G.I. Joe toys were introduced to the public in 1964 as 12-inch-tall, army-themed dolls. But since young boys wouldn’t touch dolls with a 10-foot stick, Hasbro, in a stroke of genius, called them “action figures,” coining the term.
Over the next six decades, G.I. Joes transformed from foot-tall dolls in lidded boxes to 3.75-inch figures on blister cards. A children’s cartoon introduced the evil Cobra organization and the heroic G.I. Joe team, and the corresponding toy line produced hundreds of figures along with toy jets, cars, motorcycles, unique vehicles and huge playsets.
G.I. Joe toys became a staple in children’s toy bins, where most of them were bashed together until their paint chipped and their arms fell off. Today, certain G.I. Joe toys in good condition can command enormous amounts of money. These are the most valuable G.I. Joe toys and action figures.
34. 1985 USS Flagg Aircraft Carrier
Type of toy: Playset
Value: $3,248
The USS Flagg playset was a gigantic G.I. Joe playset released in 1985 with a price tag of $109.99. That’s about $273 in today’s money.
For that price, kids received a toy aircraft carrier that measured over seven feet long and included missile launchers, radars, the Admiral Keel Haul action figure and an electronic PA system to amplify your voice.
This playset is massive, so it’s no wonder why it’s one of the most expensive G.I. Joe toys. Someone walked away with an absolute steal when a fully sealed set sold for just $2,500 in 2016 off of Live Auctioneers.
Compare that to one that sold on eBay for $4,000 in 2021, which was opened and not fully intact. Or another one with the box that sold for $3,248.
31. 1969 Aquanaut With Original Box
Type of toy: 12-inch action figure
Value: $3,449
Despite having a box that insinuates the enclosed action figure will come with one of those World War II-era diving helmets, this doll just comes with black clothes, black boots and a white sailor’s cap. That was probably a letdown 50 years ago.
Today, though, these are incredibly rare, especially that misleading box. According to Vintage3dJoes, the 1969 Aquanaut box “is one of the toughest basic figure boxes to find.”
One popped up on eBay in 2021 and sold for $3,449 after 43 bids.
8. 1964 Joezeta Talking Adventure Pack
Type of toy: 12-inch action figure set
Value: $9,500
G.I. Joe needs wardrobe options, doesn’t he? This set is for the most serious action figure collectors only, and the price is just one reason.
Hasbro originally formatted G.I. Joe in a military-style, but some of the action figures didn’t age well. Hasbro had a substantial overstock to get rid of, particularly those from the 1968 Foreign Soldiers of the World line. To solve the overstock dilemma, they packaged already-made, 12-inch action figures in new, deluxe value sets that combined multiple toys for less money than buying them each separately.
The toy came with one talking action soldier and three outfits; German, Japanese and Russian. This particular version is used but in excellent condition, and it’s worth a startling amount of money.
5. 1993 Street Fighter Ryu Hoshi 12-Inch Salesman
Type of toy: 12-inch action figure
Value: $10,199.96
Street Fighter Ryu Hoshi is actually a prototype figurine. Measuring 12 inches in height, the Salesman Sample 1993 G.I. Joe came from the Street Fighter Official Movie toy line. For some reason, only Colonel Guile was ever produced and sold. The rest remained prototypes, and the only ones available are samples in original Hasbro factory sealed boxes.
This item for sale on eBay was confirmed to be legitimate by AFA and CIB, and it’s fully sealed. The coolest part about it is that the accessories inside are one of a kind; they were never included in the final, mass-produced version. This version of Street Fighter Ryu has long pants without any tears, a long sleeve shirt, silver swords, a black machine gun and red gauntlets. It comes with a certificate of authenticity, as any collectible worth over $10,000 should.
2. 1986 G.I. Joe Series 5 B.A.T.S. 36 Back
flashbacktoyz / Ebay
Type of toy: 3.75-inch action figure
Value: $14,999.99
B.A.T.S., also known as B.A.T., came out as part of G.I. Joe’s fifth series in 1986. He was available through 1987 before being discontinued in 1988. He came with a silver hand, a silver gripper arm attachment, a laser attachment, a torch attachment and a black backpack.
So, why the remarkably high price? In addition to the figure’s rarity, it’s almost unheard of to find old action figures in mint condition. This one for sale on eBay was awarded a 95 grade by AFA, which is considered mint condition. It doesn’t get better than that. The item comes with a 36 back card, unpunched and a protective plastic sleeve for the AFA case.
1. 1982 Snake Eyes 11 Back
Type of toy: 3.75-inch action figure
Value: $26,400
The series 1 Snake Eyes had a straight arm (all series 2 G.I. Joe figures had a swivel arm). Other than that, the figures were identical looking.
But series 1 was the first G.I. Joe toy line, and as such, is going to command enormous prices.
The Snake Eyes that sold for an astounding $26,400 was an 85 AFA-graded version, reportedly the highest version to ever have been graded by the AFA. It sold at a Heritage Auction in April 2021. Another example, graded 75, sold for $5,523 on eBay in April 2021.
A 1982 Snake Eyes in good condition is almost always the most expensive G.I. Joe on the market.
