GI Joe Super7 figures - has everyone lost their minds?

[RX-79G]

While not being the first, 3.75" figures were largely reinvented when ARAH came out in 1982 with durable, well articulated figures. Overnight, Kenner Star Wars and Fisher Price Adventure People became clumsy, childish toys compared to the detailed and highly poseable small Joes.

Super7 is a line of "retro" 1982 styled GI Joes re-done with the abysmal articulation and stupid looking hip joints of Adventure People, targeted at collectors. Who are these collectors that wish that the toys of the past were worse than they ever were? Do these same collectors desire a Star Wars movie re-done by John Carpenter, or Sergeant Pepper re-recorded by the Monkees?



What is going on?????

[Myles_Falworth]

I think it's inflation. Everything is smaller or cheaper, or both.

[GeekDragon]

I'm a 3 3/4" collector also, BUT, when I saw these at Target, I walked right by and continued looking for Classified figures. These are terrible. On top of it all, they come with like one weapon, and that's it. I believe the price is somewhere around $20.00 per figure. Super7 is going for the look of figures from the late 70's and early 80's, not only with Joe, but with other lines, like Alien and the Universal Monsters, which I am also a big fan of, and skipped those lines as well. I consider them like Funko Pops. There is a fan base for these figures which does not include me and never will.

[ATC]

Maybe not everyone has lost their minds.
Hasbro has, apparently.
:-(
- ATC

[RX-79G]

Maybe not everyone has lost their minds.
Hasbro has, apparently.
:-(
- ATC

I don't think Super7 is Hasbro. They are paying Hasbro to use their characters.

[drquest]

Super 7 found a niche with retro styled figures. Think of the 5 points of articulation that the original Star Wars figures had. Simple and timeless, and yes cheaper to produce as well. I think these are better than not having any options for GiJoe toys. Now I'm not going to buy them, but a lot will.

[RX-79G]

Super 7 found a niche with retro styled figures. Think of the 5 points of articulation that the original Star Wars figures had. Simple and timeless, and yes cheaper to produce as well. I think these are better than not having any options for GiJoe toys. Now I'm not going to buy them, but a lot will.

If they are cheaper to make (they are), they should be priced accordingly. But they retail for $20.

And they really aren't "retro". The first 3.75 action figures were Microman, with 14 points of articulation in 1974. Adventure People and Star Wars followed a few years later with 5 point, and other 0-ring 3 3/4" figures with 10 point articulation preceded RAH by 3 years in 1979. So thinking of Adventure People/SW as 'retro' is something of a retcon of history. They are still making 5 point SW figures and Hasbro is still making highly articulated RAH figures. There's a Stalker figure that just came out in the Retro line for $12 that is really nice.


I think the appeal of Super 7 is the same appeal as Funko - beloved by people that love toys for their kitsch appeal, not for their play appeal or real nostalgia. But some people will mistake these ugly figures for nostalgia, and some will unknowingly buy them for kids.

[drquest]

Nothing is cheap anymore unfortunately especially from a boutique company like Super 7. These aren't toys, they are collectibles and priced as such and $20 a pop for a licensed toy, isn't horrible.

Regarding the retcon of history you mentioned, that's not happening here by me. Yeah Takara Microman and the subsequent Micronauts from Mego had the articulation and came before, but none of those sold like the Kenner Star Wars figures did, and that's the design element Super 7 is going for. Plus the fact that producing non o-ring figures is cheaper, helps their bottom line on these as well.

Again, I'm not trying to defend these so much, as I'm not intending on buying them, but some will spend money on overpriced collectibles like these and be happy with their purchase. Same goes for all of the Funko stuff that clogs up all of the collector shelf space at the stores and the toy shows. I have no use for them, but someone seems to.

[RX-79G]

Nothing is cheap anymore unfortunately especially from a boutique company like Super 7. These aren't toys, they are collectibles and priced as such and $20 a pop for a licensed toy, isn't horrible.

I guess I don't understand a market where a poorly executed toy by a third party on a license is more valuable than a brand new figure from the original company in the same packaging with quality details and execution.