Why I prefer new Hasbro to 80's Hasbro.

[TerdVader]

It comes up alot that Hasbro has gotten deep in the habit of finding a few core characters like Duke, Snake Eyes, and Storm Shadow, and milking them for all they are worth. And while I've been guilty of clicking on threads that rally against Hasbro for such practices, in truth, I'd rather have it that way than the way they conducted their lines in the 80's.

I'll be 28 this year. My first GI Joe was a Duke. I probably got him as a gift sometime in 84, but being as I had barely started preschool at that time, he was long gone by the time I got a brand new RoadBlock 2 years later. Unfortunatly, RoadBlock also met his demise in my sandbox where he jprobably rests today. My collection however, I would say began in 87. By that time, I was old enough to treat my toys the way they were meant to be treated, and smart enough to value them. 87 was a horrible year to get into GI Joe. I would've begged for repacks back then. I would come home from school, pop down in front of the TV and watch the adventures of Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Bazooka, Alpine, Airtight, ect. I loved these characters, and I loved spending a half hour with them every day. Once every few weeks, we would go to the Kmart or Kroger and if I was good, I'd get to look at joes. What I would find was not the silent ninja commando, or a feisty redhead that helped save the day on my TV every weekday afternooon, but a neon green laser trooper and a guy who dresses like a bird. A FREAKIN BIRD!

I knew who the good figures were, and they weren't available to me. That is why you'll always find me participating in threads about the Tiger Force or Python Patrol. Those repaint lines were the closest I could get to the characters I knew, even if they looked a bit different now. Hasbro was so concerned with bringing me new joes every year, they neglected to remember the old ones. I didn't actually get a TF Duke, so I had to wait until 92 When the Desert camo version came out. I did get an armored CC in 87, but as a sole enemy leader we all know he sucked. Again I had to wait until the Battle talking commander version came out. Other figures I waited until the 90's for were Destro, Mutt, Mindbender, Zartan, Snake Eyes, eels, and BAT. All the main figs, and there were probably more that I just can't think of at the moment. when you're an 11 year old, a 5 year wait is pretty much half your childhood, and a year and a half or so afet geting all the guys I'd pretty much waited a lifetime for, I felt too old for them anyways.

So in the end, I know it sucks to see 7 different versions of Snake Eyes at the store. But at least Hasbro is keeping him on the shelf so when some kid goes with his mom to the store, he's got something better to choose from than a guy who dresses like a bird.

[Chainsaw Viper]

I can see where you're coming from with that and I can agree with it to an extent. I can remember looking for a lot of figures that I didn't know they weren't selling anymore.

On the flipside though, there was more apreciation for the major characters since them coming out felt more special. Going to the store and finally finding a Cobra Commander isn't nearly as cool when CC has been avalible every single year with four or five versions each.

[Erick]

I see what you mean, but I don't remember being disappointed for not getting all the core characters every year, I mean how could anyone expect that? Wasn't the line intented to introduce new characters every year?

[Pit Viper]

I actually liked getting an all new line up of characters each year. 80s G.I. Joe was like the only toy line in existence that did that. You sure don't see that in Batman lines.

[TerdVader]

I actually liked getting an all new line up of characters each year. 80s G.I. Joe was like the only toy line in existence that did that. You sure don't see that in Batman lines.

from my POV, Batman was just as bad. Sure you could find a Batman. A yellow one, a green one, gold and black with dteachable wings and submachine gun, Ice armor, flame strike. You name it, you can find it. Regular Batman, not so much.

[SolidSnakeEyes]

I was born in '85, and i started getting Joes around '87. Around '90, I actually said a prayer one night, asking big n' mighty if he would let me find a BAT, SE, CC, or Destro in the stores, because I wanted one so bad.
I totally feel your pain, hah. My first CC was that farked up one with the red mask and the glider, and my first SE was the v4. I wanted v2 my whole childhood. Having to come up with reasons as to why key characters were never present in my adventures, always sucked.
...but...back then, that wasn't the idea. The idea was the expand the line to include more characters and hopefully keep the line alive forever!
That brings up another funny point. As a kid, I used to think there were A MILLION characters that had come out before I was old enough to get them, and I assumed the line would go on for another million.

[SolidSnakeEyes]

from my POV, Batman was just as bad. Sure you could find a Batman. A yellow one, a green one, gold and black with dteachable wings and submachine gun, Ice armor, flame strike. You name it, you can find it. Regular Batman, not so much.

Always thought that myself.

[Cobra-Loyalist]

I was born in '85, and i started getting Joes around '87. Around '90, I actually said a prayer one night, asking big n' mighty if he would let me find a BAT, SE, CC, or Destro in the stores, because I wanted one so bad.
I totally feel your pain, hah. My first CC was that farked up one with the red mask and the glider, and my first SE was the v4. I wanted v2 my whole childhood. Having to come up with reasons as to why key characters were never present in my adventures, always sucked.
...but...back then, that wasn't the idea. The idea was the expand the line to include more characters and hopefully keep the line alive forever!
That brings up another funny point. As a kid, I used to think there were A MILLION characters that had come out before I was old enough to get them, and I assumed the line would go on for another million.

haha.. I'm only 3 years older than you, but luckily, I had a little bit of both worlds.. camo green 80's to nean green 90's ..heh.. but I loved them all as a kid, and played with GI-Joes alot! Like everyday after school, ..well after the cartoons that were on then (Ducktails, Rescue Rangers, Pirates of Darkwater, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop etc. etc.).. after the cartoons were over was full house, and saved by the bell.... then.. all out warfare in my bedroom or outside with my joe/ cobra figures and vehicles.. heh.. partly 80's, partly 90's figures.. ....then, homework came last.. lol!

I miss those years....

- CL

[Jbluez]

from my POV, Batman was just as bad. Sure you could find a Batman. A yellow one, a green one, gold and black with dteachable wings and submachine gun, Ice armor, flame strike. You name it, you can find it. Regular Batman, not so much.

Batgirl was even worse. The one single carded from BTAS was wind blitz! You had to get a somewhat rare four pack for real colors. :P

[DPrime]

I agree with the original poster to a certain extent - I would have loved to have more of the original 13 as a kid, or figures that I just missed out on earlier on. I had a few '84 figures, but when I REALLY got into it, in the '85 and '86 years, I sure wish I could have gotten a V1 Duke.

The difference is, however, I wouldn't have wanted a repainted one, just the regular one. So if Hasbro today decided to pack the actual figures from earlier waves here and there later on, that'd be fine (especially if they're army-builders). I just don't want to see different variants of the major figures... reminds me too much of Batman lines, as others have mentioned!