1984 Cobra Motorized Tank (Consumers Distributing Canada exclusive) G.I. Joe review

[@HCC788]

Is that *really* all the time you have right now? Is it REALLY?? Another great review! Cool tank. I love Cobra vehicles in black.

[@dougneufeld1548]

Thanks for sharing your memories of Consumers Distributing, Kevin. I remember thumbing through their catalogues, especially around the holiday season. I don't recall the clerks sending orders via an air tube, but I do remember the catalogues arranged on tables and the endless supply of golf pencils. Today, a Boston Pizza occupies where my favourite Consumers Distributing use to be.

[@JakeR0d31]

Never knew of Consumers Distributing-but was in Canada last year and tried Boston Pizza there ribs are delicious

[@nanlion]

Excellent review! Awesome Tank! Kevin, it's almost incredible that you can watch videos from 3 years ago as if they were made yesterday. Keep making videos with more strength, excitement and desire! We are on the other side looking closely! Lots of thanks!

[@jamesschulziii9098]

for sure man. service merchandise a similar type of retail that had that type of interaction in your purchase. there were showroom displays, they had a toy isle to die for between 82-89. always had a large GIJOE display. good memories indeed sir. thank you for your most informative videos. you definitely have an overall beautiful collection of Joes. i had a decent one myself long ago and I still have and read the Marvel comic. love it. :) sorry to ramble sir. yojoe!!

[@KokoandFooFoo]

Great review, brings back memories of both the tank and Consumers Distributing. I bought a lot of GI Joes through Consumers. It was always a treat to go to the store with my parents and fill out the order form myself, take it to the counter and wait for the staff to pick my order and leave it at the staff pickup window. I would always get excited when they would call my name because my items were ready.

[@neiltemple123]

I remember those Consumers Distributing shops in my hometown Ottawa. There was always about 30 blue pencils stacked into a plastic cube holder. Man, it IS fun to check out collectables from a company long gone. I miss that tank.

[@emmapeel38]

In '87, I had saved up $40 to buy a Cobra Night Raven - roughly $33 then - and a figure (generally in the $3.75-$4.25 range). The Consumers Distributing nearby, still had Rattlers, and they were put on display in the front of the store; for only $13.99. While the Night Raven is nicer to look at, I would much rather have gotten x2 Rattlers, x2 Cobra Vipers, then walked over to buy a plate of fries at K-Mart, and I'd still have enough change to buy a comic book. Damn Raven! Loooove Consumers Distributing, and they were in connection with Toy City as well. The same summer, TC had USS Flaggs for $95.99. CD's prices were always the best.

[@rtd1409]

Fun review of something I hadnt seen. And great story about that store is nice. It reminds me of in the movie "Strange Brew" when they go to a beer store and its similarly distributed when they order at the cashier. Yes for me in my collecting and nostalgia its a direct tie in for me as to where I lived, or went to school, and most importantly the Toy Stores! In a time before chains monopolized the toy store industry you could find little Mom & Pop shops that might have things a Dollar or two higher than the Woolworth, Newberry, and Thrifty stores of the time (I live in Southern California and those were major chain drugstores at the time) but those little shops might add something to the toy experience. I remember one where the guy was a Korean war vet and if you wanted a Joe he would give you a little course on who the character was based on the filecard. Fun times thanks to you guys for putting the time into these reviews!

[@BoltHardcheese]

There was a Best Catalog store in the shopping center behind our house. They would mail out catalogs that I would eagerly look wait for around Christmas time. If you went in to the store, you would also have to write down your order using those small pencils, and take that to the cashier. The one difference though is that they did have a showroom where a lot, but not all, of the products would be displayed, giving you a chance to look at some of the items before deciding what to buy.

[@impossiblepie]

I remember Consumers!!! it was awesome!!!

[@mitch19872]

Great review again! Loved Consumers and got quite a few Joes there including the Armor-Bot. Was always fun going through the catalogs, writing down what you wanted and then taking it up to the till. Only thing bad about them is they were out of stock lots lol. I just picked up a CD catalog last week from 1986/87 that has the CD tank in it for $9.94!!

[@teetoys76]

I love the colors of the two tanks . Your review is the only time I've ever seen these in over 30 years of being a Joe fan . I remember green stamp stores in the late 70's and early 80's here in the states . I'm not sure if you had those in Canada . Thanks for posting your video !!!

[@Nieghorn]

Wow, a GI Joe toy that looked realistic! :) (I started getting them around this time, but more so when they got more and more ridiculous. I loved the Warthog APC because it was very much like the ones the Marines used at the time... maybe still do ... apart from the missile launcher, of course.)

[@aped3]

Nice Review !!! The only way for this Tank to get better would be if it had 2 open hatches in the front for the crew !!!

[@DANBOWENTELEVISION]

It always makes my day to see your next review

[@TakaraTony]

Surprised that you have the box, quite hard to come by! Nice score!

[@f.d.english5080]

Looks so good in black

[@tikifire]

Excellent review! Love these catalog exclusives.

[@sgf129]

we had something like that in America, but it was called service merchandise, the items you wanted would roll out on a conveyer belt. how long have you had that one Kevin? is this a new review? what does one of those go for on the after market? what key words would you type in to look for this tank.

[@formbx257]

Thanks for the info on Service Merchandise, I don't know a lot about US stores and I've always wondered seeing some price tags on my toys! I've had this tank since I started collecting vintage GI Joes (around 1994). Bought the box recently from a collector who only wanted the tank it came with. This is my first in-depth review of it, but you can see I briefly talk about it in my 1984 GI Joe toy overview video (part 5) 4 years ago. As for aftermarket: I've seen loose versions go for $200 (with no battery cover, no top machine gun cone, no instruction sheet and no figure) to $1000 (with all parts and figure). They're still out there being mislabelled or forgotten in Canadian toy lots so bargains can be had. Key words: "black", "mobat", "consumers distributing", "sears", "Canadian", "exclusive", "Cobra", "motorized", "tank" **added French: "char", "d'assaut", "motorise"

[@sgf129]

formbx257 thanks kevin, I am going to try and find one of these, it's awesome, the tanks were always one of my favorites, love your reviews man, highlight of my weekends, thanks

[@JoeMotionVideos82]

This is the dogs bollocks!! I didn't know this existed. I really want one.

[@TheDarthvalen]

I enjoy this video a lot Kevin i wish i had that tank

[@jerryrichburg9198]

ive never seen a review of the sears exclusive dreadnok set. it came out in like '85 or '86. It was a vehicle set with a stinger, a Joe flying vehicle and like a howitzer. they were redone in light sensitiv plastic. dreadnok vehicle set.

[@formbx257]

There were two sets: a Stinger & Ram motorcycle set and a Fang copter & Sky Hawk set. I don't have these and probably never will since they are super-fragile and expense. www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/dreadnokairassault/ www.yojoe.com/vehicles/86/dreadnokgroundassault/

[@Plasticjunky]

i looked at my cardback and is white in the back but i have no TM near the photo of cobra commd.

[@jmsberetta]

i enjoy this video and your view on why you collect

[@JagerClub]

You mention there are two sets of decals. May there possibly be a third set? Vintage GI Joe Tank Vid for dixiebull_13 Thoughts? Curious to know what you think...DVR

[@formbx257]

Anything is possible - but in this case I doubt it. Those are the stickers from a 1984 Cobra Rattler. I'm guessing that the original owner bought a Cobra Tank and a Rattler at the same time, and used whatever wasn't used on the Rattler for the Tank. The reason for my doubt is: there are too few Rattler stickers on the Tank (and the stickers applied are ones that won't be missed on the Rattler).

[@Plasticjunky]

hi i have one loose how much can i sell it for and yes im from canada thanks

[@formbx257]

The value depends on the condition and how many extras it comes with (figure, filecard &/or blueprints). I've seen loose versions go for $100 (with no top machine gun cone, no instruction sheet and no figure) to $800 (with all parts and figure).

[@ghostbusterguy20011]

so basicly its the gi joe mobat painted black with cobra logo on it

[@tayasalgarcia8690]

lmao i never knew cobra comanders gun went on his back lol

[@ghostbusterguy20011]

what the hell? never even heard of this and I consider myself to be very well knowledge in gi joe toys action figures vehicles and playsets good luck finding this on ebay wow

[@mws755]

I found only one on ebay

[@ghostbusterguy20011]

mws755 you think ited be an easy custom though I mean all you need to do is repaint the gi joe mobat tank and slap on cobra stickers

[@qijo3edfranca854]

Where are Defiant's review?????

[@formbx257]

I don't own a Defiant yet. Its on the top of my want list.

[@qijo3edfranca854]

Thanks. Be quick...Defiant will be a great review

[@curtisschultz6976]

are you sure that's 1984?

[@formbx257]

Absolutely.

[@Visitormarcell]

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