I used a shoebox, thumb tacks,
construction paper,
printed patterns for outer walls and details, and miniature furniture cutouts for the main assembly of the playset. I managed to find
chairs from in stacking game that were in the correct scale.
For the rest of the accessories, I used a Boley rock climbing set and a cot and lantern from the camping set. I used CORPS blockades, extra guns, and rope ladder. I also made use of Power Team Elite drums, crates, and a swinging gate.
This is what a GI Joe operations base would look like if the Joe team were deployed to my home town, thus the name "Hometown Hero HQ." This is an inconspicuous base that fits in with the small town scenery here, since it looks much like a run down warehouse. When the Joe team is away, the building is patriotic with a tribute to soldiers lining its rear walls (much like our local Vietnam War memorial). When the Joe team arrives to help the town with a crisis, the rear wall collapses to form a parking platform by pulling the climbing rope attached to the rock wall. This reveals the inner workings of the set with figures that generally represent my hometown. Tollbooth looks like a coal miner and Cross Country aesthetically represents the slogan, "Christian by birth; Southern by the grace of God." Grid Iron and Hardball represent the big sports rivalries among the high schools here! I chose the Mudbuster because one of our hobbies is "mudding" in the mountains (I am from the Mountain State) with lifted trucks, and for its ability to carry supplies and knock down the barricades in which it is housed. It's a fun little portable setup in honor of my hometown. I'm going to add a level just above the television spanning the length of the box to store supplies and maybe a sleeping quarter.