G.I. Joe is one of the greatest toy lines in history, with a legacy going back to the 1960s. The 12" dolls of that decade are as equally iconic as the smaller Star Wars-sized figures of the 1980s and beyond. Many of them are incredibly valuable. Some of them are among the most expensive toys ever.

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Much of the vintage G.I. Joe line, particularly the A Real American Hero era, commands a premium on the secondary market. If collectors want to complete a set, it costs them a small fortune. Prices on some especially rare and iconic pieces continue to skyrocket. Many of the images below are courtesy of the fantastic archive at Yojoe.com!

Updated on August 26th, 2021 by Rich Keller: G.I. Joe is synonymous with 1980s culture. The series, G.I. Joe: The Movie, the action figures, and their vehicles all bring back memories of childhood. Those who saved their Joe-related toys might have a fortune under their noses. Particularly if what they own is a rarity.

15 The Rare Fridge Mail-Away Is Worth $300

GI Joe Fridge

Hasbro made a habit of odd cross-promotional tie-ins with G.I. Joe. For instance, they did ones with their other popular line, the Transformers, for years. One of the oddest is the manufacturer's mail-away promotion for The Fridge, an action figure based on iconic Chicago Bears defensive player William "Refrigerator" Perry.

Perry was a cultural phenomenon after the Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985. This probably led to his G.I. Joe-related figure being released as a giveaway in early 1987. A complete set costs nearly $300.

14 The G.I. Joe Tomahawk Helicopter Goes For Over $350

The Series Five Tomahawk

The Tomahawk is a rare find for G.I. Joe collectors. Part of Hasbro's series five release, it was available from 1986 to 1988. If in mint condition, it fetches $350. Even out-of-the-box Tomahawk models cost between $100 to $250 due to their rarity.

It comes with removable seats, spinning blades, and missiles. From 1987-88, the Tomahawk was packaged with a pilot, Lift-Ticket. This was the only place the action figure was sold. Thus, complete boxes from this time period are a solid catch.

13 The 1983 Destro Figure Goes For Over $600

GI Joe Destro

Destro is one of the best Cobra villains in G.I. Joe's mythology. Additionally, he's one of the coolest figures in the original line. He debuted in the 1983 Series Two of action figures and became an instant hit with his distinctive metal mask.

A MOC sample of Destro costs upwards of $600. The cost comes down a lot due to variations on the file card. There are two different models: The one from 1983 has the G.I. Joe logo, whereas the more rare 1985 version has the Cobra logo.

12 Helicopter Assault Trooper Airborne Has Gone For $700+

Airborne from Series Two

Franklin Tailtree, known by the Joe codename Airborne, wasn't popular when he appeared in the second series of action figures. Though his file card is impressive, the toy itself, which comes with a rifle and parachute, didn't enthrall consumers. Released in 1984, Airborne was discontinued one year later.

With complete packaging, this figure has been sold for over $700. He's less expensive if part of the Original Adventure Team package Hasbro Direct offered in 1986. Here, the Airborne came via mail with nine other figures in a carrying case.

11 Characters Hardtop & Payload Go For $800

GI Joe Defiant

There are some silly G.I. Joe vehicles out there, but the Defiant isn't one of them. The Defiant Space Vehicle Launch Complex is a massive and unique toy that retailed for about $100 when it debuted in 1987. A boxed set of this toy— if it can be found— goes for serious money. Actually, a complete version sold on eBay for close to $1,800.

However, even the figures included with the set, Hardtop & Payload, go for astronomical sums themselves. The main reason is they came with a lot of small accessories, like a microphone and umbilical cord, that easily became lost. Loose sets of these figures cost upwards of $800.

10 Series Two Major Bludd Goes For More Than $900

Series 2 Major Bludd

There's a reason Hasbro's Series Two release of Joe figures is so popular and features rare complete sets. It introduced the Swivel-Arm Battle Grip. This allowed the toys to bend their arms inward and outward. Thus, the action figures actually could hold the weapons that came in their packaging.

Major Bludd is one example of a figure with this new construction. Originally confined to mail-in order, the character became part of Hasbro's new line of figures. Unopened, Bludd goes for over $900.

9 Series One Counter-Intelligence Scarlett Has Gone For $1,300

GI Joe Scarlett

Scarlett is one of the original G.I. Joe action figures released in 1982. That means she was originally released with the original straight arms, not unlike the best vintage Star Wars action figures. In Series Two, she was re-released with the Swivel-Arm Battle Grip. A graded carded sample goes for about $1300.

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Like many Joes, Scarlett features substantial variations in her packaging. Some runs contained offers for the mail-away Cobra Commander while others featured slightly different file cards. All of these are of interest to serious collectors.

8 An AFA-Graded Shipwreck Merits $1,650

Shipwreck from Joe Series Four

Though introduced in the comics and the G.I. Joe cartoon in 1984, it took Hasbro another year to adapt Shipwreck into an action figure. That's okay, as it gave the manufacturer a chance to provide another construction breakthrough for their Series Four toys: The neck ball. This gives Shipwreck the power to move his head up and down as well as back and forth.

The figure comes with several accessories, including his parrot Polly. An AFA-graded version of the complete package sold for $1,650 on eBay in 2021.

7 A Carded Version Of The Baroness Goes For $1,700

GI Joe Baronness

Baroness played a huge role in the Marvel Comics version of G.I. Joe. Today, she would have been considered one of Marvel's best spies. An instant icon from her Series Three introduction in 1984, Baroness is one of the key figures in Cobra and one of the most sought-after action figures from the 80s. A graded, carded figure costs about $1,700.

Unlike a lot of other Joe figures from the 1980s, Baroness didn't see any re-releases. She was available in 1984 and 1985 and didn't return until 1997. However, she was dressed in different colors by that time.

6 Snake Eyes Version 2 Goes For $2,100

GI Joe Snake Eyes Version 2

Though the first version from 1982 is also sought after and expensive, the second version from 1985 is the iconic Snake Eyes. A carded sample sets people back $2,100. Introduced at the height of the line's popularity, this Snake Eyes is paired with his wolf sidekick Timber.

The character would go on to have dozens of other figures over the decades. Nevertheless, this one remains the goal for many collectors. The main reason is he's one of the greatest G.I. Joe characters of all time. The solider and ninja is a silent, deadly powerhouse that rivals even comic book superheroes.

5 A 12" G.I. Nurse Doll Has Been Priced At Over $3,500

GI Joe Nurse Doll

The G.I. Nurse Action Girl from the original 1960s toy line is extremely rare. One sold on eBay for $3,500, and it's uncommon to find loose or mint-in-box versions of the toy these days.

First released in 1967, the nurse didn't perform very well. Boys didn't want a girl doll among their action figures. The lack of heavy production on the figure, combined with a major variation in the color of her medic bag— the white version is the first and most rare— makes G.I. Nurse Action Doll one of the most prized figures.

4 The U.S.S. Flagg Starts At $4,000

uss-flagg

The U.S.S. Flagg is the end-all be-all of G.I. Joe toys. It's one of the largest toys of the 1980s with an original retail cost of $90. Once assembled, the aircraft carrier is over seven feet long. A boxed complete can cost $4,000.

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The Flagg has never been re-released, unlike many other classic G.I. Joe vehicles. The ship came with many accessories and parts that are easily lost, and complete kits are hard to find. Hence, this makes loose and boxed versions the Holy Grail for many Joe collectors.

3 The Cobra Commander "Mickey Mouse" Variant Goes For $5,000

Cobra Commander Mickey Mouse Ears Variant

Despite some of his ineptitude, Cobra Commander is one of the best leaders of the organization. Thus, it makes sense his action figure is the most prized in any form. Several variants of the original action figure exist, including with and without the swivel Battle Arm Grip.

The rarest by far is the so-called "Mickey Mouse" variant. This early edition of the mail-away iteration features a misprint on the iconic Cobra symbol on his chest. As a result, it created a shape that looked like Mickey Mouse's ears. One of the rarest figures in the line, a graded complete set of the mail-away figure costs nearly $5,000.

2 G.I. Joe VAMP & HAL Sears Exclusive Prices Out At $7,500

GI Joe VAMP & HAL set

Hasbro often creates products exclusive to one retailer as an incentive for sales. In 1984, they gave Sears one of the rarest pieces in the entire A Real American Hero line.

The G.I. Joe VAMP & HAL set combines two regularly sold vehicles into one. The uniqueness of the item— along with its brief window of availability— makes it one of the rarest and most sought-after packaged G.I. Joe toys from the 1980s. This very rare set MIB costs upwards of $7,500.

1 A Mint Series Five B.A.T.S. Soldier Goes For $15,000

Series 5 B.A.T.S. Soldier

The Battle Android Trooper Series (B.A.T.S.) didn't last long on the toy shelves. Introduced in 1986 as part of the Joe's line of Series Five figures, it was discontinued in 1988.

The reason for the high asking price of $15,000 is the figure's true rarity. It's hard to find one out-of-the-box in mint condition, let alone one in its packaging. The one for sale was awarded a 95 AFA grade.

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