Where are all the AF Figures?

[Hankster]

One of the things that got me back into collecting and lurking on E-bay was the purchase of a MOC Ripcord figure (my favourite figure when i was younger). When i followed this up with Gung-Ho a few weeks later i though that collecting all figures from this range would be a doddle! 18 months later and with only Scarlett added to my collection (and now sold on) and no sign of the majority of figures (Scrap Iron anyone?) i've given up. Its the same with the post 95 figures, how often do these crop up MOC on e-bay?

On the other hand i've seen enough Z-Force, Space Force, SAS etc figures for sale that i could collect these 5 times over and all relatively cheaply (bar the minesweeper of course!).

Was the production of AF figures so few that we snapped them all up? Did we not keep any back MOC like the Americans seemed to do with their gi joe figures?
Where the original Red Shadows etc produced in such quantites there is a small landfill site somewhere near Leicester contaning all these figures. I certainly remember being able to buy a MOC Muton about 8 years ago from my local toy store.

Can anyone answer the mystery of why there seem to be so many original Action Force figures available (including vehicles) but the newer AF and Cobra figures have all but dispeared? Its certainly a mystery to me!

[paulitoy]

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Totally agree.

Obviously the AF's were made in much fewer numbers, but Ripcord & Gung-Ho seem quite easily available - they must have been the Palitoy production manager's kids faves!

[scoobydie]

Lee`s Toy Review in the U.S always seems to have M.O.C Action Force figures popping up
from that era every month or so.
Torpedo is also a popular one , and Mutt and Junkyard.

[paulitoy]

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I certainly remember being able to buy a MOC Muton about 8 years ago from my local toy store

REALLY?

8 years ago in 2000? Where is this shop?

Wow.

[paulitoy]

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What was/is 'the Entertainer'?




Also, shotgun for the Torpedo figure please.

[Space Commander]

You DO get some odd bits showing up "new" (ie. ancient but previously unsold) in good old fashioned family-run toyshops occasionally. I remember a toy shop in Ely still having a MIB Star Wars Y-Wing Fighter in stock in the 1990s... and the same shop STILL has a 1995 model kit of the BatBoat from the film Batman Forever today! That was 13 years ago!

[pocoyo_joe]

yeah, I still remember as a kid in the 80s, my gran and grandad took me to a toyshop (Market Drayton or somewhere Shroppy way) that was still selling Action Man gear in 1960s packaging like it was still the current thing. Man I so wanted to buy a lot of that stuff as most of my Action Man gear was inherited off cousins, but of course in those days I had few pennies to my name ... I think I bought a Cloud Car pilot instead.

I think the main reason for the AF/Cobra era toys been rare is due to the fact that the Americans see them as GI Joe in overseas packaging, where as I think they treat Z Force et al as a whole separate toy line. Americans seem to be big on articulation and so would see our AF figures are inferior, while I prefer our straight legged friends just as I prefer old Star Wars figures over the current batch.

Yes these newer figures may have more joints, but can they stand up without a stand? can they even sit down or fit into one their vehicles?

Joe type Action Force figures always seem to have missing thumbs, broken crotchs or loose limbs, while classic Action Force figures hold up much better even after years of play.

[The Baron]

Exactly. Hurl a GI Joe at the wall and it's game over, not so with Action Force!