When I was a kid, I hated getting "not real" vehicles for my GI Joes, but somehow, I always seemed to have a glut of those shampoo bottle quality vehicles that cost about as much as a GI Joe figure back in the day. I never had an actual Skystriker as a kid, but I had one of those generics and it got quite a workout. I mean, they even had removable missiles, how cool was that as a kid? Unlike the generic and/or knock-off transforming robots for Transformers, these things actually fit in fairly well with GI Joe, except the plastic.
I hadn't really thought about those until the other day when I was at Wal-Mart and saw a big wire bin full of them! Well, not the jets that seemed predominant back then, but boats, speed boats, small helicopters (look to be the same mold as one I had as a kid that my lamer Joes got to use), and a super-deformed tiny jet (think the Hornet from JvC and an F-16 had a baby). There were also some construction vehicles, and I'll admit, I was tempted to pick up a couple of these things just for old time's sake. Then reality kicked in and I realized I'd get them, planning to do something with them, only to shove them in a closet to forget about, until I find them in a couple of years and throw them out. But there, for just a brief moment, I had a flashback to 10-year old me, looking at the shelves and shelves of GI Joe figures and vehicles, with the Remco and other stuff flanking them, and that big shelf full of "3 3/4" action figure compatible" jets and boats.

Anybody else have good memories of these things? I'd like to find some, if any have even survived the years, but I wouldn't know how to search for them.

I has a prop plane that was red with white wings. It was one of my most favorite toys, and I think I got it for .99

_________________

Yeah, that's the thing I remember from when I was a kid. These big vehicles were the same price as a little GI Joe. And of course, to parents, "Big jet that costs as much as a figure, and a fraction of one of the real GI Joe jets = win", so many's the time mom tried to talk me into one of those instead of a figure. "But mooo-ooom! It's not GI Jooooooeeee" "It says they'll fit in it." "Fine..."

Oh, you mentioning prop-plane, they had some of those, too, in the bin I saw. I just might have to stop and look again...

The Gay Toys vehicles (Lazer Force), some of those JC Penny Space Wars red and blue vehicles, and a cheap General Lee knockoff. I still have the Lazer Force jet despite wanted to customize it several times I just can't bring myself to do it. It was my xwing and cobra rattler all rolled into one.

_________________

Heh, I searched for "Gay Toys Inc." and one of the first hits was a thread from late last year on here where I commented on the toys and how I liked them as a kid. Thinking I was being overly nostalgic that day and looking back with the old rose-colored glasses, instead of remembering how it was when one of those really became part of the motor pool. (I was right when I said they were virtually indestructible, though.)

I just learned that when doing a search for gay toys inc. on google, you have to be very careful what you click on... especially if you're at work...

_________________

True dat, should have a new word to refer to that, so we can use the traditional definition of the word.

_________________

Should we refer to the company as Brawlin' Toys?

I went bigger. I got those larger cars and had Team America figures that usually fit. I could ramp those over picnic tables and even full size cars.

_________________

Protip: It's easiest to find the actual Gay Toys by doing an image search on google.

Heh heh heh! ::shifty::

_________________

I'm at work, I'm going to do this right now...

Seriously, I have a Jeep with a fake front end made by Processed Plastic Co. I've also seen a troop transport truck that looked like a late 70's GMC. the grill was a stikcer nad it had a conopy that covered seats in the back. I think it had seats like the apc for about 10 figures. Kinda wish I would've pikced it up at that thrift store.
As far as Gay Toys, I also (used to) collect VW toys. I have a Baja Bug an dune buggy with Corvair engines. They use the same chassis, and look like they would fit 8 inch figures, which at the time these were made, would be Mego and Super Joe.

_________________

In the "summer toys" section at TRU right now they have a racing boat type vehicle that is done like those classic ones. Mold might even be from the 80s who knows.

_________________

That sounds like a plane I had back in the day made by Tonka. I can remember it having working landing gear and room for 2 joes and a cargo area. Did it have a gun handle on the bottom to spin the props?

momaw nadon

_________________

I have had this Helicopter for years, i got it when i was a kid, it's made by Gay Toys, the blades broke off but it's still in good shape, i was thinking about selling it.

_________________

Nope. The cockpit was too small for joes, and the propeller spun, but you had to do it manually.

_________________