How many Pimp Daddy Destros are there?

[jabba the drunk]

Hello Downright.

I can see that you are new to the board, and welcome! Are you new to Gijoe collecting?

The PDD MOC auctions were certainly were interesting, for sure. Did you purchase the one with the PDD head turned to the left/legs turned to the right in the bubble or the second auction with the PDD facing forward?

A few people had mentioned buying this and sending to AFA for verification. But, I was thinking that it would probably be an item that would be pretty difficult for them to even attemp to grade. Since it would be the first "MOC" version of this they've received, would they compare the packaging to the regular release Cobra Command Team? Or, can it even be compared to anything?

Due to the controversy regarding carded versions of this figure, I'd venture to say that AFA might be "playing it safe" by not attempting to grade it. Because there is so little info it around, if they graded it and it turned out to be fake or manipulated, they'd suffer a big reputation hit.

Again, welcome aboard.

-Peter

[Downright]

Actually, I bought the second one with him facing forward. I'm also very very sad to say that I found out after I wrote here that the bubble in some spots had come unattached to the card during transit to AFA similiar to the other guy's situation with guru-planet. (Just not nearly as much) I knew it was lifiting before I sent it to them hoping their archival case could stop it from coming undone. It hurts just to say this, had it not come undone in trasit to AFA, I think AFA would have surely graded it. They said there was no evidence of tampering even with the bubble lifting away from the card like it did. I would also have to speculate that they would have graded it against the normal cobra command team only with the Leopard Destro Version.

I'm not really new to collecting, I've been following joes since the 82 straight arm snake eyes was first put on the shelves in Toys R Us back when I was a Toys R Us kid. But I am new to expanding my collecting knowledge with the more rare items such as this.

I'm am highly disappointed though, if the loose PPD's are fetching 2-3000K I know the carded would have really been worth A LOT more someday.

Downright

[Ron Conner - Treasures 'N Toys]

Just saw this post. Gotta few thoughts.
(1) I own 2 Pimp Daddies and I think acmirro is very accurate in the current count. 20 is about what I have seen or heard from SOLID sources. Although it is hard to guess about a final total when all is said and done. It's taken 8 years for these 20 +/- PDD's to come out.
(2) Anyone who collects prototypes and preproductions discovers general knowledge about how these figures are tested and how some early variations are not released. I agree with The Joe Company on most of his points. But I was told numbers on the test paints were a little lower. In the 36 to 60 range for Hasbro figures. Either way, they are still super rare.
(3) I also agree with him on the Black Rock and Rolls. (I think you bought one of those MIB ones from me about 2 years ago.....hehehehe!). I had owned 3. Sold 2 and kept 1. Those R&R's are rare, and should be considered a true production variation. I got 2 from my TRU in town and one from ebay guy who lives in the USA. However I believe the PDD is a preproduction test!!!
(4) Captain DC is credited with being the first person to publicly acknowledge this Destro variation. He has stuck to his story for many years. So I believe that he got his at retail. I have no way to prove otherwise. But I strongly disagree to the possible numbers that could have been released in the stores. I think everyone I have asked, says theirs came from the Orient in the form of a test and not from a Toy R Us shelf. A test in the same way those unreleased Wal-Mart "Parachute" Storm Shadow and "Parachute" Snake Eyes test samples were found. On a mock up card somewhere in MI if I remember right. So it proves there are errors that make it to store shelves. But that doesn't mean it should be considered a genuine production variation.
(5) I got my 2 PDDs from a Chinese lady who attended the birthday party where her kids got these PDDs handed out to them. Just as The Joe Company stated.
(6) John Missal is correct about the elbow rivets. The preproduction Pimp Daddies have that larger pin and/ or smaller holes. Giving credit to this being a test piece that was later fixed in the normal retail version.
(7) I agree with Aire, about Hasbro/Kenner companies. Aire was in the real GI Joe Head Quarters in RI, so she knows better than anyone about these types of things. Congrats on getting a PDD. I am very happy for you. And very cool diorama.
(8) Downright, thanks for sharing you picked up those carded ones. If you are looking for more info, you might want to try some searches for old posts about the Pimp Daddy on this site. But I made sure to sight the names of everyone above that actually own (or did own) the pimp daddy. These people are all very knowledgeable and respected in the Joe community. (sorry if I missed any PDD owner who posted...it's late here 3:50AM...).
Any other PDD owner on this board? I am usually in lurking mode, but had to come out and back up those people who know a lot about this subject.
Yo Joe,
Ron Conner
G.I. Joe Book Author @ http://www.backinthedaytoys.com
G.I. Joe Toy Dealer @ http://www.treasuresntoys.com/gijoe334.htm
G.I. Joe Fan Site Webmaster @ http://www.treasuresntoys.com/webcamp.htm

[GBPackRat]

I'm going to stand by my guess and stick with the 200 I've been saying for about a year now...

If you think about it, a normal run is 10,000 (or somewhere around there). 200 of 10000 would be roughly 2 % of the normal run. Seems like a logical and low enough to be plausible. So far we've seen roughly 20 over the last 8 years.

I be there are many more than we think out there.... and to be honest, other than the myth driving the price, I don't see why its taken off in price lately.

$1000 tops and as more are found I bet the price slowly drops. It took a while for them to start coming up, but look at how many have appeared in the last year, and a few MOC to boot!

I think this might be the case of hype and myth more than anything else...

But then again, its all speculation on my part, so take it for what its worth.

Tanner

[The Lord of Steel]

What has amazed me (Remember that I come from the diecast car world) is the under value of test shots and prototypes. These are some of the rarest joes most collectors will ever have a shot at and yet they are CHEAP! For sure they are way under valued if this ever hits main stream big like I expect it to in 2006 or 2007.

I think many collectors are afraid of false prototypes. I don't believe the prototypes of recent figures that are sold by sellers in Hong Kong are real prototypes. So why paying 20$ for an ugly figure that might be a fake???

[travismp]

I am reading a lot about people who bought them retail but has anyone ever seen a picture out the of PDD still in original packaging? I just read a guy who said the bubble was a little messed up. Can you take a picture and submit online for proof? I just want to see the packaging.

Travis

[Patrick A. Riley]

I'm going to stand by my guess and stick with the 200 I've been saying for about a year now...

If you think about it, a normal run is 10,000 (or somewhere around there).

Is that true? I know in the DeSimone guide Volume 2, he said the last of the 1994 stuff (Star Brigade, etc.) was produced in a minimum production quantites of 10,000. If that's the minimum, what is a "normal" production quantity? SInce 1997, has 10,000 been the normal number?

[robot_sonic]

SInce 1997, has 10,000 been the normal number?

Nope. TRU typically orders ~20,000 of their exclusive figure sets. You can be sure that Hasbro's full retail products are produced in much greater numbers.

[KrymsynGardImmoral]

http://www.castledestro.com/abb/spec...strobots.shtml

Wow, a year later and you dig that thing up...It makes me wish i had not sold it LOL>

The little PDD is Pimp Daddy Stikfas Kevin. He was the co-star of a bunch of oddball dio pics I made when i got my PDD. PDD and PDDSK Hanging at the Cantina, macking on the wimmen...stuff like that.

[KrymsynGardImmoral]

I also did a pretty in-depth essay on the PDD and it's physical differences from the other uses of the mold. It was on the Prototype forum on GIJoeHQ's boards, but when his site got hacked by those Neo-Nazis, that info was lost forever. I still have all the pics i used, but the text is all gone, and it was LONNNGGGG. I don't think i could remember it all. Did anyone save it? Pete maybe?