G.I. Joe action figures on sale for $4.99 at Target stores

All Target stores nationwide have just recently marked down their 3 3/4 inch G.I. Joe action figures to $4.99 each. This sale is in effect thru November 24. They are regularly priced at $6.84, so it's a nice price cut. And with the re-issue of many of the early figures from the 25th Anniversary line, it's the perfect time to catch up on some of them you may have missed.

Your humble editor has been on the road this week in the San Diego area and have been experiencing some internet problems, so I apologize for the lack of updates -- we should be back on track now. I love toy hunting when I'm out of town; I think I live in a horrible area for collecting toys as the shelves are always bare compared to what I find on the road. I stopped by a nearby Target store last night and it was stocked to the gills with toys I have been looking for, including several G.I. Joes I needed. I never seem to find anything but Wild Bill or Duke at my hometown Target, so I was pleasantly surprised. Last time I was here two months ago I found Cobra BATS by the armful.
I purchased Snake Eyes with Timber, Battle Armor Cobra Commander, and Snow Job. The price on the pegs was still marked $6.84, but when I arrived at the cashier they rang em up for the sale price. I'm going to a different Target tomorrow to try to find some more. I still need to find a Sgt. Stalker for my collection.

HasbroToyShop now selling AFA graded figures

Well this is something I thought I would never see. HasbroToyShop.com, the official toy site of Hasbro, is now selling AFA graded G.I. Joe figures (wave 11). This is just plain odd -- as a mass market toy company, Hasbro has often shown a lack of concern towards collectors. As anyone who has ordered from their website knows, their shipping can be very hit or miss -- sometimes things arrive in good condition, other times the package will be dinged up, and very little care is used in the packing.
But in my experiences, they have gotten slightly better in that regard lately, using some extra padding in the boxes in recent shipments. Perhaps this is another step in Hasbro acknowledging the existence of adult collectors. In recent months, they've seemed to list more collector-oriented things on their site, with Transformer Special Editions from Japan, and San Diego Comic Con exclusives. But I never in a million years would have thought that they'd start to sell AFA graded figures. Perhaps this is a test to gauge interest and see what kinda profits they can make. And if they sell well, we might start to see many more graded toys on their website. Since they have access to the action figures from the factory, it's pretty easy for them to pick out the perfect ones. Either way, the prices on these aren't horrible when you consider the costs of searching for gradable figures, buying them, carefully shipping them to be graded, and paying the AFA fee (which is currently $20 for a modern G.I. Joe figure). What do they cost? Hasbro is selling the G.I. Joe wave 11 action figures graded 9.0 for $50; 9.25 for $60; 9.5 for $80; and 9.75 for $90.
And apparently people are buying them, as about half of the various versions are sold out. The only thing I worry about now is if they are picking all the nice figures out of the cases to grade and sell, does that mean if I order the ungraded ones I'm gonna get bent and dinged versions only?

AFA Graded G.I. Joe figures at HasbroToyShop.com

Update: Among the sold-out figures listed is a Cobra Eel "weapon variant" version 1 and 2.
This is the first I have heard of this variant, and the pictures and description don't indicate exactly what the variant is.

G.I. JOE COBRA EEL Weapon Variant 1 (AFA Graded 9.0)
G.I. JOE COBRA EEL Weapon Variant 2 (AFA Graded 9.0)

G.I. Joe vehicles - Wave 4 in-package images (Ghost HAWK & Sting Raider)

Hisstank.com has posted new images showing Wave 4 of the G.I. Joe vehicles in-package. This wave features:

- Ghost HAWK with Lift Ticket
- Sting Raider with Python Patrol Copperhead

The Ghost HAWK was originally known as the Sky Hawk in the 1980s toy line, and the Sting Raider was the Water Moccasin, but the names were changed to something that Hasbro could properly copyright. Either way, these look to be an excellent addition to your army. They are due out a little later than originally planned - look for them around December. I still can't find Wave 2 in stores, but that's another story.

Update: Hisstank also has extended photos of the Sting Raider here.

G.I. Joe action figures Wave 11 now in-stock at HasbroToyShop.com

HasbroToyShop.com is pumping out the new G.I. Joe action figure waves extremely fast in preparation for the Holiday season. The complete Wave 11 is now in-stock on their website BUT they won't ship to you until November 24. Expect to find this wave in stores around that time. Wave 10 is out now.



- G.I. JOE FLINT
- G.I. JOE SCARLETT
- G.I. JOE SPECIALIST TRAKKER
- G.I. JOE ZARTAN
- G.I. JOE SGT. AIRBORNE
- G.I. JOE COBRA EEL

Coupon code disc10 gets you 10% off at checkout.

G.I. Joe vehicles Wave 5 images released

We reported on these a few days ago, but we now have pics of the new G.I. Joe vehicles Wave 5 to show you (courtesy of the G.I. Joe Collectors Club). And if you ask me they look really sweet, especially the Cobra Stinger. These are all due out around January of 2009.


- Stinger Jeep with Stinger Commander



- CLAW Glider with Stratoviper & FLAK Cannon with Outback


- Arctic HISS Tank with Arctic Driver

New G.I. Joe 3-packs in-stock at toysrus.com

The Air Command, Sea Command, and Iron Grenadier 3-packs are now in-stock at the Toys 'R' Us website:

- G.I. Joe Sea Command 3-Pack: Deep Six, Lt. Torpedo & G.I. Joe Cutter
- G.I. Joe Iron Grenadier 3-Pack: Destro, IG Officer & IG Trooper
- G.I. Joe Air Command 3-Pack: Capt. Ace, Wild Bill & Skyduster

These specific Toys 'R' Us exclusive 3-packs have been pretty hard to find in stores. They were scheduled for release last month, but I never saw them, and reports I read elsewhere also indicated that they weren't very plentiful. The availability of many of these G.I. Joe box sets has been erratic, so maybe the shelves will be overflowing with these soon. Or maybe not.

G.I. Joe Wave 10 figures in-stock at HasbroToyShop.com

G.I. Joe wave 10 figures are available again for order from HasbroToyShop (All of wave 10 is currently in-stock except Wraith). They were briefly available a few days ago, then disappeared. These figures have yet to be seen in stores, but are the next wave due out from Hasbro.

- G.I. JOE COBRA PARA-VIPER
- G.I. JOE COBRA BAZOOKA TROOPER
- G.I. JOE DUKE TIGER FORCE
- G.I. JOE MUTT & JUNKYARD
- G.I. JOE CROC MASTER

Plus, they also have G.I. Joe vehicles from Waves 2 and 3 in-stock.

- G.I. JOE SHARC TOOTH with DEEP SIX
- G.I. JOE FIREBAT JET with A.V.A.C
- G.I. JOE COBRA F.A.N.G & COBRA C.L.A.W with COBRA VIPER & COBRA PILOT

If you order, be sure to use coupon code CATCOM10 at checkout for 10% off your order. The previous FALL20 code that we told you about last week has expired.

The first new G.I. Joe vehicles of 2009

The names of the upcoming G.I. Joe vehicles (Wave 5) have been revealed, along with the exclusive action figures that are included with each set. These are all due out January of 2009. Sadly, no photos of the new vehicles yet but pictured above is the original FLAK from 1982 that returns in this wave.

- Arctic HISS with Arctic Driver
- Claw Glider with Stratoviper & FLAK Cannon with Outback
- Stinger Jeep with Stinger Commander

The Ghost Hawk (with Lift Ticket action figure) is also part of Wave 5 but debuts in Wave 4. We previewed Wave 4 here.

Plus, for those of you looking for a complete list to complete your Joe collection and keep track of all the new releases, I recommend this Checklist of the entire G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line (courtesy of The Superfly).

Free G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Ultimate Duke with $20 purchase at Toys 'R' Us

In this week's edition of the Toys 'R' Us newspaper ad, they are offering a free 8" G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Ultimate Duke action figure (regularly priced at $19.99) with any G.I. Joe purchase of $19.99 or more.
Offer is good thru October 18, and is also available online at their website.

G.I. Joe Comic Packs wave 6 and Combat Heroes wave 1 now out in stores

G.I. Joe Comic Packs wave 6 have started to appear in retail stores.
This wave features the following (click thumbnails for hi-res pics):

- Beachhead & Dataframe
- Hard Master & Snake-Eyes
- Scrap-Iron & Wild Bill

And in further release news, the miniaturized mayhem of the G.I. Joe Combat Heroes wave 1 have also been spotted at Target.

New G.I. Joe DVD Battle Packs on sale at HasbroToyShop (with 20% off discount code)

Set numbers 3 & 4 of the 5-part G.I. Joe MASS Device DVD Battle Packs have just been put up for sale at HasbroToyShop.com for $19.99 each. This usually indicates they should be appearing at retail very soon. But we wanted to make you aware of a special discount code that Hasbro is offering this fall. If you use coupon code fall20 at checkout, you will get 20% off your entire order from HasbroToyShop! That's a savings of $4 each that will easily make up for the shipping charges. They also have the new G.I. Joe vehicles (the Cobra Firebat and the SHARC) for sale too, as well as some of the new wave 10 action figures. Go wild!

G.I. JOE DVD Battles - Arise, Serpentor, Arise!
G.I. JOE DVD Battles - Pyramid of Darkness

G.I. Joe Comic Packs wave 7 due in November

Here are the first in-package photos of the new G.I. Joe Comic Packs (wave 7), scheduled for a November release. Click the thumbnails for hi-res images.
Figures pictured are:

- Cobra Commander & Gung Ho
- Deep Six & Rock N Roll
- Iron Grenadier & Viper

Not a very exciting wave from a collector's stand point -- each of these figures has already been released either as single cards, part of other packs, or with a vehicle set over the last year.
But if you missed some of these (such as this version of Cobra Commander) or you need some more Iron Grenadiers for army building, this wave might interest you.

Price increases hitting Hasbro toys at Target, Walmart

Target and Walmart have begun to raise their prices on various Hasbro toys. These 2 retailers have always been my first choice for toy hunting as they almost always offered the lowest prices.
We reported last month on how Hasbro was raising wholesale prices to retailers, and it was up to the individual retailer whether or not to raise prices to consumers. It now appears that they have followed through with a price increase on various lines. Petroleum and transportation costs are mostly to blame.
Some of the price increases include:

Target:
G.I. Joe vehicles now $15.99 (was $14.99)
G.I. Joe DVD Battle Packs now $21.99 (was $19.99)
Transformers Universe Ultra figures now $26.99 (was $24.99)
Transformers Universe Voyager figures now $21.99 (was $19.99)
Transformers Universe Deluxe figures now $10.99 (was $9.99)
Transformers Animated Deluxe figures now $10.99 (was $9.99)
Star Wars vehicles (medium sized) now $21.99 (was $19.99)

Walmart:
G.I. Joe vehicles now $15.86 (was $14.86)
Marvel Legends - Fing Fang Foom Hulk series now $15.96 (was $14.96)

This is not a complete list; expect to find other price increases soon. I've also read some rumors that carded single G.I. Joes and comic packs are going to be going up too, as well as Star Wars comic packs. One piece of good news is that Walmart still has its sale on all Deluxe Transformers for $7.77, though this special may end any day.

TCN Hottest Toy of the Week

G.I. Joe wave 10 action figure Wraith (holographic variant) is this week's Hottest Toy. He is a hard to find shortpacked chase figure that is selling for a huge premium right now on Ebay (over $100 for a $7 figure). Good luck finding him in stores. As for me, I've heard too many stories about toystore employees fishing figures like this out of the backroom boxes before they hit the shelves to think I'll ever find one hanging on a peg.

G.I. Joe Cobra Desert & Arctic Assualt Squads (internet exclusive) coming next month

The Cobra Desert & Arctic Assault Squad battle packs have been available for pre-order for awhile now, but here is your first look at them in-package. These are "internet exclusive" sets so you won't see them in stores. They are due to ship in October.
Each pack contains 7 figures and a ton of accessories/weapons:

Cobra Arctic Assault Squad:
- Tele-Viper
- Scrap-Iron
- Snow Serpent Officer
- Cobra Viper (x2)
- Snow Serpent Trooper (x2)

Cobra Desert Assault Squad:
- Major Bludd
- Cobra Flamethrower Trooper
- Hostile Environment Specialist Cobra Trooper
- Explosives Expert Cobra Trooper
- Cobra Officer
- Desert Crimson Guard x2

'80s toy technology leads the way!

Did you hear the news story about the guy who flew from England to France this week on his rocket-propelled flying-wing? Am I the only one who noticed the resemblance to the Cobra C.L.A.W. vehicle from the G.I. Joe toy line? And more importantly, where can I get one of these?

G.I. Joe Combat Heroes wave 2 preview

Hasbro's foray into miniaturized cuteness continues with the G.I. Joe Combat Heroes wave 2 (pictured above). Considering how small these are, some of these look perfectly sculpted; Storm Shadow, Serpentor, and the Baroness jump out to me as my early favorites, but I've always been partial to Cobra. I have yet to see Wave 1 in stores, but they are scheduled to be out any day now.
The Wave 2 lineup scheduled for a November/December release:

- Beach Head & Baroness
- Destro & Scarlett
- Serpentor & Flint
- Storm Shadow & Barbecue

What I really hope for is some Combat Heroes vehicle playsets, like the Star Wars Galactic Heroes have been doing recently. Mini HISS tanks? Yes, please!

G.I. Joe vehicles Wave 2 spotted in California; Wave 3 out in Asia

Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary vehicles has been spotted on store shelves in California. They've also been in-stock for the last week on some online toy store websites, but if you like to toy-hunt like I do, check with your local Target and Toys 'R' Us stores.

New vehicles in Wave 2 (pictured above) are:

- Cobra Firebat (with AVAC action figure)
- G.I. Joe SHARC (with Deep Six action figure)

The forthcoming Wave 3 has just been spotted on shelves in the Phillipines, and using our Asia to America rule-of-thumb, this means it shouldn't be long until they are here (roughly a couple weeks).

New vehicles in Wave 3 are:

- AWE Striker (with Leatherneck action figure)
- Cobra Fang & Claw (with Cobra Viper & Cobra Pilot action figures)

All vehicle packs have an MSRP of $15 each.

G.I. Joe Ultimate Battle Pack (Target Exclusive) coming December 1

You are looking at one giant package of pure win. The G.I. Joe Ultimate Battle Pack is a Target Exclusive that will be on everyone's Christmas List. I mean, look at this thing! You get the G.I. Joe MOBAT Tank (motorized), a red version of the Cobra HISS Tank, and a special blue-colored Cobra Commander Flight Pod.

Plus it also includes seven action figures:

- H.I.S.S. Tank Driver
- Cobra Commander
- Steeler
- Cobra Vehicle Gunner
- Short Fuze
- Stalker (with jet pack)
- Destro



3 vehicles and 7 actions figures, all for only $50. I seriously hope they make enough of these for the demand I foresee. I have been counting the days til this is released since I first saw it at Comic Con. If I have as hard a time finding these as I have the Target exclusive Cobra Rattler and G.I. Joe Conquest airplanes, it will be a very unhappy Christmas at the ToyCollectorNews house.

G.I. Joe action figures wave 11 on-card images.

G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary action figures wave 10 is reportedly out in stores this week, but looking ahead to the next wave we now have some on-card images of wave 11's new figures courtesy of yojoe.com.
The 6 new figures (pictured below, click to enlarge) in the wave include: Zartan with his Chameleon water vehicle; Specialist Trakker (from M.A.S.K. fame) and his helicopter attachment; Scarlett in blue outfit; Flint in Cobra disguise (with a swappable Cobra head); Cobra EEL with swim fins; and Sgt. Airborne the helicopter assault trooper.
Look for these in early November.