May Interview - joe90

Online Name: Joe90

Location: Edmonton, Canada

First G.I. Joe: Christmas, 1965. I received an Action Soldier and the combat field jacket set. Shortly after Christmas I got him a camo helmet, like Sgt Saunders in Combat! I still have him.

Favourite Figure Now: My Action Soldier is #1 because he’s my first, but I can’t say I have a favourite. They are all unique individuals. Like Victor Hugo, or Flann O’Brien, I have always believed that there is a transfer of something in the interaction between a G.I. Joe/VAM and its owner. Call it molecules, call it spirit, but there is a little bit of animus transferred to the 1/6 dolly. I have believed this ever since I read Mary Dickerson Donahey’s Adventures of a Happy Dolly. The Shinto Religion also believes this, that’s why they celebrate Hina Matsuri where they have a ritual wherein they bless and “remove” the spirit of old, well loved dolls before they dispose of them. If you don't the spirit will come back and haunt you. That’s why I’ll never sell a vintage GI Joe -- it's bad Ju-Ju.

Most desired item: Items… I want the striped helmet military law enforcement figures from 1967: the Air Security set, the green and tan Airborne MP’s, and the Navy SP. Soon...

What will you do with your collection as you get older: I can’t/won’t sell my G.I. Joes. The Royal Museum of Alberta has agreed to accept it as a donation when the time comes. They do a Toy display every Christmas and my GI Joes would be a central part of that display.

Do you set yourself a budget?: No. But since I've been collecting since 1965, with the better part 13 years off between 1975 and 1988, I pretty much have what I want by now. Mostly.

Worst VAM/Joe/MAM or 1/6 figure: I have a small collection of vintage Ken so who am I to talk about bad figures?

Views on 40th reproductions: All positive. 40th reproductions are licensed copies of G.I. Joe by Hasbro – just like VAM, GM, GAJ, Action Team, Polistil, etc…. As far as I’m concerned, any licensed copy of G.I. Joe is fantastic. I have vintage Mounties from all the licensed lines, and my 40th Mountie is there, taking his rightful place. I especially like the Action Man 40th uniform sets because there were pieces I wanted but couldn't sanction spending big bucks on what, for me, was essentially a sideline of my hobby. I only knew of sets such as the Ceremonials as an adult, so had no childhood connection to them, but they were so cool that I wanted them. When the 40th sets were released I jumped at them. I eschew the opinion that the 40th line negatively impacts vintage prices -- the Internet and eBay are the biggest culprits.

Worst item of VAM/G.I. Joe /MAM or 1/6 range: It would have to be the cheesy knock-off uniforms and accessories from the 1970’s. I am an aficionado of quality knock-offs, but those bad knock-offs are just... well... bad…

Best thing about collecting VAM/G.I. Joe/MAM or 1/6 figures: Hmmmm.... Getting banned from a certain Enthusiast site for calling an admin type a snob. What? Oh, that’s not the question? Okay, the people: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Do you think your collection will be collectable in the future: ...I. ... Don’t. ... Care. ... It pleases me and that’s all that matters.

If you did not collect VAM/G.I. Joe/MAM or 1/6 figures, what would you collect: Marx Tin Plate trains, vintage and modern slot cars, 1/32 and 1/12 toy soldiers, Ken… etc, etc, etc. I’m a sucker for toys.

Why do you like AMMO: The people: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The love of the hobby here is apparent; the obvious outcome of that is folks are tolerant of other people’s tastes, opinions, and preferences. And handbags are left at home.

As I mentioned above, my childhood phase of collecting was between 1965 and 1975, and the adult phase of my collecting has been since 1988. However, I was never too far from the hobby and managed to pick up some items during those 13 "Lost Years". The story I like to tell is the one where I was in London and searched the entire store -- I remember it having 5 floors -- for Action Man. I didn't find anything. It was 1985... I was a year too late.

Excellent Interview mate, so nice to know a little more about you !! thank you for taking the time to do our interview

Wise words on the 40th Doug,..and I couldn't agree more with your 'any licesnsed Joe is a Joe' sentiment regardless of the where or when of thier origins.

I was also intrigued by you ideas on a transfer of animus between owner and Joe. Although I myself wouldn't give it credence beyond the psychology I do think such a feeling has a certain tangibility if you have a personal knowledge of the joe's past

As a child the highlight of the summer holidays was the week or two I spent at my uncle's house playing AM with my cousins. When I began collecting again in 2008 I had hoped to add my cousin's AM's to my collection as I knew they were still languishing in my uncle's attic as late as the early 90's. Unfortunately it seems they were thrown out soon after that but even if they were still there to be rescued I would never have looked on them as mine.

They'd have been given pride of place in my collection next to my childhood guys but everytime I looked at them I'd have felt the personalities my cousins had imbued in them during those games so long ago. To me those figures would always have had the characters created for them back then. No having them is a loss beyond just having a few less playworn figures in the collection, it's more a sadness for 'fallen comrades'.

Terrific interview, and well thought through answers, Joe90!



' ...I. ... Don’t. ... Care. ... It pleases me and that’s all that matters.'


And THAT is the answer I have struggled to articulate after all these years! Thank you for enlightening me!

I hope those stripey outfits are moving nearer to you with each passing day! And let's face it your knowledge and humor was probably wasted on the Enthusiasticals!


And something else I've learned - I will never ever sell any of my vintage fellers for fear of bad Joe Joe!

Awesome Interview... Love the point on the spirit transferring ....

Thanks Joe

Len

Wonderful interview. It was nice to get to know you better and read your opinions that I find well thought out and said.

Very interesting about the transference aspects. I think I would like to read more about it, but I have to ask, as you said they have a ritual before getting rid of a figure, why would anyone want to throw a loved doll away?

"bad Joe Joe" Coalville you crack me up.

Brian

Well said my friend!

Ohhhh......You think too much!

Rick

Great interview JOE90, very enjoyable read.

great insight ....good to read

Very enjoyable interview to read Doug.

Great interview Doug and some good points you make. I too love all my figures, they are all collectible in their own right to me and all irreplaceable.

Nice to read Doug.

A very interesting read, Doug.

I share the same collecting intrests as you to a tee

Getting banned from a forum for calling a person a snob I like it!

Great interview Doug. I really like what you said about 40th totally makes sense and whilst I do prefer VAM can see a place for 40th in the collecting world and Jemma loves it. I'm fascinated abouth the transference part of your interview. Inwas lucky enough to be given my best mates childhood collection and the figures are just him. It would have been fascinating to stand one of his childhood figures against one of mine. I bet it would be easy to tell which is which.

Great read,Doug.

Don't know how I missed this, what a great read mate