I just brought in 7 figures, here’s how.

Okay, that does sound a bit like a clickbait title, but it’s not a lie. I actually brought in 7, yes, SEVEN new Classified scale figures last week.

The first figure is one that has been released quite a while ago, but back then, it wasn’t all that clear how easy or difficult it was going to be for us here in Europe to get a hold of the Classified figures. So, I made a few inquiries with a colleague of mine in the US and she ordered the figure from Hasbro Pulse. Unfortunately, with the travel restrictions because of COVID-19, it took quite some time before someone from the US branch was allowed to travel back to our HQ here in Belgium. This week, a corporate training session made it possible for some US colleagues to come over and so I finally got Snake-Eyes (the 02 figure).

Snake Eyes

By now, everybody and their uncle have seen this figure and probably have it in their collection, so I won’t be dwelling to long on it (there are 6 more figures coming below too). It’s a great rendition of the figure, lots of black, some shiny details and a splash of silver. And as always, nice artwork.

A little closer
Artwork – Check out Timber!

Now, on to the next figure. Again an “oldie” in Classified terms, but also a figure I didn’t think I could easily get and that I ordered through my colleague in the US. It’s the Regal Cobra Commander.

Cobra Commander, looking very Regal.

Compared to the other 06 Cobra Commander, this Regal version has more golden details and the blue is a few shades brighter. The sword and handgun are golden now as well. All in all, the figure looks more … eum… Regal.

Close-up artwork

The commander really does look the part here with his faceplate helmet and golden touches. I still would like a hooded version of Cobra Commander. I know Hasbro is reluctant to release that look, but I honestly don’t think that people would react wrong to it. We’ve known the hooded Commander look for nearly 40 years and there is a huge difference between CC’s hood and an all-white pointy hat some nutters like to wear. That being said, the chrome dome look is definitely very cool looking as well and I really like the brighter blue.

The art on the side.

And now, it’s time for something completely different and still quite familiar.

Can you guess what’s inside this box?

A while back – not so long as the Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander figure from above – I was able to order the next set of figures from In Demand Toys and – as always – these super people delivered them – not like some well known other geek-oriented webshop that cancels orders without reason. Although the movie isn’t bad, it’s far from the G.I. Joe we know and love. Still, I enjoyed it and the figures we got because of it do look very nice.

Number 16 to 20!

These five figures, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Akiko, The Baroness and Scarlett, are true to the actors portraying them and their revamped design does resemble the figures we all know and love. Aside from Akiko who should clearly have been Jinx.

Snake Eyes (Henry Golding)

We start this series of with Snake Eyes, the main protagonist of the movie. His figure is 50 shades of black, which harks back to the original 1982 figure. He comes with 2 knives, a scabbard and his katana Morning Light.

Unmasked

The head sculpts really do resemble the actors. I remember looking at the promo video Hasbro made with Henry Golding and how excited he was about seeing his face on the figure. Now, keep in mind, the man is an actor, but still, I really do believe his excitement was genuine and looking at the sculpt, it really is great. Stubble and all.

Storm Shadow (Andrew Koji)

Next up is Storm Shadow. His outfit really does look very nice. At first, I thought the off-white would put me off, but the color doesn’t bother me as much I expected. He has 2 swords and a holder for them.

Tommy

And now, let’s turn our attention to the ladies. The movie figure set contains 5 figures of which 3 are women. G.I. Joe has always been a very inclusive line. Race and gender have all been represented during the 40 years of comic books and action figures. I do believe this is something that doesn’t get highlighted enough.

Akiko (Haruka Abe)

First off, we have Akiko, the Arashikage’s head of security. It’s a new figure and so there’s nothing to reference to, but again the look of the figure is really good. The black and white outfit may look simple, but it’s nice.

Jinx, no wait, Akiko.

Next up, we get The Baroness. Again, they did stay rather true to the look of the original figure, just updated to match the actress’s look and a more modern outfit. She comes with 2 Cobra knives, a pair of glasses – these will probably get lost quite easily – and a suppressed rifle.

The Baroness (Ursula Corbero)

I’ve watched all episode of La casa de papel (Money Heist) and wondered how she would portray The Baroness being from Southern Europe and The Baroness is traditionally Eastern European. I have to say she did good. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m jus not a fan of the choker around her neck. It looks a bit weird.

Choking Baroness

And then finally, we get the movie version of Scarlett. She too, gets an updated look and it really does fit the character. A little extra armor, a spot of color. It really is a good look. The only negative thing I can say about the figure is the lack of accessories. She only comes with her crossbow. Yes, it’s the most iconic weapon she wields, but still, I’d like to get some more.

Our favorite red-head.

That’s all for now. Don’t be disappointed, you just got to share in my joy to receive 7 figures in one week! I’ll be back soon. Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

This ain’t no Game of Thrones.

Gold!
Always believe in your soul
You’ve got the power to know
You’re indestructible

That last part still leaves to be seen (I’m NOT going to try it), but we all know that knowing is half the battle and you are GOLDEN! I’m back with a new post and this time it’s about something custom. My brother-in-law has a 3D printer – I’m holding off on getting one until I can get the garage set up as a true workshop – and he has printed me this as a New Year’s gift. Yay for me!

Serpentor Gold

A golden Cobra throne! This will look beautiful with the Regal Cobra Commander (once I get that one shipped from the US) or with the Snake Supreme Cobra Commander or of course with the Serpentor figure they still have to announce and release. For now, a Cobra Infantry soldier is enjoying it.

Classified scale
And we’ll have fun, fun, fun, fun, fun when old CoCo’s away…

That’s it for now. Until next time. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

I can call you Betty, and you can call me Admiral!

It’s finally happened. The moment every Joe collector on this planet is dreaming of and unfortunately only few can say they actually lived it. Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow collectors and G.I. Joe enthousiasts. The U.S.S. Flagg has arrived in my collection.

Sealed box!
Box back.

Okay, you eagle-eyed people have seen it already. It’s not exactly the real Flagg. The box actually is a little smaller than expected 🙂

At least one Cobra Infantry Member is having a field day!

I found this box online while browsing the Etsy marketplace. I got it from the seller ManzoMinis. They not only have the U.S.S. Flagg, but also the HQ, Defiant, Terror Drome, … This time around, I only ordered the Flagg and HQ, but I will definitely be checking out some of the other boxes later. They are very high quality prints and nice glossy cardboard. They fit perfectly with the Classified line and just look awesome. Check them out for yourself and you too could be an admiral!

HQ box.

That’s it for now. Once I get around to displaying my Classified line figures, these boxes will look great as props. See you again soon and as always, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

I’ve had a red, white and blue Christmas.

I’ve had a red, white and blue Christmas with my new Joes
I won’t be blue playing with my troops
Classified packages under my Christmas tree
didn’t stay there, I guess you know what I mean

Well, the mailman came by today with 2 parcels that will find their way under the Christmas tree. I’m very happy to add 3 new Classified Series figures, technically 4 if you think about it, to my collection. Check out which ones below.

Can you guess which figures are inside this box?

This box contained the Classified Breaker figure with RAM Cycle. These recently dropped in price drastically in the States and I just happened to be browsing the In Demand Toys website when I noticed they had them on sale as well. Since they had another figure I really wanted (see below) and was going to order, I decided to add another Breaker to my collection. One to open and maybe customize someday. Both figures got sent in the Hasbro slip box of the Breaker figure.

Breaker
Art
Cool beard.
MG 1027. Special meaning?

The second figure I ordered from In Demand Toys, was a figure I wasn’t counting on getting anytime soon and probably not for a reasonable price as well. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to order one from them and as always, the service was excellent. If you haven’t yet checked them out by now, do so now, this I command! (Seriously, how cool would a Classified Serpentor with air-chariot be?) Anyway, let’s get back on track with the 2nd figure I got.

Another slip case box.

Can you guess who’s in the box? He doesn’t even know who he is sometimes. A ninja? An old man? Another ninja? A swordsmith’s apprentice? An expert archer? Ripcord? Who knows? Well, keep on reading and find out.

Yes, the Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Classified Series Master of Disguise Zartan figure is here! I already have the regular Classified figure and like I said before, I didn’t really count on getting this figure for a reasonable price. Sure, I could use a parcel forwarding service and buy it from Hasbro directly in the US or the UK, but with the extra shipping costs and taxes and duties, I was looking at close to €100 for just this figure. Luckily, I noticed him being available with In Demand Toys and I didn’t hesitate to snatch this one up.

Dreadnoks art on the iside of the box

The figure has a special feature similar to the original 3.75 inch figure, he changes color when left out in the cold. He arrived on a cold morning and was very deep blue. By the time I started taking the pictures, he had already warmed up and so his skin tone was back to the regular pinkskin (yes, that’s a Star Trek reference, I vote for Jeffrey Combs to play Zartan in a future movie, he has some knowledge of playing different characters).

Master of Disguise

The figure has a lot of accessories, not in the least 6 different heads to wear as a disguise – not counting his own head. The bow and arrows of the Arashikage are a nice touch to remind us of his actions in the comic.

Jokers to the left of me
Jokers to the right
Here I am, stuck in the middle

I’ll end this Zartan portion with the artwork, which is sublime yet again. This series is truly delivering on the art side of the packaging. I can’t stress this enough. I hope Hasbro has the brains to put them all together in some sort of art book someday. Instant purchase for the coffee table.

Smirk

And now, the end is near and I still have to show off the final figure or figures, I’m still debating this point, I received around Christmas. I may have missed out on the “00” figure because Zavvi canceled my pre-order, but this time, they came true and delivered.

Snake Eyes and Timber Alpha Commandos

See, looking at the box and reading the bottom line, I have to conclude that it’s 2 action figures, or better 1 action figure and his animal companion. Although, both are Commandos, it says so on the box. It’s confusing, but man am I happy to have these figures (yes, I’ll stick to the plural) in my collection. Snake Eyes comes with his trustworthy UZI, knife and some rifles while Timber has a second head where he looks simple ferocious. The sculpt is fantastic.

Grrrr

As I stated before, here again the artwork is very nice. Just see for yourself.

Art

That’s it for now and probably for 2021. Thank you all for visiting the blog and for the community feeling over the year. It has been another strange year, but we made it to the end and we scored some nice toys along the way. Let’s hope 2022 will bring a lot more Joes our way. Stay healthy, stay sane and above all, stay collecting! May the new year bring you lots of joy with friends and family and above all a good health.

As always, I will see you next time. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Controversial decision?

Since you visit this page, I guess you know that in the US and the UK, HasLab ran a fundraiser campaign to sell an updated version of the SkyStriker. I was surprised to see that it was made available for us European fans via Zavvi. I did make the bold decision not to pre-order one with Zavvi. Was that a mistake?

Personally, I don’t think so. Let me explain. First off, I have the original SkyStriker in pretty good shape. Also, the SkyStriker isn’t my favorite vehicle, it’s not even my favorite plane. Then there’s our attic (where I plan to build my Man-Attic to display my Joes) is still not finished, our contractor has huge delays and so we keep waiting on him to come and do his work. I know the plan is for Hasbro to deliver them somewhere in 2023 and the attic should definitely be finished by then, but still, I need to invest in the house first. This leads to the last point, the price. I honestly do think it’s overpriced. I was hoping that they would create something we hadn’t seen yet like the Cobra Transport Helicopter (ASPID). So I was a bit disappointed that they went with the SkyStriker. HasLab should be for something new and special, not for a plane they have released a few times over the years even though they changed it up a bit.

All these reasons have led to my decision not to support the fundraiser. An extra reason is the whole fundraiser thing. Hasbro is a multinational company, they should just release this to the big public through physical stores or even via an own online store. A fundraiser should be used for charity or for startups to gather funds for their idea, not abused by a big company to ensure they don’t make a loss. Put this SkyStriker at a fair price point, maybe with less figures and accessories in stores and I can guarantee you that the fans will buy them.

That’s it for now. The next post will probably be about something I did buy and added to my collection. Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.