Octobers Interview Bigbear

Name ?
John or Jon Palmer, depending how well you know me - I had to change my "stage" name to Jon as there was already somebody with my name when I registered as copyright owner of my music with the MCPS. Good old British beaurocracy!

Online name ?
Bigbear - Also the name of my business, in forums generally and on ebay, etc. It's what my kids called me when they were little!

Location ?
Devon/Somerset border, UK.

First Vam/Joe/Mam or 1/6 figure ?
A brown painted hair soldier. Must have been the Christmas that they came out, or around that time. I had the accessory packs to make up the full combat soldier too, then the Mountie mailaway and so on... My prize possession was one of the Cherilea armoured cars, which I loved and spent many happy hours driving through the sand pile at the back of our farmyard.

Favourite figure now ?
I've two original PH VAMs in my collection, one in a vintage Scramble Pilot uniform, one in the Mountie gear. Hard to choose, but the Mountie is probably it, as I remember getting the brown cardboard parcel through the post for my original one and how excited I was!

Most desired item ?
A black frogman suit which won't perish... Oh! You mean for my VAM? Sorry... Yup, a frogman suit! My original perished, my 40th. one is going fast and I'm not sure that the 40th. GI Joe version won't follow it shortly, despite it being much thicker. I'm told that somebody did make a version that used acrylic rather than rubber, which is stable, but I've never seen one.

What will you do with your collection as you get older ?
Enjoy it and keep collecting until either I have had enough of it, go bonkers or pop my clogs... I'll also replace my 40th. gripper figures with vintage hard hand versions as I can afford them!

Do you set yourself a budget ?
My day job is giving audio/visual support in a local school, which keeps us in shoes and sandwiches, but I also write music, play in a band and teach guitar. The long suffering Mrs Bigbear and I have agreed that a portion of that extra money is mine to squander - I mean spend - as I wish, so it all depends on how busy I keep myself...

Worst Vam/Joe/Mam or 1/6 figure ?
Horrible Eagle-Eye figures.... I've got a few 40th ones, that came dressing uniforms but as I've already said, intend to replace them as soon as I can afford to! I've never really appreciated the MAM range at all either. The lack of a consistent scale for weapons, the moulded suits and those huge hands all put me off, I'm afraid!

Views on 40th reproductions ?
Fantastic! I got back into the hobby via the 40th. range and can actually afford some of the rarer uniforms now. The only thing I wish is that the range was clearly marked '40th' the same as the GI Joe stuff is. It would save a lot of grief later for collectors who want to buy real vintage! Yes, the figures don't seem quite as durable as the vintage ones, but I imagine they would have cost double if they were exactly the same quality!

Worst item of the Vam/Joe/Mam or 1/6 range ?
Probably the gripping hands with dissolving properties that arrived with the 40th range. I can live with the discolouring helmet straps, etc., but those hands are pretty fundamental to most poses
Best thing about collecting Vam/Joe/Mam or 1/6 figures ?
Being able to kitbash items to make up almost any uniform I want. Mainly though, I collect to bring back a little of my far distant and happy childhood.

Do you think your collection will be collectible in the future ?
I think that Action Man will become recognised as one of the iconic toys of the 20th. century - if nothing else, as the first 'doll' for boys! I hope my kids will get something for it when the time comes.
If you did not collect Vam/Joe/Mam what would you collect ?
Oooohhhh... I'm already a huge Doctor Who collector. I also buy Airfix polythene and plastic kit military vehicles, Thunderbirds stuff, Minic Ships, N Gauge railways, Britains tractors... Enough already?

Why do you like AMMO ?
It's somewhere to share my hobby. Lots of friendly info., lots of humour and some great characters to exchange views with! Friendship for the 21st. Century!

What a great interview buddy !! always great to get to know you better  

Good read BB, thanks for taking time out to do this  

Great interview Big Bear

Would love to hear some of your music ??? any on you tube ???? I do like a home grown band with real instruments reminds me of my youth and my band and my song they was going to enter for song for Britain.    shows you how cool my song writing was     

Great stuff           

Great interview Bigbear! I agree with you on so many of the points you made.

Great interview bigbear, was an enjoyable read. And I'm with you on the mam weapons, why are they so big!!

Great interview .... Enjoyable read

nice interview!  

A really good interveiw Big Bear. Great to learn more about you. I certainly have the same thoughts as you with the MAM, I think they really missed the chance to bring back how awesome Action man was to play with. I never did get those hands and why they were so large. Those moulded uniforms were shocking and really just ruined the chance for kids to customize.
I also would love to hear some of your music.
Great interveiw BB.

Great interview BB, good to hear your views on this wonderful hobby!  

Great interview bigbear. I love music with a passion too.
I hope you have the room with all those other things you collect!!!  

Good read, Bigbear!

There is a guy in Brazil who does repop wetsuits using modern latex. I understand they are really nice. Apparently the GI Joe wetsuits are latex as well and so won't perish as quickly as the others.

Yeah, I've heard about him, but have no idea how to contact him or find out what he charges. I wonder if one could be made with black bathroom sealant? After all, Jacques Cousteau made the original wet suit by painting his friends with latex... (Sounds like fun?). Might give it a go one day. With an Action Man, of course! 

Thbks for taking the time to do the interview BB. I'm moving house soon so have been tidying up and found something you might like so PM me your address and I'll post it as soon as I can :-) it's
Nothing big but I hope you'll enjoy it.

Sparkys6887 wrote:

Thbks for taking the time to do the interview BB. I'm moving house soon so have been tidying up and found something you might like so PM me your address and I'll post it as soon as I can :-) it's
Nothing big but I hope you'll enjoy it.

Hi!

Not sure if you got my PM, but thanks for the comic, which I've enjoyed looking at no end! Cheers!

Hi mate. Did ger your PM had been intending to reply but brain like a sieve at the moment having moved house yesterday. I'm pleased you enjoyed the comic. All the best Mark

S'OK, no worries, just didn't want you to think I wasn't grateful. I hope your move went OK.

Oh, talking of brains like sieves... After I mentioned it in the interview and seeing Somekindajoe's pics in the motor pool, I've bought an Irwin armoured scout car! It's not here yet, but I've already cleared a space on my shelf for it. I am inexplicably happy to have got it - must be the warm glow of nostalgia? :-)

well done BB on your latest addition my friend  

BigBear, (John) what an awesome Interview, really enjoyed reading it,  

Thanks for all the kind remarks, guys and gals. I'm trying to find some footage of my music to post. Will let you all know when I find it! I wonder who will be November's member of the month? JP