While I don't remember too much of the peg warmers of 1982-1989, I do remember 1990-1994 pretty well.

I always would see the Eco Warriors and DEF figures on the pegs at my local Renys (A chain of low cost department stores located all over the state of Maine.) also I believe all of the Sgt. Savage and GI Joe extreme figures were always in great number as I recall.

Dr. Mindbender version 2 was one figure that I think I recall seeing a few times, along with the more out there neon figures of the mid 90's.

Also after I started collecting Joes again in 2002 I noticed several of the figures from 2000 still on the shelves, the Big Ben and White Out two pack I recall seeing many times, I am a little sorry that I did not thin to buy then and there as I love cold weather figures.

In my area, up until the Dreadnoks came out, I remember always having my choice of what I wanted. All the figures were there. When the Dreadnoks came out, I couldn't find them, but I found the other stuff. Eventually I did find them however. I don't think I ever had any problems really as far as figures go until around 1988. That's about when I really started hearing the term "scalper" and seeing more and more older men in the toy aisle buying up everything.

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I clearly remember Bazooka's artwork covering most of the pegs back in 85-86. I kinda hope we get a 25th Ann version so I can have that "burned into my brain" image in my collection now.

Rapid Fire stacks sat in Sears for about 10 years.....The packaging all bent up.

Oddly enough, the same happened with the R/C Crossfire.

Some of the 89-90 figures were still rotting in 93. Deejay was around for a long time.

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I distinctly recall Xmas of '82...close to Xmas all that was at the local Wal Mart was Scarlett.

Crystal Ball...he hung around at most TRUs I haunted until at least 1990. Scoop and Deejay, yeah, them too. Zandar was slow to move as well.

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Snake-Eyes V3. I saw that figure EVERYWHERE and in huge numbers. I even remember buying one off a FULL PEG of them at a Ben Franklin while on vacation in Minnesota in 1995!

And almost all the 94 figures sold not at all.

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I definitely remember Jinx and Crystal Ball being major peg-warmers.

If I think back hard enough, since the question was about early stuff, here's a bit more...

1982-83 - Breaker was the easiest to find, because he didn't have a gun. Kids tended to avoid him because of that.

I don't remember any of the 1983 figures warming the rack at all. They were all so cool and new they were snatched up ASAP. Torpedo MIGHT have lingered a bit longer than the others, but I can't say for certain.

1984 - Duke. Everyone who was anyone already had him from the mail-in, plus his picture was a goofy pose and grin. No action. Too generic.

1985 - I seem to remember Bazooka and Dusty lingering a little longer than others on the racks. Oh, and Tele-Vipers.

1986 - Iceberg? Maybe.

1987 - Here's where Crystal Ball hit and warmed pegs for the next six years. Seriously. Also Jinx. Somewhat for Crazylegs, Raptor and Sneak Peek. Hmm. This was the biggest peg-warmer year, I guess.

1988 - Repeater. And for me, all those insanely annoying Tiger Force and Night Force. I don't know if they ACTUALLY warmed pegs or not, but they were always in my way while looking for REAL figures.

1989 - Slaughter's Marauders FTL. NOBODY would buy those butt-ugly things. I hated them with a passion. And they wouldn't. go. away. Argh. Python Patrol was also terrible peg-warmers, except for Copperhead, IIRC.

That's about as far as my memory goes. In the 90s, I didn't pay as much attention to what was on the shelves except to notice that Crystal Ball and Jinx were STILL there...

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Growing up here in Southern Arizona, I can honestly say from 82-88 no one was a peg warmer and everyone was. When we were kids, there was no army building. Many kids only wanted/needed one of each figure. Most parents wouldn't buy multiples saying, "You already have one of those. What do you need another one for?" When we had our great battles, you had to keep reusing the soldier or viper you just killed. Didn't bother us much. That's what imaginations are for.

With that in mind, it wasn't unusual to walk into the toy aisle any time of the year and be able to find the figure you were looking for. That was one of the best aspects of have waves cover an entire year rather than a quarter. If it took me a couple weeks to a few months to save up my money for a Joe purchase, I ride my bike to the store and pick up Snake-Eyes, Dusty, Vipers, etc. without having to worry about what the scalpers might have missed.

When it comes to buying toys, that's the aspect I miss most from the 80s. There wasn't a rush to grab everything new as soon as it's out for fear that you'll never see it again. You could patiently plan out your purchases over the course of the year.

Case in point, every new case of figures that show up here (Walmart, Target, K-mart), Flash is always missing.

Since I can't and won't camp out every morning hoping to find him, I'll probably break down and buy him online.

GI Joe was out in the 80's too?

Looks like I need to do some research...

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Aside from the last few years of the original run, everything sold briskly from what I remember. By the first part of the year, all the retiring figures for a particular year were pretty much gone. I remember never owning a swivel-armed Rock 'n Roll and I spent most of '85 looking for one. I tracked one down at a Long's Drugs, but my mom wouldn't pay $3.50 for it when she knew they were regularly $3.00 at Target and TRU. After convincing my mom that he no longer available, I got her to drive back 3 days later and it was gone

As I got older, I just assumed that retiring figures were bought back by Hasbro or something. Aside from Crystal Ball languishing over 2 years after being out of production, no other figure springs to mind besides Battle Corps figures being sold at discount outlets like KB Toys and Big Lots. Oddly enough, I picked up a carded ESB Yoda at KB around the summer of '89 for 25 cents and for the longest time, KB's in NorCal had MISB Tomahawks for $20 right up until '93 or so. The one at my local mall had about 6-8 and by the time I gave some serious thought to buying it, they were gone.

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I know this is WAY late, but...


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!


Makes me hurt. Sniff sniff.

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Agreed 100%, Flash. I too miss the days when toy collecting was a leisure activity and not some kind of race.

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My first two figures were peg warmers. I bought a Bazooka and Buzzer at Fred Meyer and there were multiples of each. Those were the only figures I found for a few months until Airtight and Mutt joined the ranks. Joes were hard to find for me because trips to the store were far and few between. I remember having to choose between Dusty and Shipwreck....agonizing