck of the flagg. Just brings you back to a simpler time.
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07-17-2010, 11:35 PM | #6 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,294
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Cool story, what's to flame about?. great story though.
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07-17-2010, 11:37 PM | #7 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: dallas tx
Posts: 9,107
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awsome pix
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feedback http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html MY BUY/SELL/TRADE http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...cessories.html My Collection http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...ollection.html |
07-18-2010, 12:09 AM | #8 |
Mountainlander
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: formerly of Chile
Posts: 1,821
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Great story. And congrats on your TM! You can/should make a thread about it and show us the results.
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07-18-2010, 12:35 PM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 1,547
|
Thought I might get flamed about repainting a Thunder Machine. I know there are some "purists" out there.
I appreciate you guys reading it. I guess Ive been a collector my whole life (even when I didnt play with Joes once I hit middle school and they were stored away I bought my buddies collections from them) but I really started getting back into it about one year ago. Now that I have a son and he is old enough to start playing with this stuff (30 months) its gotten me back into it even more. Im glad I didnt have to start from the get-go and I had a lot of this stuff from way back when. I cant IMAGINE starting from scratch, and I guess its easier I only collect pre '89. Again, thanks for reading.......Duane |
07-18-2010, 01:09 PM | #10 |
***** Enforcement Agent
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Louisville
Posts: 3,043
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i think there are more customizers here or what i call "improve-ists" besides i don't remember a time since i've been here where an original condition anything was "front paged" it's usually customs and restorations that get that kind of attention...i mean honestly we all know what a thunder machine looks like...and we can picture it beat up...but unless you take a picture of it we have no idea what it looks like after you fixed it...good read though and other than taking a pile of joe stuff into the woods and leaving it...you're ok in my book...that is if i were keeping such a book...i'm not...but if i were...you'd be ok in it.
Sidenote i'm actually surprised that after 15 years that box was still there |
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