Submitted for your perusal is an
Action Man 40th Anniversary
Reproduction of 1966-1970
Fully Articulated 12" Body
Action Figure Set #13 - Wave 4
Medic Set With
Boxed 12" Action Man Action Soldier
Beginning in 2006, in order to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Action man, Hasbro authorized the reproduction of the original Action Man. Action Man was an action figure line launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro US 1964 American "movable fighting man", G.I. Joe. Palitoy reproduced the majority of the Action Man figure and uniform range virtually identically in appearance to those of the 1966-84 period. Action man took the 12" action figure to new heights. Not only did Palitoy produce uniforms based on the US line, but they created a wide range of uniform sets for the UK market. British military formed a large part of this range, with ceremonial outfits being among the most spectacular. From a collectors standpoint, they are very desirable. Many outfits were available as complete boxed figure sets. There were six "soldiers of the century", which matched Hasbro's six "soldiers of the world", with the exception of the Japanese outfit and figure, which was never offered in the Palitoy range. These sets included an "intelligence manual" that covered all the available offerings in the lineup, and pages on light and heavy weapons, officer rank et al.
As with GI Joe's 40th anniversary releases, the sets were released in "waves" of 4, with 14 waves issued. The various waves are interspersed with figures of all the 60s-70s variants; painted head/hard hand, flocked hair/hard hand, and flocked hair/flex hands. Whilst the vast majority of 1960s and 1970s Action Man were released for the 40th Anniversary in 2006, one of the rarer uniforms, the British Escape From Colditz Officer was never released in its own packaging. Instead, it appeared inside the superb Escape From Colditz Boxed set.
In a departure from normal retailing, the 40th Anniversary sets were not sold through general release, but only two authorized dealers (one in UK and one in US). The driving force behind the development of this line, the "Nostalgic Collection", was Alan Hall, the writer of three Action Man collector's guides. A wide range of figures and outfit sets were produced in a format identical to the original, the packaging in a manner similar to Hasbro's G.I. Joe 40th Anniversary line. The figure is a faithful reproduction of the original, with the exception of the feet, which are the larger GI Joe variety. The body is held together in the same manner as the original, with rivets, wire hooks and elastic, with the precise details slightly varied. The figure is available in variations of painted head/hard hand, flocked hair/hard hand, flocked hair/flex hand, flocked hair/eagle eyes/flex hand depending on the set.
The clothing and accessory items are all faithful reproductions of the original Palitoy items, down to the feel of the fabric used and the vinyl/plastics of most components; the boots are a flexible vinyl, in comparison with the hard plastic used for the GI Joe 40th reproduction boots.
When lack of interest took the wind out of US GI Joe sales in the early 70's, across the pond, Palitoy took the ball and ran with it. They continued issuing and reissuing some of the best sets ever made for 12" action figures. Throughout the 70s, Action Man, GI Joe's British cousin, had the most extensive collection of uniforms ever issued, venturing everywhere from traditional Ceremonial Uniforms all the way to Fantasy in Space adventures. I remember walking into the International GI Joe Collectors Convention held on the USS Intrepid back in 1993 and seeing the Cotswold Collectibles dealer table. Cotswold has always (including currently) carried Action Man figures and uniform sets and pieces. I was amazed at what Palitoy had done with our 12" hero. The selection of colorful, detailed, well made dressed figures on display was overwhelming and I have been a fan of Action Man ever since. When they started issuing the 40th anniversary sets, I was in Joe heaven, and I did my best to keep up with all the issued sets as they were being released in waves. Being recently retired, I now have plenty of time to take stock of what I collected and begin liquidating (I still do a little buying). As my wife always tells me, "You can't take it with you!"
I purchased this set from Cotswold Collectibles when it was first issued back in 2006 - 2008. It is brand new, never been opened. Box is in excellent shape, having been just removed from the original Cotswold shipping box. Due to the relatively small numbers made compared with the original sets, and the nostalgic graphics that appear on the boxes, these have held, and in many cases, increased their value.
You are bidding on an Action Man 40th Anniversary 12" Medic Set. This set comes with a ton of medical equipment including stretcher, medical flag, crutch, bandages, etc. The box is in near perfect condition with hardly any shelf wear and displays beautifully. This particular set was comes with an Action Man Soldier dressed in olive drab shirt and pants. The set is brand new and has never been opened. The figure was advertised as having red painted hair and has original hard (nose picking) hands, but cannot confirm since box has never been opened. It also has a "Free Gift Inside" sticker affixed to the front of box. If I recall correctly, the enclosed gift is an Army Medic Helmet.
Please refer to pics and ask any questions before bidding as there are no returns :-(
Flat rate of $20 for economy shipping and handling within the continental USA. For all other locations, I recommend using the eBay Global Shipping Program.