No regrets whatsoever. I only have a handful of newsculpts, mostly figures whose characters were interesting enough to get past the format (I would put Kamakura, Bombstrike, and the Medi-Viper in this category), or whose nature allowed the format differences to not be as much of a consideration, and were cool enough designs in their own regard (I would consider the B.A.T. v. 3, 4, and 5 in this category).

I am not collecting the 25th Anniversary figures and don't plan to. I own two -- the Red Ninja, which I bought out of curiosity regarding the format, and the Cobra Air Trooper, which I bought because I wanted the jet pack. I'm not going to condemn the figures. As an action figure design, it's really not bad. Nicely detailed, nicely articulated. It's just not the G.I.Joe that I'm interested in, that's all.

What I regret mostly is the number of interesting and cool figures/characters and cool Cobra Troopers that the newsculpt line introduced that I would love to see in ARAH format. Blackout, Burnout, Cobra Heavy Water, Cobra Coils, Neo-Vipers... This I find mildly frustrating.

I don't really feel I need the 25th Anniversary figures, because with rare exception, they're characters I already own, and in the format that made G.I.Joe the winner that it was in the first place.

As far as the condition of my original figures, I haven't experienced the brittleness that you report, which one might think I would living in as dry an environment as Arizona. The worst I can report are occasional elbow joint cracks.

I would add this -- the 2000-2002 segment is, in my opinion, horrifically under-rated. There were some cool new characters in that series, which I am pleased to have.

I also feel that the ARAH-style figures in the 2002-2006 years don't get enough credit. Yeah, there was some less-than-impressive stuff. Some of the later six-packs seemed pretty pointless. However, those years gave us some incredibly cool, and honestly long overdue stuff. We finally got a figure of Kwinn. We finally got the ENTIRE Oktober Guard, and look at the extra effort they went to in order to give us Horror-Show! When I saw the prototype to him at the 2004 Convention, all I could think was, "It took 22 years, but we're FINALLY getting Horror-Show!"

The Viper Pit set was the last ARAH item out that appeared in stores. I think the line as such went out with a bang. As many fans may like the original Cobra Troopers and Officers, there's no shortage of Viper fans out there, and I'm one of them. Hasbro went an extran distance to redo the upper legs, and it was a very impressive set.

And while you may dislike the Convention Sets, I love them. I haven't seen a clunker yet. I've been incredibly impressed with everything the Club has done in this regard, and I am looking forward to this year's, and I am truly pleased that the Club is keeping the ARAH format alive.

We can all collect what we want. Newsculpts, 25th Anniversaries, fine and well. Choose what you want. But for me, the traditional-style figures will always be my Real American Hero, and I will never have any regrets about that.

No regrets at all. Still pick up ARAH stuff when I can. Picked up some choice items at the toy show in town yesterday in fact. The 25th stuff is cool in it's own right, but they're remaking ARAH items for a reason, because they have an appeal. Why they felt the need to change the scale (again) I have no idea. Frankly I'd like the 25th a whole lot more if they worked with my older figures and vehicles.

I still don't get all these "brittle" comments in regards to the older stuff. There's some items that are more prone to breaking than others, but they've been that way from day one. I've yet to have anything just crack to pieces in my hands. But, whatever...

The 25th stuff is ok (when it doesn't break right out of the package) but without the ARAH items which this line is emulating, they wouldn't be here. Why regret what makes these new figures, that so many people like, exist?

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Not brittle? I seem remember a certain convo about the Defiant.

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Still bothered by that Night Striker, I see. Next time walk faster!



It is a fact, though, that some items just snap due to whatever production/design flaws they created the toy with. Silver Mirage, fragile from day 1. Defiant, the crawler is faulty in the design (the wheels alone aren't solid enough to support that much weight without bowing/breaking). The original Ice Sabre... might as well be made out of blown glass. But they're exceptions to the norm.

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Please don't think I'm trying to be mean, but on the brittle topic:

• Seriously, stand a RAM up on its kickstand for 3 days. Then check it. It will be broken.

• Feel the plastic of a VAMP from 82 – it's just getting more brittle. Hit it with something I wonder if it wouldnt shatter.

• Have any flags or antennas on anything? Better not touch em – STUN owners I'm looking at you.

• Each time I assemble the FLAGG, another deck clip breaks. EVERY time. I'm not using them anymore.

Lastly, on an unrelated issue, the stickers on old vehicles just look dirty and yucky on the 20+ year old ones. Nice for my new AWE Striker not to have weird haze all over the decals.

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Next time I walk in front.

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With regard to the listing Macrossmaster provided, I'll concede the STUN Flag in particular. But I don't see what that has to do with ARAH in particular. If they remade the STUN today for the 25th Anniversary line with the same materials as in the past, the same thing would eventually happen.

My VAMP is just fine, thank you.

Can't really address the FLAGG clips, although I will acknowledge that from a structural standpoint, I realized early on that there was the potential for trouble here, with such a massive vehicle held together like this, so I actually asked (and received) a spare set of deck clips from Hasbro. This was like 1986. But again, if they should remake the FLAGG today for the 25th Anniversay line, it would have the same issue.

As would the Defiant. However, for those of you who own Defiants -- assuming yours are strill structually sound after all these years, there IS a way around the admitted fact that the massive weight of the Defiant was never meant to be supported by those relatively small wheels. So here's what I did. I took two hardcover books, about twice the dimensions of the average paperback book and very slightly thicker than the distance between the bottom of the Defiant vehicle and where the wheels meet the ground, set the books in the place where I wanted to display the Defiant, and then set the Defiant ON THE BOOKS (watch out for the spring underneath the vehicle). At a casual glance it looks like the Defiant is sitting on the ground. But a careful look shows that the wheels are actually about half an inch off the ground, and the bulk of the weight of the vehicle is resting on the centered books.

I've displayed by Defiant like this practically since I owned it, and it's worked perfectly well.

Hmm...where do you live, and where do you store your stuff at? That may be a factor. Ive got around 10 RAMS sitting on kickstands right now, and have been for many, many moons with no problems.

STUN red plastic sucks, no question. Sneeze hard enough within 60 yards and you can hear them snap.

I've assembled and disassembled my FLAGG at least 5 times in the past year alone and have never had one break.

Vehicles clean up easily. Steam clean them in the dishwasher then take a non-lint towel and some Armor-All....better than new!

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I know no one is paying attention, but its these posts that keep me coming back here: the people who responded didn't personally attack, they just put forth their experience so I can get their view.

To answer ZG, I've lived in Oklahoma and Missouri all my life. I acquired most all my vehicles second hand. I'm not sure if they were stored in extreme heat or what, but I found parts of everything breaking. My JUMP gun arm clamp broke, then my RAM stands, and my old VAMP just felt brittle. Not sure if I got some toys that went through hell, but they felt ready for the scrap yard so I sold em all.

On the positive side:

SHARC never had issues, ever.
My Stinger had delicate parts (ram bar) but was great.
Never had a problem with a HISS, ever.

Just seems like the green 82-83 stuff was on the delicate side. Also oddly enough, every camera or gun I've had for the HQ breaks its clips. I'd love to get those recast in rubbery plastic.

But in many ways this is almost a moot point for me personally – I ditched EVERYTHING vehicle wise except: 82 MOBAT (Good as new!), 94 Ghost Striker (Thanks Grandma!), Terrordrome with Firebat, the HQ, and that's about it.

My breakage issues aside, my wife has no problem with me buying these cool reissues because, as I can say, I don't have those toys yet.

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I was going to post about how I haven't had any breakage problems with ARAH, but 5 minutes ago I had a Stinger Driver's heel fly off and nail me in the nose. No crap!

Yeah the old stuff is brittle. It's getting to the point where I'm afraid to put weapons in their hands at all. Still, with careful handling it's possible to play with them.

But 25th is still better by a country mile

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AGREED!

My only regrets about ARAH are the gaps in my collection. The figures and vehicles I haven't been able to find yet.

All in all I love my ARAH figures so I don't have real regrets. I just want more, want to finish my collection and do the customs that pop into my head. And one day pass it all down to my kids.

Who will no doubt propmptly break it all or not be interested in it. So it will sit in storage and be sold off on Ebay or whatever it is by then, by my great grandchildren.

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I suppose in fairness I should mention that the "hinges" to the doors of my Tiger Sting long ago snapped, but I am inclined to blame this on a poorly-fitting mold than the quality of the plastic.

And I suppose when I think ARAH, or for that matter Newsculpt or 25th Style, I'm thinking FIGURES, not vehicles (not to put down the vehicles). And I'm really generally not thinking weapons since I dont tend to display the figures with all their stuff. I don't even HAVE most of their stuff anymore (which is why all my figure pics in the G.I.Joe Club Newsletter don't usually have weapons...)

You're looking at me? I have 4 STUNS with flags and no problems with the flags yet! *knocks on wood*

I agree about the decals, some just look nasty now. Some even to appear to have slipped down the side of the vehicle leaving a gooey trail. A toothbrush, a little soap and water, and a quick scrub greatly improves the appearance of those old decals. If the decal comes off during cleaning, it was going to fall off soon anyway.

My only real regret about ARAH is that I was 3 or 4 years too young to get into it at the beginning (I was only 2).

Ok, one more regret. Its not 1985-1986 anymore so I cant buy craploads of the sweetest figures and vehicles ever made in brand new minty packaging at retail prices.

Ok, last regret. I cant get my time machine to work so I can go back to 1985-1986......

One of my regrets is not being skilled enough o make ARAH versions of newer/comic chatacters that never got a figure...

My ram is an original and it has yet to break! its been on its kick stand for 7 yrs running

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