Introduction

2020 was a very devasting year for many, but there was also good in the midst of the bad. One of those things was the release of the G.I. Joe Classified Series line by Hasbro.

When I first learned about this line in 2019 I was both excited and skeptical about it, having only rumors to go on.

When the figures were first released in June of 2020, the demand exceeded supply, and stores were quickly stripped bare by collectors and scalpers alike.

The Target exclusive Cobra Island sub-line fared no better, with limited inventory, and some stores putting out stock before the street date.

This caused confusion, and led to Hasbro redacting the street date by a week, allowing inventory to be placed out for sale.

What followed was a merciless attempt by scalpers to get their hands on as much inventory as possible, forcing collectors and consumers to turn to eBay as their only source for these figures.

This allowed scalpers to inflate aftermarket prices by as much as five times or more the actual MSRP of the figure, forcing collectors to meet their demands if they wanted to obtain them.

It was and is a serious blight on both the toy industry, and collector community alike.Early on I managed to snag several of the Wave 01 figures from an area Wal-Mart and GameStop twenty miles away, before their inventory disappeared.

I was eager to get the new Target exclusive Beachhead and Cobra Troopers, and began waiting for their release date.

I live in a rural area, so the nearest Target store to me is roughly fifty miles away. My first trip there last year proved to be a nightmare.

They had inventory on hand in the stock room, but the management present was not aware that the street date had been lifted, and because of that they refused to sell me any of the figures.

I would make several more trips over the following months, with nothing to show for it but an empty gas tank.

I finally caved in and purchased two of the Cobra Troopers on eBay for a whopping one hundred dollars each! Thankfully, that would turn out to be the worst experience that I have had with the Classified Series line to date.

Overview

The G.I. Joe Classified Series is possibly the most successful line of figures within the franchise, since the debut of the three and three quarter inch scale A Real American Hero line in 1982.

Each of the figures is based on the six inch scale, with each figure being scaled according to their character’s stature in relation to each other.

They boast thirty six points of articulation, and include at minimum one weapon, and at least one accessory, with most having several of each.

The figures also feature updated appearances and uniforms, which are based upon their original A Real American Hero designs from the 1980s.

Most of the weapons are futuristic, and are scaled down replicas of some Nerf blasters. This was done intentionally, to steer the line away from being seen as promoting firearms and violence in play.

This has been a point of debate among adult collectors who grew up as fans of the original G.I. Joe cartoons, comics, and toy line.

The idea is that G.I. Joe has always stood as a symbol of morality, pitching good versus evil on the battlefield.

The individual weapons, aircraft, armor, and boats were all portrayed as implements of war, and each episode of the cartoons and comics depicted G.I. Joe fighting Cobra forces.

The idea that depicting either G.I. Joe or Cobra using actual weapons has any bearing or negative influence over the hearts and minds of today’s youth, simply has no foundation in reality.

The Classified Series figures are not the first G.I. Joe line to be designed in the six inch scale, but they are the first to go into production.

A previous line based loosely on the G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra figures was drawn up nearly ten years ago, but never went into production.

It is unknown why that line was cancelled, however it proves that the concept for a six inch line of G.I. Joe figures was seen as a valid direction to take the franchise.

Recently it was revealed in the updated Linkdin profile of Hasbro’s Senior Marketing Director Irvin Ducournau, that he was responsible for the development of a global brand strategy ( G.I. Joe Classified Series ) planned for three to five years.

If that’s true, then that would make the G.I. Joe Classified Series the third longest running line of action figures produced for the brand by Hasbro to date.

And if sales are any indication, it is has quickly become by far the most popular line as well.

My Assessment of the line

One thing that I strive for when I do a toy review is to remain unbiased in my report. I usually spend dozens of hours reviewing a single figure, including their in universe history, their production facts, as well as looking at other reviews.

Ultimately my assessment is based on my personal in hand experience with the toy. That includes addressing quality control issues that have been previously reported by other collectors and consumers, as well as offering my own opinion.

Overall I think that the G.I. Joe Classified Series has exceeded my personal expectations of the line, and it certainly lives up to the hype on social media.

I will say that my primary point of concern is with the weapons being made of soft plastic, as most of them have a tendency to be warped beyond the ability to correct.

If I could offer any suggestions for future waves, it would be to either include two weapons with every figure: a sidearm and a rifle, or to offer a weapons pack as a separate expansion kit that could be purchased at retail.

This would give collectors an additional means of outfitting their figures, and offer an attractive feature that would enhance the collector experience.

I think that the design team has done a tremendous job with this line, and so has the marketing team.

Their color choice, design, and layout on the packaging are both eye catching and simplistic. I also like the redesigned character abilities icons on the side panel, as it gives collectors an added feature to their experience with the figure.

I have found that some of the complaints by collectors and consumers are both biased and unfounded.

Conflict among collectors

First, when you are speaking about collectors, you are referring primarily to adult collectors who have been and are life long fans of G.I. Joe.

People collect for a myriad of reasons, but there are some of us who are more versed in this world then others, and can be considered subject matter experts when it comes to toys and toy collecting.

To that end, I want to address this issue:

There are some who use social media to compare the Classified Series with it’s only competitor, Action Force.

Any collector or influencer like myself, is going to offer their opinion when there is a standard to compare something to, but unfortunately that isn’t the case here.

The reason being is that the Action Force line of six inch military style figures has yet to be shipped from the manufacturer, and no one has these figures in hand to compare them to the Classified Series figures.

Second, Action Force is a brand new start-up by a former employee of the Hasbro design team. Their target demographic is the adult collector community, whereas the Classified Series is marketed to collectors age four and up.

That means when designing these figures they were incorporating features that would appeal to a much broader consumer base than what Action Force is doing.

You also have to take into consideration that G.I. Joe has been around in one scale or another for the past sixty four years.

Action Force on the other hand is a new line, from a new start-up. The name Action Force originated in 1982 with Palitoy in Great Britain as a response to their failed Action Man line.

The new line was composed of multinational figures, but would soon include their own rebranding of G.I. Joe’s as well.

Once their trademark came up as available, it was purchased by Valaverse, and used to rebrand the Action Force line. The first wave of figures were offered through a kickstart campaign.

The video reviews that have been posted to social media sites like YouTube have mostly been of a biased nature, and used to promote the Action Force brand, while debasing the Classified Series.

With no Action Force figures in hand to actually compare to the Classified Series, these unprofessional reviews are of no merit to the collector and fan communities.

At best they demonstrate the polarizing views associated with individuals who have no regard for professional culture or ethics, and who offer no insight into the product itself.

Conclusions

The G.I. Joe Classified Series has brought new life to an old friend, and renewed interest among fans. It is a modern take on an eighties classic, that we all grew up with and loved.

In many ways it allows us to reconnect with our childhood, and experience emotions and familiarity with a far better time in our world, than the days in which we live.

The Classified Series has in fact, taken G.I. Joe fans by storm, and made our dreams come true. Despite opposition from a few, the G.I Joe Classified Series is here to stay.