Questions for GI Joe (3 3/4) collectors

[iccarus]

I know there are at least a few on here.

My parents recently dropped off all my old GI Joe toys. I've been having fun going though my stuff and piecing it all together. However, I'm not planning on keeping any of it simply because we just don't have the space. Most of my sets are from the late 80s, mainly in the 86-89 range.

Very few sets are complete and most are missing some pieces or have broken parts. I've already decided to piece out the broken stuff for parts on ebay (a little shocked at how much random missles go for) but I'm a little mixed on what to do with the almost-complete sets. It seems sets sell horribly if they're missing even just a few pieces.

I'm wondering if it's worth my time to just break up the non-complete vehicles and sell them off piece by piece. Does anyone here have experience with that? Any tips on a good approach for doing so?

Also, many of my figures have broken or worn out O-rings. It seems like I can buy new ones pretty cheap and it doesn't look too difficult to fix. Is it worth doing this? I have not gotten to the point of actually checking to see what figs have all accessories or not, but I'm assuming it's the same situation as the vehicles with incomplete figs having little value.

Thanks in advance.

[Heath]

It's not worth your time and hassle. Just send them all to me. I'll gladly cover postage.

[superman-prime]

nice

[Heath]

Seriously, though, I would answer your question if I could, but I can't. I haven't sold much GI Joe on eBay, and when I have it's been boxed vehicles or carded figures. I also haven't really shopped for much on eBay since I have a lot of GI Joe stuff and don't really have the room for what I have to begin with. Can't bring myself to sell anything, though.

This observation doesn't really help you, but In my casual glancing through eBay before, I've noticed that newer loose (but complete) figures often go for more than the same figure still carded. I can't explain that one.

[maraxusofkeld]

As for the figures, if they are complete with little playwear it would be a good idea to fix the o ring, but very few loose Joes do any real money. You have the 1982 straight arm figures, the 1982 Mickey Mouse Cobra Comander, the 85 Snakes, 82 and 83 CObra Soldiers and Officers, 84 Storm Shadow (no yellowing), and a few of the later vehicle drivers like Keel Haul, Heavy Metal, Starduster, Cobra Viper, Silver Grand Slam. As for the vehicles and playsets, it depends on what ones you have. Parts from the GI Joe 83 Headquarters, USS Flagg, Terror Drome, Defiant Shuttle do well. As for vehicle parts, stuff from the Rattler, Mauler, Whale, Foam Gliders.

[iccarus]

By 'straight arm' I assume you mean the ones without a swivel portion on the upper part of the arm assembly. I have a few of those, but I don't have anything super-rare. I guess I'll see what figs I have that are complete and go from there. I assume anything I sell on ebay with a replaced o-ring should be noted.

Most of the vehicles are common ones and it looks like most have a few minor issues. I guess that's what happens when you play with your toys

Biggest set I have is the Mobile Command Center. It's mainly complete, with the biggest missing item being the windshields. Anything else is some stupid small piece that costs $5-10 to replace...of course.

[IMJ]

By 'straight arm' I assume you mean the ones without a swivel portion on the upper part of the arm assembly. I have a few of those, but I don't have anything super-rare. I guess I'll see what figs I have that are complete and go from there. I assume anything I sell on ebay with a replaced o-ring should be noted.

Most of the vehicles are common ones and it looks like most have a few minor issues. I guess that's what happens when you play with your toys

Biggest set I have is the Mobile Command Center. It's mainly complete, with the biggest missing item being the windshields. Anything else is some stupid small piece that costs $5-10 to replace...of course.

Try putting together a straight arm set of wave 1, including Hawk with the launcher. That's a nice lil set.

[maraxusofkeld]

By 'straight arm' I assume you mean the ones without a swivel portion on the upper part of the arm assembly. I have a few of those, but I don't have anything super-rare. I guess I'll see what figs I have that are complete and go from there. I assume anything I sell on ebay with a replaced o-ring should be noted.

Most of the vehicles are common ones and it looks like most have a few minor issues. I guess that's what happens when you play with your toys

Biggest set I have is the Mobile Command Center. It's mainly complete, with the biggest missing item being the windshields. Anything else is some stupid small piece that costs $5-10 to replace...of course.

Try putting together a straight arm set of wave 1, including Hawk with the launcher. That's a nice lil set.

Agreed, especially with the Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander!

[Heath]

Ok, so what is Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander?

[iccarus]

Ok, so what is Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander?

Assuming he means this one?
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-joe-t ... ander.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[IMJ]

There's a vintage CC that spawned the "Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander" term, actually. The info I've pasted below describes the Cobra symbol variation on the vintage toy:

From YoJoe.com
Variations:

When the new version of Cobra Commander was released in 1983, the straight-arms were replaced with arms that could swivel at the bicep. Also, the date stamp on the figure was changed from "1982" to "82-83". While technically only a variation, the changes are substantive enough to consider this a new version. However, as many people consider this only a variation, we have chosen to list this figure as version 1.5, rather than version 2.

A variation exists specifically with the straight-arm version of Cobra Commander. The earliest Cobra Commander's had a poorly painted Cobra logo - with very little detail. The second straight-arm version has a sharp, crisp logo with clearly defined inner stripes on the Cobra - pictured above. The first edition is much harder to find.

The logo variant is sometimes referred to as the "Mickey Mouse" variant. The logo variant was available mail-in in 1982 and some were also available in the Cobra Missile Command Headquarters set.

The filecards that came with the first mail-in Cobra Commander have a rough cardboard backing, while the filecards that came with the Cobra Commanders from Hasbro Direct have a glossy red backing - like all filecards from Hasbro Direct. Filecards included with the Sears exclusive Cobra Missile Command Headquarters also had the red backing.

[Heath]

I've got a carded Funskool Storm Shadow v2.

Interested?

[iccarus]

If you have anything old Funskool I'd be interested in paying top dollar.

Sadly, I do not. I ended up breaking down most of this into single figures with their accessories. Vehicles that were incomplete or broken were pretty much pulled apart and sold piece by piece.

All I have left is a random collection of parts and a Mobile Command Center I just have not been motivated to box up for shipping estimates. It's missing the windshields though, so I might be better off just stripping it for parts as well.

[iccarus]

That's my hope. All the random stuff is together and ready to be listed the next time I do an ebay blitz. I figured there should be at least a few parts that interest someone, or one of the people more dedicated to restoring old incomplete vehicles.