Action figures! Chances are you had some as a kid, heck if you're on our website you probably have some right now. They're a major, thriving part of the toy market. But do you know their history? It's strongly tied to both G.I. Joe and Star Wars, the main attractions of our next two auction sessions, so let's dive in!
Hasbro Invents The Action Figure
Pop Quiz: What's the difference between an action figure and a doll? Answer: Marketing! The functional difference between G.I. Joe & Barbie, He-Man & She-Ra, or Mighty Max & Polly Pocket is in the marketing. See, Manhattan licensing agent Stan Weston, seeing the success of Mattel's Barbie fashion doll, designed a 12" plaything geared at boys. Inspired by the enduring popularity of two-fisted tales of heroism from World War II, the toy was military themed. He pitched the idea to Hasbro, who paid him $100,000 for the idea - just over a million bucks in 2024 dollars.
Hasbro turned the idea into “G.I. Joe, America's Moveable Fighting Man”, which hit store shelves in 1964. But the 12", highly poseable figure with interchangeable outfits was not a doll. No, then even more than now, parents wouldn't buy their little boys dolls and little boys didn't want dolls anyway. So G.I. Joe wasn't a doll, he was an action figure. The trick worked and the line was a smash hit! It even managed to weather the American public's souring on the military during the Vietnam era by pivoting to a more general “adventure” theme. Even so, all trends must pass and G.I. Joe went out of production in 1976…just in time for the next big thing in action figures to hit.
Star Wars Refines Action Figures
When did action figures go from 12", fully poseable dolls to the smaller toys most of us grew up with? The answer is 1978. The year prior, George Lucas' epic science fantasy feature Star Wars hit theaters and instantly became one of the most beloved movies ever made. Everyone except Lucas and his team were caught unawares by that success, including their toy licensor Kenner. By the time the toymaker had everything ready to go, young fans were positively rabid for Star Wars toys. The comic book tie-in was going strong, the Holiday Special was in the works, and the sequel was in development, meaning the toys had plenty of marketing assistance even after the movie left theaters.
The main strength of the Star Wars line was that it was 3.75" in scale rather than 12". While this cost the toys poseability, it made it much cheaper to produce vehicles and playsets for them to interact with. And produce them they did, with nearly every space ship and iconic location that appeared on screen getting a toy by the line's end. Kenner's original Star Wars line ended in 1985, two years after Return of the Jedi hit theaters. It moved over 300 million units of 100 distinct characters, vehicles, and playsets. Its success redefined the look of action figures in a way that persists to this day.
G.I. Joe Gets Small
In 1982, Hasbro revived the G.I. Joe brand as “G.I Joe, A Real American Hero”. Like Kenner's Star Wars, these figures were in 3.75" scale. This allowed Hasbro to create even more vehicles, playsets, and other military-themed accessories than the original line had enjoyed. Unlike Star Wars, the figures were of a multi-piece construction that allowed it to match or exceed its 12" counterpart in poseability. This scale would prove to be the most wildly successful and enduring version of G.I. Joe, continuing production on-and-off into the 21st century.
Both Star Wars and G.I. Joe are titans of the toy industry, with decades-long histories and tremendous influence. They have legions of fans, and we're bringing them two beautiful auction sessions of vintage to modern figures from both beloved brands. If you have a collection that you're ready to part with, let Back to the Past do the hard work of bringing it to those legions of fans! We specialize in making sure that your collection ends up in the hands of your fellow fans, at top dollar, and with no extra work on your part. Drop us a line today to get the process started!
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