# Army Men



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

So my wife is a "picker" of sorts; hits yard sales, Goodwill, St. Vincent DePaul's, stuff like that and then sells items on E-Bay, Amazon and our local "Buy,Sell,Trade" page. She's gotten pretty good at it and is quickly learning what people are looking for, what's trending, what's not. So today she came home with a tub PACKED FULL of my beloved Army Men from days of yore.

313 Army men to be exact, tanks, planes, artillery pieces, planes, a boat. We dumped them out on the floor and started playing with them. She paid $.99 for them at Goodwill. I begged her not to sell them!

I proceeded to tell my youngest daughter all the fun I had with Army Men as a kid with a B.B. Gun, playing sniper, throwing firecrackers at them like hand grenades, and the countless hours of enjoyment that it brought to my friends and I. I told her that's why I'm probably such a good shot with a rifle, all that practice shooting at small targets from halfway across the yard. She asked if they broke when I did that and I told her "They're indestructible, unless you hit them with the hairspray or WD-40 Flame Thrower." :-D

I'm very happy with my new Army Men. I never thought such a simple thing could bring back so many cool memories from my childhood. Hopefully there are others who were able to share the same level of fun I did with these things!


----------



## Fuzzee (Nov 20, 2012)

They weren't so indestructible to my dog if I remember right. Either way I wasn't going to "dig" around looking to see if they survived his belly.





I still had lots of fun with them too.




.


----------



## dutch16 (Mar 13, 2014)

When I was 7, my parents got me what was probably the best Christmas gift ever; it was an army man set that showed the Torch landing in North Africa. This set had everything: Americans, British, Germans, even Vichy French troops. It also had tanks, artillery, jeeps, and even bombed-out buildings. I loved that set! 
Time passed, and I wanted to buy the same set for my son. Found it at Amazon for $250. Bought him a .22 instead. Just wasn't sure he'd like the army set as much as I did...


----------



## Coppertop (Dec 20, 2013)

My kids don't like the same things I found a blast, and I couldn't imagine finding enjoyment then with the things they have fun with now. I hadn't thought of Army Men in a long time. Thanks for bringing them up


----------



## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

I always loved the little paratrooper ones.If you rolled the chute up just right,you could get some decent air using a good wrist rocket.


----------



## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

I'm a little too young for the green army men. I played with the 3 inch GI Joes, and Transformers. I did do many of the same things with them though. GI Joes were not so indestructible, especially against the WD-40 flame thrower.


----------



## machinejjh (Nov 13, 2012)

I just sold my childhood Transformers. And it's gonna be spent to buy an upper.


----------



## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

machinejjh said:


> I just sold my childhood Transformers. And it's gonna be spent to buy an upper.


Wish I had known, I would have probably bought them.


----------



## machinejjh (Nov 13, 2012)

All original G1s, loose, but great shape. I'll keep you in mind if i come across any more.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

If you gave them to a Child today you would be arrested. The Child would be kicked out of school. Both of you would be sent off to reeducation camp. 
Cool find I had boxes of the stuff for sand tables up to my last few years, still have some packed away some where.


----------



## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

sparkyprep said:


> Wish I had known, I would have probably bought them.


Haha.

StarWars was my all time favorite.I had most of the whole collection too.I'm talking the old Kenner/Mattel original stuff.Sold it on ebay just a few years ago and made some serious fat cash.But man,I really hated packing up that huge box of memories.


----------



## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

I used to have the army men and some little jeeps also the paratroopers,GI joes and the like. I had the mattel toy rifle,the hunting one called the Magumba that had the toy bullets with the spring loaded cartridges and the m14 version.it had a 20 round mag but, I forgot what they called it the first one must have been 7.62x51 also cause the bullets fit both.

BDB, we used to go to goodwill alot when we lived in Tacoma,the one on 38th and the one in Parkland used to have all the good stuff like coleman lanterns and tents, sleeping bags,they were all new etc, at the start of winter. we thought some sporting good store donated and wrote off their inventory.also they had a lot of pretty decent clothing.


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

Sharkbait said:


> I always loved the little paratrooper ones.If you rolled the chute up just right,you could get some decent air using a good wrist rocket.


Yeah, those were a good time. Until it landed in the neighbors yard or something.


----------



## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

I used to build 1/35th scale plastic model tanks with electric motors and send them trundling down the garden to overun our sleeping cats, but they soon wised up and moved to sleep in rough terrain where the tanks couldn't get at 'em


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

MI.oldguy said:


> I used to have the army men and some little jeeps also the paratroopers,GI joes and the like. I had the mattel toy rifle,the hunting one called the Magumba that had the toy bullets with the spring loaded cartridges and the m14 version.it had a 20 round mag but, I forgot what they called it the first one must have been 7.62x51 also cause the bullets fit both.
> 
> BDB, we used to go to goodwill alot when we lived in Tacoma,the one on 38th and the one in Parkland used to have all the good stuff like coleman lanterns and tents, sleeping bags,they were all new etc, at the start of winter. we thought some sporting good store donated and wrote off their inventory.also they had a lot of pretty decent clothing.


I used to have the full size GI Joe with the fuzzy head and beard. Spiderman too, but old Joe always won when those two got to fightin'. Also had an Evel Knievel. Damn near put that ****er through my parents bedroom door. :lol: Man was my dad pissed. My parents bought me the SWAT set (from the TV Show) when I was a kid. I had the full size action figures, the SWAT van, all the rifles and "special gear". The SWAT guys got beat one day though and the bad guys burnt their van to the ground. I didn't let that kid come over anymore. Also had a set of the "Demolition Derby" cars that used the zip cords, would fly apart when they ran into stuff. Those were way fun.

About 15 years ago, there was a company that came out with a line of toys similar to GI Joe. I remember trying to get my oldest son a GI Joe figure and the prices were ridiculous. Everything was "collectible", couldn't buy one just to play with.

Anyway, right around 1999-2000, I went into Toys 'R Us with him (he was about 6) and there was this new line of WWII based Action Figures like GI Joe, and some really, really nice vehicles as well. Everything from tanks to airplanes and they were huge. And inexpensive, especially in comparison to GI Joe stuff. And for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the company that was making the stuff. If anybody knows the one I'm talking about, holler.


----------



## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

bigdogbuc said:


> I used to have the full size GI Joe with the fuzzy head and beard. Spiderman too, but old Joe always won when those two got to fightin'. Also had an Evel Knievel. Damn near put that ****er through my parents bedroom door. :lol: Man was my dad pissed. My parents bought me the SWAT set when I was a kid. I had the full size action figures, the SWAT van, all the rifles and "special gear". The SWAT guys got beat one day though and the bad guys burnt their van to the ground. I didn't let that kid come over anymore. Also had a set of the "Demolition Derby" cars that used the zip cords, would fly apart when they ran into stuff. Those were way fun.
> 
> About 15 years ago, there was a company that came out with a line of toys similar to GI Joe. I remember trying to get my oldest son a GI Joe figure and the prices were ridiculous. Everything was "collectible", couldn't buy one just to play with.
> 
> Anyway, right around 1999-2000, I went into Toys 'R Us with him (he was about 6) and there was this new line of WWII based Action Figures like GI Joe, and some really, really nice vehicles as well. Everything from tanks to airplanes and they were huge. And inexpensive, especially in comparison to GI Joe stuff. And for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the company that was making the stuff. If anybody knows the one I'm talking about, holler.


LOL!, I remember that my GI joes would sometimes be on a zip line or climbing the rock ledge at our home and my older and crueler brother would pick 'em off with our sheridan blue streak .177 pellet rifle,or my franken models (I used to build the 1/35th scale stuff) and with the spare parts acquired I would build other stuff that got blown up with m-80,s or cherry bombs!.sure brings back memories!..I bet that the people that own the house now probably found a LOT of plastic bits in that yard, maybe a GI joe head or two also.....I had the older ones without the fuzzy hair.shoulda kept them might be worth something now...they should have issued PH medals for mine.


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I grew up in the 50's and 60's hearing WWII stories, watching WWII movies and newsreels (you young folks may have to ask grandpa what that is), playing with army men, and dressing myself in military surplus stuff.
Heck, we had teachers that were vets, one of mine for several math classes was one of the 82nd Airborne guys who jumped into Normandy on D-Day. No one fooled around in HIS class!
For a while in my early teens, before I discovered girls, I even had a large collection of 1/72 scale Afrika Korps vehicles and figures and used to set up diaramas.
But then I discovered beer and women, and everything went down hill from there.

Thanks, BigDog, you awakened some long slumbering memories.


----------



## Just Sayin' (Dec 5, 2013)

Unfortunately, not one of my many GI Joe's survived my childhood, but we did fight many epic battles. I could have retired a rich man, had I not destroyed numerous Tonka and other now collectible toys. Who knew?


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

Just Sayin' said:


> Unfortunately, not one of my many GI Joe's survived my childhood, but we did fight many epic battles. I could have retired a rich man, had I not destroyed numerous Tonka and other now collectible toys. Who knew?


I used to tie my Tonka trucks to the back of my bicycle and tow them around the neighborhood just to be able to scratch the damn things so they had some character and looked like work trucks. My friends would sit on them while I towed them around too. That was fun.

The ONLY one I was ever able to destroy, was under the tongue of the mobile home we lived in in Ohio. I stuck it under there and cranked that sucker down. Took me and the neighbor kid both pulling that handle to crush it. We just had to see if it could be done. Of course a couple of the old people that lived in the park who were out for a walk chewed me out for breaking a perfectly good toy then told my mom after she got home.

I went back to Ohio about 11 or 12 years later, actually stopped in to visit them. They were still there. Old Clarence and Janet. I'll never forget them. After I got over the initial sting of them telling on me, I spent a good deal of my free time at their house. Super cool old folks. He was a WWII vet.

When I showed up on their door step as a strapping 19 year old, Clarence looked at me, said "We don't want any" and slammed the door shut. I knocked again and he opened the door, looked me right in the eye and said "What're ya'? Stupid? I said I didn't want any, now get the hell off my porch!" and slammed the door again. I knocked a third time. He opened the door and by this time Janet was with him. Old Clarence started to come through the door with a purpose, and he was about to show me the street. I yelled "Janet, Janet, it's me, Steve, the little boy that used to live right over there! I'm not selling anything I swear!"

Janet grabbed old Clarence by the arm and told him to hold on just a minute. She looked me over, looked at our old place, and said "Clarence, it's alright, it's Steve, you know, the little boy that used to live right there?" Clarence looked at her, looked at me and I said "Clarence, it's me, Money Makin' Jack." That was his nick name for me as I was always trying to make money, buying, selling, mowing lawns, wheelin' and dealin'.

That man hugged me til I couldn't breathe and said "Come on in! It's nice to see ya' little buddy!" :shock:


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

^^^Good story BigDog!^^^


----------



## dutch16 (Mar 13, 2014)

bigdogbuc said:


> Anyway, right around 1999-2000, I went into Toys 'R Us with him (he was about 6) and there was this new line of WWII based Action Figures like GI Joe, and some really, really nice vehicles as well. Everything from tanks to airplanes and they were huge. And inexpensive, especially in comparison to GI Joe stuff. And for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the company that was making the stuff. If anybody knows the one I'm talking about, holler.


BigDog, If it was the original G.I.Joe stuff you're talking about, it was mad by Hasbro.


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah those things were the coolest. Cant begin the count the endless hours of entertainment I got from blowing them up with fire works, IED's, BB Guns and damn near anything else I could think of as a demented juvenile delinquent at the time! Back then I had way more fun than the law allows these days by a long shot! Cant count the hours or the elaborate set ups we used to make before destroying it all in a grand finale...


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

GI Joe, my sisters Ken and Barbie caught living hell too! ha ha ha ha...


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

dutch16 said:


> BigDog, If it was the original G.I.Joe stuff you're talking about, it was mad by Hasbro.


Nope. This was a "knock-off" of GI Joe. Better detail in my opinion and really cool, detailed vehicles. I've hunted the internet and can't find it. Yet.


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

LunaticFringeInc said:


> GI Joe, my sisters Ken and Barbie caught living hell too! ha ha ha ha...


Remember the commercial where GI Joe came rollin' up to Barbie's Malibu Mansion and she hopped in the car with GI Joe and left Ken lookin' all dejected? That was funny.


----------



## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

You guy's are talking about the 12" GI Joes and not the newer 4" action figures right?I had several of the 12" ones and BigDog,the guy that had the fuzzy hair/beard IIRC was named "Duke".


----------



## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)




----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

Sharkbait said:


> You guy's are talking about the 12" GI Joes and not the newer 4" action figures right?I had several of the 12" ones and BigDog,the guy that had the fuzzy hair/beard IIRC was named "Duke".


Right, the 12". Duke was bad ass. At least in my house.

I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I remembered I had bought him a "Schwimmwagen" so I put it in Google...

THE ULTIMATE SOLDIER was the brand!!!!!










And holy shit; $199.95 on EBay. I think I paid like $19.95 for it new...that sucks.

https://www.google.com/webhp?source...8#q=the+ultimate+soldier+1/6th+scale&tbm=shop


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I had a lot of g.I. joes in the 80's
They were hand me downs from a older cousin. I still have them at my mom's house but all of the rubber bands in the middle that held them together dry rotted. I even had a g.I.Joe f-14 and a g.I.Joe ah-1 cobra attack helicopter which was my personal favorite. I don't know where that one got to. I had an amphibious vehicle or it looked like one with a light tan canopy top. There was also the jeep I don't know where that got to either. And a towed AA gun. I also had a bunch of the manuals that came with them including spec sheets. They are all ruined. I should try looking them up now.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I just found www.yojoe.com
They have a database of gijoes and gijoe vehicles.


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

James m said:


> I just found www.yojoe.com
> They have a database of gijoes and gijoe vehicles.


I found an Ultimate Soldiers "Little Bird" helicopter on E-Bay that I had gotten my son, paid less than $30 for it new, it's going for over $100, 2 bids, 19 hrs. left. Sick. I'm just sick.


----------



## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

When we find them around the house from tilling and such my wife likes to put them in the garden to "protect" the plants.


----------

