July 2014 haul: A Dead Cosmonaut (3A), Green Beret (Lt Falcon) and SAS: Who Dares Wins!

July is almost over and I haven't got much to show for it. I guess you could say July was a slow month, at least for me. I only got the ThreeA (3A) 1/6 scale Adventure Kartel Dead Cosmonaut Golovorez 12.5-inch figure, Sideshow Collectibles 2012 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive (SDCC) 1/6 scale G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Lt. Falcon 12-inch Green Beret figure and a Action Man 40th Anniversary SAS Complete Uniform Set.

Two out of the three were impulse buys. The Sideshow SDCC 2012 Exclusive G.I. Joe Green Beret Lt Falcon sixth scale figure and Action Man 40th Anniversary SAS Complete Uniform Set were unplanned as I did not pre-order them but they just happen to pop up whereas the ThreeA (3A) 1/6 scale Adventure Kartel Dead Cosmonaut Golovorez 12.5-inch figure has been on the waiting list since I pre-ordered it some time ago.

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1/6 scale SAS CRW 12-inch figures released by BBI, Dragon Models, MC Toys, Medicom, Palitoy

continued from previous post...

SAS: Who Dares Wins!

Here are some of the 1/6 scale SAS CRW (Special Air Service Counter Revolutionary Warfare) 12-inch figures that have ever been released, with the Action Man SAS figures going all the way back to the 1980s. Up front and center is the latest released MC Toys M-035 1/6 scale SAS CRW (1987-2000) 12-inch action figure. He might be missing some stuff (like the ear defender and helmet but it's still very well produced with excellent parts and accessories, and would make a great addition for anyone who's just started or intend to start collecting 12-inch Special Forces action figures. DAM Toys will be releasing a 1/6 scale Spetsnaz FSB Alpha Group 12-inch Special Operations figure soon (pictures HERE) and there's the awesome incoming DID 1/6 scale LAPD SWAT 12-inch figure with Ryan Gosling head sculpt (preview pictures HERE). You can check out all the Special Forces figures I've posted in my toy blog by clicking on the "Men in Black" label.

My interest and obsession with 1/6 scale figures actually started with the Action Man SAS 12-inch figures. I saw them on display at a friend's house and was instantly hooked. They looked so intimidating and awesome in their all black attire and gear, peeking out through the gas mask and hood. That was around 1994 and soon after, I began collecting my own 12-inch Action Man figures. That was 20 years ago. Time certainly flies when you are having FUN :)

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Humble Beginnings - We all have to start somewhere :) and this is my early start

Dug up some old photographs I took of my collection back in 1996 when I just started collecting toys ;p It was a bit of this and a bit of that and a mix of everything without much of a focus on what I really wanted. That has changed since I decided to focus on 1/6 scale figures. Back then, 12-inch figures were almost non-existent and the only ones available were the vintage G.I. Joe and Action Man figures from the 1960s to 1970s and early 1980s so there really wasn't much in terms of choices or genres. Most were military based and that's how I got started. Obviously a lot of things have changed since then and now there's a specific collectibles market targeting only adult collectors with the purchasing power to buy all the high-end stuff. I'm glad to have witnessed and seen how the 1/6 scale 12-inch figure market has grown from a almost non-existent point to where it is today, an art form much appreciated by a ever growing, ever expanding pool of collectors :)

Batman has always been my first love and it was "Batman, The Animated Series" that got me hooked to toys. I loved the series with its "Dark Deco" visual style based on the artwork of producer and artist Bruce Timm. The funny thing is, I only noticed all these after my first son was born and I became a father. We watched cartoons together and "Batman: The Animated Series" caught my eye. So when I brought him to Toys R Us and saw the animated Batman toys on the racks, it was love at first sight haha. I liked how the toys stayed very true to the visual style seen in the animated series. So began the journey of discovering new things and the passion for toys was sparked. Check out my very first toy blog post HERE about Batman :)

1/6th scale World War II Allied Forces Pilots and Air Crewman 12-inch action figures gathered

G.I. Joe wasn't just named 20th Century's Top Toy (see my earlier post HERE) for no reason. G.I. Joe is the Father of all 1/6th scale 12-inch figures and subsequent action figures as well.

While toy company Mattel could barely keep up with demand for its Barbie dolls in the early 1960s, its competitor, Hasbro, realized the market had no equivalent for boys. In 1963, Hasbro began development on a military-themed line of dolls that, like Barbie, could be accessorized with different outfits and equipment. Boys wouldn't want to be seen playing with dolls, so the word "doll" was never used by Hasbro or anyone involved in the development or marketing of G.I. Joe. "Action figure" was the only acceptable term, and has since become the generic description for any poseable doll intended for boys. "America's movable fighting man" is a registered trademark of Hasbro, and was prominently displayed on every boxed figure package.

Because of the success of Hasbro's G.I. Joe line, there began a new breed of buyers who bought the toys not to play with them but to collect and pose them and these 12-inch figures became 1/6th scale collectibles. Fueled by the demand for collectibles, companies began manufacturing and releasing 1/6th scale outfits and figures for the collector market, no longer targeting boys but grown men who were keen and eager for more detailed uniforms and accessories.

Under the Sea and all that jazz - 1/6th scale divers, sharks and other creatures in the ocean

Was cleaning up the display cabinet the other day and decided to take some pictures as I put things back in place :) This particular display cabinet has the "Under the Sea" theme as this is where I put everything that I have that is water-based / ocean-based i.e. anything to do with the sea.

Sharks! I've always been fascinated with sharks and NOT because of shark's fin soup. In shark fin soup, the fins themselves are virtually tasteless. The taste comes from the soup, while the fins are valued for their texture. The delicacy was coveted by emperors because it was rare, delicious, and required elaborate preparation. Holding both culinary and symbolic significance, the dish is popular at important occasions such as weddings, banquets, and important business deals. I am all for taking shark fin soup off the menu entirely as well as the ban of shark finning because it is a very cruel thing to do when fishermen cut off the sharks' fins and then throw the often still-living sharks back into the sea to make room for more of the valuable fins. In the ocean, the sharks either die from suffocation or are eaten because they are unable to move normally. So when we stop eating the fins, demand will drop and that will force fisherman to stop shark finning.

The term "shark" has also been used for extinct members of the suborder Elasmobranchii outside the Selachimorpha, such as Cladoselache and Xenacanthus. Under this broader definition, the earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago. [source: wiki]

Hot Toy Collecting Tip #2: What to do about Cracking Rubber and Disintegrating Suits

When the rubber meets the road! Hot Toys first generation muscle bodies are cracking up all over the place. This is the Hot Toys released 1:6 scale DEVGRU 12-inch military figure from way back and it too has suffered the fate of cracking rubber bodies!

As I had blogged in an earlier post, Hot Toys muscle bodies can CRACK! See my post HERE for more pictures of the damage to the Hot Toys SDU muscle body.

Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "GoldenEye" 12-inch Figure REVIEW

We've already seen the Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "The Spy Who Loved Me" in a earlier post HERE, now let's take a look at the other 1999 released Action Man Limited Edition James Bond Agent 007 "GoldenEye" 12-inch collector's figure.

"GoldenEye (1995)" is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. In the film, Bond fights to prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon against London in order to cause a global financial meltdown.

Box Packaging Front with Film Frame included

Interestingly enough, Bond was created in January 1952 by British journalist Ian Fleming while on holiday at his Jamaican estate, Goldeneye. The hero was named after the American ornithologist James Bond, a Caribbean bird expert and author of the definitive field guide book Birds of the West Indies. Fleming, a keen birdwatcher, had a copy of Bond's field guide at Goldeneye.

Fleming once said in a Reader's Digest interview, "I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find, 'James Bond' was much better than something more interesting, like 'Peregrine Carruthers.' Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be a neutral figure — an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department.

Action Man James Bond Agent 007 "The Spy Who Loved Me" 12-inch Figure REVIEW

Since we were on the subject of the Royals (see previous post) and everything British, who is more iconic and representative of the British in film than Royal Navy Commander James Bond, an officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS; from 1995 onwards, SIS would be officially acknowledged as MI6).

The James Bond film series remains one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to 2010 with a six-year hiatus between 1989 and 1995. In that time EON Productions has produced 22 films, at an average of about one every two years. The films have grossed just over US$12 billion (in inflation adjusted dollars) at the worldwide box office, making it easily the highest-grossing film series ever.

Box Packaging Front Cover with Film Frame included

This is the 1999 released Action Man Limited Edition James Bond Agent 007 12-inch collector's figure from "The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)". "The Spy Who Loved Me" is the tenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond.

Guess who was at the Royal Wedding of William & Kate

Unless you have been hiding under a rock in Bikini Bottom with Patrick the Starfish from SpongeBob SquarePants fame, you'll know that Britain's Prince William finally married Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday, April 29, 2011 in a sumptuous show of British pageantry that attracted a huge world audience and breathed new life into the monarchy.

One million well-wishers watched military bands in black bearskin hats and household cavalrymen in shining breastplates escorting the beaming couple in a 1902 open-topped state landau carriage after the ceremony.

The soldiers in black bearskin hats are the Queen's Foot Guards / Palace Guards and the cavalrymen are none finer than the Queen's Household Cavalry - the Blues and Royals, and the Life Guards. Click on the picture below for a bigger and better view of Her Majesty's Royal Guards.

Allow me to share with you pictures of these fine 12-inch action figures from the Palitoy Action Man line. Palitoy produced and released these magnificent 1:6 scale Ceremonials in the 1970s which were amazingly detailed and intricate for their time. Mind you, these were targeted at children and till today, no other 1/6 manufacturer has ventured to reproduce most of these figures. Hasbro did re-release these Action Man figures under the Action Man 40th Anniversary Nostalgic Collection which allowed many adult collectors to re-live and revisit their childhood again as well as for new collectors to marvel at these vintage styled action figures.

Where there's smoke, there's FIRE! Presenting 1:6 scale 12-inch Firefighter figures :)

These are some of the 1:6 scale 12-inch Firefighters that I've collected over the years. Firefighters (historically, firemen) are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations.

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the English word "firefighter" has been used since at least 1903. In recent decades it has become the preferred term, replacing the older "fireman", since many women serve as firefighters, and also because the term "fireman" can have other meanings, including someone who sets or stokes fires - exactly the opposite of the firefighting role. [source: wiki]

First up is the Hot Toys released Modern Firefighter in 2002 and IMHO, the most detailed 1/6 firefighter ever produced. Hot Toys would go on to release two more firefighters much later and they came with the likeness of John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix from the movie "Ladder 49 (2004)" and these would be the version 2 firefighters.

The Mother of all GI Joe collections

Saw this on one of the forums and wanted to share it here. This lady's collection will blow your mind :) and this video is only 1 of 18 - ENJOY

Action Man Driller Extreme Mission

This blog entry post is dedicated to the 33 miners from Chile who survived their ordeal and live to tell about it (see my previous post) PLUS the country of Chile who did everything in her power to save all 33 men. Failure was not an option!

It seems appropriate since this is a 1/6 scale 12-inch Action Man Driller and after all that has happened, this would be a tribute to them. After their ordeal, they should each get one figure with their very own head sculpt.

Action Man Crocodile Mission: Now that's a 1/6 Croc

There are 1/6 Crocs clogs (see previous post), and then there is this 1/6 Crocodile (well, almost a croc) released by Hasbro under their Action Man line.

Action Man started as an action figure boys' toy launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "moveable fighting man": G.I. Joe. Action Man was originally produced and sold in the United Kingdom and Australia by Palitoy Ltd from 1966 until 1984.

Military styled Action Man made a brief resurgence in the early 1990s but between 1996 and 2006 Hasbro used the name without any military theme as a modern adventurer complete with arch-enemies Dr X and Professor Gangrene. There were different figures with several different outfits to whole packs of figure plus outfit and equipment for a given "mission".

This was the Action Man Crocodile Mission set which you could bring to the pool or water if you wanted to for more realistic action adventure.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Something pretty significant happened this week more than 41 years ago. The Apollo 11 space flight landed the first humans on Earth's Moon on July 20, 1969. The mission, carried out by the United States, is considered a major accomplishment in human exploration and represented a victory by the U.S. in the Cold War Space Race with the Soviet Union.

Launched from Florida on July 16, the third lunar mission of NASA's Apollo Program (and the first G-type mission) was crewed by Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. On July 20 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin landed in the Sea of Tranquility and became the first humans to walk on the Moon. [source: wiki]

Action Man French Foreign Legionnaire

You cannot talk about the French and not mention the French Foreign Legion. Anyway, at the rate the French football team is playing in the 2010 World Cup, these are the only French worth watching ;p even if they are only 12 inches tall and 1/6 scale LOLZ

The Action Man French Foreign Legionnaire (1973) uniform consists of Kepi with separate white cotton cover and neck flap, plain white collarless undershirt, navy blue silk body belt or cumberband / sash, greatcoat (navy blue serge M1877 double breasted greatcoat), white trousers, ankle boots, waist belt and M1892 'Y' braces and three pouches - two at the front and one at the back plus a bayonet frog for the scabbard which holds the bayonet (which is 2.5 inches long), horizon blue M1877 2-litre water bottle or canteen with two spouts, 1886 Lebel rifle (longest rifle in the Action Man line at 9 inches), and sand colored backpack.

Polistil Action Man French Officer released 1970s

Having already covered the Action Man 1/6 scale 12-inch French Resistance Fighter in my earlier post HERE, I though I'll continue the French theme with this next figure. This is the vintage Polistil Action Man French Officer outfit consisting of Officer's Kepi, beige shirt with brown tie, jacket, pants, socks and dress shoes. This was very much a pretty basic figure, much like the G.I. Joe Air Force Dress Uniform (posted HERE)

Action Man French Resistance Fighter

This giant banner (13m x 16m) of France's General Charles de Gaulle was put up on the facade of Paris town hall two days ago to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the French General's stirring appeal on BBC radio from London to resist Nazism on June 18, 1940. The banner is a giant mosaic of 1,016 portraits of Compagnons de la Liberation (members of the French Resistance in World War II).

So I thought it would be most appropriate to blog on the Action Man French Resistance Fighter, part of the Action Man Soldiers of the Century series, first introduced during 1967/1968 when the 1/6 scale 12-inch Action Man figure was just beginning to take England and Europe by storm.

The French Resistance Fighter (Maquisard or Maquis) came dressed in black moulded beret, black sweater, denim trousers and standard black ankle boots. He would carry his Lebel revolver in his brown shoulder holster. He also was awarded the Croix De Guerre medal for bringing the fight to the Nazi Germans.

Group Action Joe Israeli Paratrooper

Group Action Joe or Action Joe for short was the French license for G.I. Joe, action figures for boys. The line was developed in 1976 and lasted till 1981. The French versions updated new features and lots of outfits were created. Some of them like the French Republican Guard are very sought after nowadays.

One of the unique figures was this Group Action Joe Israeli Paratrooper

The 1/6 scale Group Action Joe Israeli Paratrooper outfit set came with paratrooper's helmet, green jacket and trousers, scarf, webbing with ammo pouches, canteen and holder, first aid pouch, Uzi sub-machine gun, grenades, radio and black ankle boots.




Before there was Enterbay's movable eyes system ("Ball-Eye System" or BES) or Hot Toys P.E.R.S. (Parallel Eyeball Rolling System), there was the "Eagle Eyes" introduced in 1976 for Action Man 12-inch figures. Let's not forget the first innovation for Action Man was a form of flocking giving the effect of a short "fuzzy" hairstyle in 1970.

Perhaps the earliest 1/6 scale Uzi sub-machine gun ever produced. The first Uzi (Hebrew: עוזי‎, officially cased as UZI) submachine gun was designed by Major Uziel Gal in the late 1940s. The prototype was finished in 1950; first introduced to IDF special forces in 1954, the weapon was placed into general issue two years later. The Uzi has found use as a personal defense weapon by rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tankers, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces.



Group Action Joe 1:6 scale 12-inch Israeli Paratrooper gripping his radio and communicating with it (this 1/6 scale radio walkie-talkie was similar to the ones issued for G.I. Joe and Action Man UK)

Note the gripping hands which were introduced by Palitoy, the U.K. licensee for G.I. Joe (the figures were named Action Man) in 1973; the hard moulded hands of the original were replaced by rubber "Kung Fu grip" hands with the ability to grip and hold onto the weapons and accessories.

See my earlier post on the Armoury 1:6 scale 12-inch Modern Israeli IDF Paratrooper HERE

War in pictures (4) - Battle of Britain

This week marks the 70th Anniversary of the start of the Second World War when the Germans marched into Poland on September 1, 1939. Britain and France declare war on Germany.

With France defeated by the Germans, Hitler decided to attack Britain. However, the German navy lacked the strength to protect an invasion fleet against the Royal Navy so Hitler decided to launch air raids on Britain on 12 August 1940.

The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England) is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Command. The name derives from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons: "The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin..." [from wiki]

This Chain Home radar station was part of the first line of Britain's air defence. The Chain Home stations were designed to detect high-altitude aircraft formations. the information provided by the radar was used by Fighter Command to decide where to direct defending squadrons on intercept courses. The Germans initially targeted the stations, but their steel girder structure made them difficult to knock down, and eventually they gave up the attempt.

Barrage balloons float over a target in Britain. These were cheap and effective methods of rendering bombing ineffective, as aircraft had to fly above the height of the balloons to avoid the cables tethering the balloon to the earth. The Germans relied heavily on dive bombing for precision, and barrage balloons prevented such attacks.

My entry of April 20, 2008 titled "GOD save the Queen!" HERE has pictures of 1/6 French and British soldiers, along with the brave RAF pilots who fought the good fight for Queen and country!

The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign up until that date.

Action Man 1/6 Royal Air Force Working Dress comprising RAF garrison cap, RAF blue-grey sweater and trousers, tri-service colours belt, RAF woollen greatcoat and boots.

Action Man 1/6 Royal Air Force Fighter Pilot wearing black flying helmet, goggles and oxygen mask, and dressed in RAF blue-grey cotton service jacket and trousers, belt, pilot's scarf, life vest and Pattern 1940 flying boots

BBI Elite Force 1/6 Royal Air Force Fighter Pilot "Keith Gordon" with RAF peaked cap, sunglasses, Type C Pattern 42 Flight helmet, Mk IVB flight goggles with painted metal frames and two hinged lenses, oxygen mask fitted with microphone and oxygen tube, silk scarf, RAF battledress, whistle, web belt with British Enfield .38 pistol in holster, flare pistol, flare rounds in metal container, pouch, jack knife in trouser pocket, map,1932 pattern ‘Mae West’ life jacket, gloves, watch, 1936 pattern 40 flying boots with sheepskin lining.

Due to the heavy losses suffered by the Germans in both bombers and fighters, the German air force gave up any hope of seizing control of the air and on 19 September the German invasion was postponed indefinitely.

Action Man 1/6 Lunar Rover or Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) or lunar rover was a type of surface exploration rover used on the Moon during the Apollo program. It is also known by its popular nickname of "moon buggy". Three of the Apollo missions took LRVs to the Moon.

The rover was first used on July 31, 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission. This greatly expanded the range of the lunar explorers. Previous teams of astronauts were restricted to short walking distances around the landing site due to the bulky space suit equipment required to sustain life in the lunar environment. The rovers had a top speed of about 8 mph (13 km/h). [source: wiki]

The FIRST Lunar Rover / moon buggy of Apollo 15 covered a total distance of 17.25 miles (27.76 km) on the moon surface, traversing once per day over the three day course of each mission.

And here's an Action Man 1/6 scale Lunar Roving Vehicle from 1997 (Had posted much earlier but thought this was a timely entry, being the 40th anniversary of the moon landing - post HERE)

It's made up of mostly plastic parts (touted as "ultra lightweight construction") with satellite missile launcher and came with the Action Man Astronaut with reflective silver chrome finish visor


It cannot be compared with the Batpod of course but for its price and as a child's toy, it's pretty decent.









Lego Lunar Rover / Moon Buggy