Action Man

[remember]

Action Man was a multi-jointed action figure who came with a whole range of cool weapons, vehicles and other accessories. The basic figure comprised a man with a fuzzy short haircut (real fuzz not painted on), a pair of y-fronts and a pair of eyes that you could move left and right with a little lever sticking out the back of his head.There were various different incarnations of Action Man, some of the earlier models had rubber hands which perished quite easily and the fingers dropped off. Some had bigger muscles than others, some had scars, some were blonde and some had voiceboxes with a pull string.You can still get Action Man figures today but they don't bear much resemblance to the early figures.

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[Stockcarfan]

Re: Action Man

Still got my origonal one from the 70's complete with box and the standard accessories. The box is a little 'aged' and tha Action Man himself need new gripping hands as the fingers have broken off with the rubber perishing with age. :cry:

[ziggy1a1]

Re: Action Man

Heres a link to a few seconds of nostalgia....Action Man 'Transport Command' TV ad - 30 sec advert

[Richard1978]

Re: Action Man

Me & my brother had a few between us, one thing we found that their heads were stuck on with glue that would loosed when soaked for too long in warm water. This was when we were trying out the seaplane in the bath & one fell in.

Our Mum tried to glue the head back on, but it was never the same again.

[sixtyten]

Re: Action Man

Was that an early AM? all mine had the heads on a sort of ridged plug which made the head easy to pull off and on. This was the Eagle Eyes version

[Richard1978]

Re: Action Man

We had them in the early 1980s & I think they were bought new.

[branny]

Re: Action Man

Got my first when I was about 5 for christmas. Built up quitw a collection and then my mum sold the lot to the next door neighbour for £20 when I was about 13.

Started collecting the 40th anniversary sets in 2007 from Modellers loft. Fantastic sets and most have remained unopened.

[battyrat]

Re: Action Man

Wow,Action man.My favourite all time toy.I must of got my first one sometime around 1973-1975.Cant be too sure of the year.Between 76 and 77 I got into lots of trouble by taking them into school or organising mini swap meets so that items of clothing and spare grenades and guns could be exchanged for other pieces.Always made bunkers trenches,etc either inside or outside if the weather was warm.Every boy I knew had at least one action man,some like my neighbours boy had the chopper,or his brother the bike.
I had gained a few by the late 70's like eagle eye,talking,solid hands and rubber gripping hands etc.Then one day they all dissapeared around 1980.It was about the time that mum sold on my cyborg action figures.Only unlike the cyborg ones I did not know where my action men had gone.They just went.I suppose at the time us boys were use to stuff just going without anything being said,and we never really asked about it.It was just a natural thing that happened from time to time in our house.I feel that out of all our toys the ones I miss and would of loved to have kept were my action men.

I have been looking on many auction sites recently and must say that I am surprised at the price of real vintage action men go for.Lucky for me I managed to purchase two eagle eye examples fairly cheaply but they need a bit of work doing to them to get them battle ready again.It's a start and It already feels like a couple of old friends are coming home.

[tony ingram]

Re: Action Man

I used to collect Action Man as a kid in the 70s/80s-had well over dozen in the end, I think, though a number of them were somewhat war wounded (missing fingers where the rubber had perished Etc). I still have half a dozen, though; an Eagle Eye version in commando gear, an older version with painted eyes, a talking tank commander (with tank, though the gun broke off about thirty years ago), Atomic Man with his glass arm and leg, Captain Zargon (foe of the Action Man Space Ranger) and one of the early Action Men with the painted head, again in commando gear. I also bought one of the 40th Anniversary reproductions in order to have something to display my old Grenadier Guards outfit on...

[sf1378]

Re: Action Man

I've got a collection of hundreds. Been collecting on and off since 1997 when I had a disposable income. Richard - the heads were never glued on. The earlier ones like sixtyten said were connected together via elastic and hooks with a plug on head atop either a rounded spike, or a stump - when Palitoy introduced the Eagle Eyes head in 1976/77 to allow for the mechanism to work. Then in 78 they introduced the 'New Dynamic Physique' (queue Stuart Maconie whining on about him having blue pants 'you couldn't take off on 'I Love...' ). The head for this model was connected to the body via a vinyl rod which over time perishes and the head falls off - however collectors know how to re-attach heads with elastic, removing the neck cone from within the head...I've repaired loads that way.

I've got many vintage originals, many of the 40th Anniversary range (which I found to be somewhat disappointing as the quality of the dolls was not good and full of faults - hair easily coming off, gripping hands that reacted with weapons and 'melted' them when held over prolonged periods on display, elasticated chin straps that 'bled dye' under the dolls chins, cracked limbs, overly tight elastic that warped limb joints - especially the ball joints atop the thighs, 'wet paint' on caps, talking dolls that 'didn't talk', the wrong voice box in the later Eagle Eyes Talking Commander (they used the same recording as the earlier version!). I think while Alan Hall at Modellers Loft did a fairly good job doing the line from 2006 - 2009/10 he did scrimp on the quality of the doll itself - something Palitoy didn't do with the originals as even in a battered, broken condition the durability of an original is far better - especially the flocked hair...I had to return many back to Modellers Loft and in the end the owners griping led me to buy from other stockists - one in particular would really check the dolls etc over before sending me them. It was a bit of a hit and miss affair really and as a collector, if your buying brand new, you want it sans flaws ideally. My collection even used custom flockists - certain ebayers offer the chance to re-flock the hair in totally new colours, add sideburns, Pancho Villa style moustaches, goatee beards, you name it, they probably can do it. I once had a 40th doll reflocked with sideburns and a nice drooping moustache to give him that posh Brigadeer look and dressed him as a 1970s British Army Officer...another I had reflocked in ginger hair, clean shaven. I've even had ones done with light grey hair and beard and whitish hair and beard too - to give that aged look. Uniforms in my collection even range from ones made up from modern 1/6th scale (the size used) manufacturers who make truly accurate examples of modern Israeli, WW2: Afrika Korps, German Paras, WW2 British Tommies, German Panzer NCOs, the S.S. regiments, Scots Guards and Officers, Russian Spetznaz, British WW2 Tropical Campaigns, I've even made many custom uniforms using either vintage or reproduction parts and outfits, i.e. I made a German U-Boat Captain, an Afrika Korps Officer (based on an unmade Palitoy product), a Kreigsmarine, and then also I've made more realistic customs using modern made 1/6th scale items from all eras, etc, etc...its a vast collection - I've often thought of slimming it down but collectors of Vintage Action Man all get very attached to their stuff, I know of many collectors who all remark that all the faces on the dolls have slight differences to them - its really down to the molding runs and how it cooled down but you do see each as having a 'character of their own' - and when I used to collect them each time I'd buy bashed up dolls on ebay mainly I'd look at them after a good clean up, perhaps a reflock and new hands and a repair of missing limbs and instantly it would hit me what they would be dressed up as...many collectors love buying knacked dolls and restoring them to former glory - my late Mum really loved Action Man from a design perspective and she used to make up stories of how they'd become damaged and come to our house for shelter, food and repair - 'wash him up and dress him up - hes cold and ill!' she'd say to me....even in my late 20s! I've even managed to speak to Bob Brechin, who was Lead Designer at Palitoy on and off via email about Action Man and the later Action Force it spawned from time to time...however, for all their niceness, its actually the simpler designs I really like - a bearded Adventurer in jumper, jeans and boots and his Special Mission Pod containing his inflatable raft, rope, anchor, flare gun, bipod and Bren Gun! You don't have to worry about 'ruining him, noting gets lost so to speak - its easy to all handle too and muck about with....

[battyrat]

Re: Action Man

I think I will be buying the down and outs(battle damaged)and doing them up myself the best I can.It's the only way I can afford them.Same with the clothes and equipment.I don't really expect much to survive in perfect condition from such a well made throw about toy as action man was.Thinking about it if I had perfect examples it would not be as personal as one that has some slight faults somewhere.

Seems like yesterday you could walk into a charity shop or boot sale and find them.Not any more.

When they reintroduced action man quite a few years back I was over the moon untill I actually took a look at one.Really awful looking things.I think we were really spoilt with well made ones with good looking costumes based on real uniforms as kids.Not those odd looking fantasy james bond cross super spy type things.Just did not appeal to someone who remembers the real deal from their childhood.You just cannot beat the British tommy or German stormtrooper.

One question I have.Is it possible to tell an earlier version of a vintage uniform from a later version of it once seperated from the packaging?

[sf1378]

Re: Action Man

Excellent reply there Batty, its been a long while since I've really talked to anyone about 'VAM' (Vintage Action Man)...yes I agree, buying vintage second-hand dolls and then repairing them adds to their character once repaired - I've got one looking spic and span as a custom Afrika Korps soldier now, I used equipment and uniform parts from a modern company called DRAGON (do a Google for that). The doll I bought on ebay for a few quid was in such a sorry state - he had really bad hair - bits torn off - how kids did that is beyond me as it was really well glued in place back in the day and still can be on pristine examples or reflocked ones by specialists - his face was dirty, really dirty and he was missing a forearm and both hands...after a clean and new limbs, I had his head reflocked like I said ginger earlier and dressed him in a field accurate WW2 Afrika Korps uniform. Another doll I nicknamed 'One Foot Fred' as he had a foot missing, the peg was broken inside his limb too and he had been used as target practice by some horrid brat I suspect as he was pock-marked by air gun pellet wounds...his face had been ruined by permanent marker too and his gripping hands had long perished...At around this time my late Dad had kindly bought me one of the very first 40th Reissue Anniversary sets - The Lifeguards, so having dressed the reproduction doll in the ceremonial uniform I still had the Soldiers box and uniform so decided to restore Fred to former glory - he probably had been a Soldier once, I had some spare vintage gripping hands in great condition, gave him a clean, 'operated on him' (shaved the scars off ) repainted his face - which wasn't easy as I had to match the flesh tone, redid his eyebrows and scar and fitted a new foot...Collectors love doing things like that.

Yes, you did find loads of Vintage Action Man in charity or retro shops in the past - before the advent of ebay... and now everyone thinks if its Action Man its worth something - it has to be complete and in good to perfect condition for that though.

The modern Hasbro one was disappointing - there were a few good ones. The did an accessory called Survival Base Camp set which was really nice, even I have one, it complmented a doll they released in tandem - a mountaineer with five o clock stubble who changed into a black jump suited/balaclava wearing mountaineer on a night mission...I actually have a few of the nicer modern ones...but I do agree, the original was the best - in every way.

Yep, having collected on and off you do develop an eye for whats vintage and whats reproduction. Its far too boring of me to go into microscopic detail but the 40th stuff says '40th Reproduction' on the packaging, the outfits don't have the 'Palitoy' label in the jackets and certain plastics, fabrics, uniform stickers, stitching, boots, caps, shapes of weapons made differ from the originals. If your going to buy 40th, I suggest you buy unopened uniforms still packaged as you don't know the differences as long as its priced cheap enough. With vintage stuff I feel as long as you know its vintage your safe to buy it - it took me from 1997 til about 2002/3 to really know my stuff on VAM...

[Richard1978]

Re: Action Man

Me & my brother used to have a fair bit of AM stuff.

I used to have a (long gone) poster of almost the full range in the early 1980s.

[battyrat]

Re: Action Man

I will have to check out Dragon later.I would just like to collect what is in the little catalogues that came with the figures for now as there will be much work to do to try to assemble many of the old uniforms from odd pieces from here and there.The only reproduction parts I may allow into the collection will be new hands if needed.I don't mind swapping damaged hands for new ones if they become to bad to be of any use or are missing as many seem to be.But ideally I would like to keep everything as far as possible vintage if I can,hands being the exception,and perhaps a brand new head flocking.
If I can get back into collecting action man again,I may consider trying my hand at customising uniforms at a later date in an attempt to get ones that were not produced.WW1 british tommy would of been a great uniform,but should be easy enough to put together from excisting uniform parts with only minor alterations.

I forgot about the little labels stitched into the jackets.It's been nearly 32 years or more since I last held a vintage action man in my hands and had a good look.I am beginning to expect that the earlier 70's uniforms were better made as well compared to the late 70's and early 80's ones.

I now have a small bundle of clothes and items on the way which were fairly cheap.Then comes the task of trying to identify which uniforms the items have come from.Really looking forward to putting my first couple of action men together.

Something else has cropped up which I had long forgotten about was the action man sticker album.I saw one on e-bay the other day and it sparked off a few memories.I had one of those albums,never finished it.They were popular in this area amongst the boys.

[sf1378]

Re: Action Man

I will have to check out Dragon later.I would just like to collect what is in the little catalogues that came with the figures for now as there will be much work to do to try to assemble many of the old uniforms from odd pieces from here and there.The only reproduction parts I may allow into the collection will be new hands if needed.I don't mind swapping damaged hands for new ones if they become to bad to be of any use or are missing as many seem to be.But ideally I would like to keep everything as far as possible vintage if I can,hands being the exception,and perhaps a brand new head flocking.
If I can get back into collecting action man again,I may consider trying my hand at customising uniforms at a later date in an attempt to get ones that were not produced.WW1 british tommy would of been a great uniform,but should be easy enough to put together from excisting uniform parts with only minor alterations.

I forgot about the little labels stitched into the jackets.It's been nearly 32 years or more since I last held a vintage action man in my hands and had a good look.I am beginning to expect that the earlier 70's uniforms were better made as well compared to the late 70's and early 80's ones.

I now have a small bundle of clothes and items on the way which were fairly cheap.Then comes the task of trying to identify which uniforms the items have come from.Really looking forward to putting my first couple of action men together.

Something else has cropped up which I had long forgotten about was the action man sticker album.I saw one on e-bay the other day and it sparked off a few memories.I had one of those albums,never finished it.They were popular in this area amongst the boys.

Yes, theres plenty of variations in 'issues' i.e. first issues of the Royal Military Police or British Army Officer, British Infantryman uniforms were made from thicker cotton, whereas later issues of the same outfit were made from thinner, lighter dyed (more like tropical khaki) cottons. By the time they did outfits like the LRDG (Long Range Desert Group), Panzer Captain, Afrika Korps or Last Issue German Stormtrooper (which was a total redesign of the Jerry uniform they did have) they were using a lot of thinner cotton, iron on fabric emblems and rank insignia, like stickers really that can come off over time and the pockets on jackets were made from starched cotton pieces without hems - just bits of cut to shape fabric glued in place which also can become misshapen or come off. The 40th reproductions did improve on these on such outfits by sewing pockets and adding seams/stitching and its one thing that gives it away to me as a vintage or repro piece. The German Stormtrooper outfit originally came made in heavier, thicker cotton - first issue - but the late issue came in a thinner cotton....I sound like a train spotter nattering on about this stuff...