Mail Away Action Figures - A Retro Phenomenon!

[@retroblasting]

Very very nicely done.

[@Gappasaurus]

That “6 to 8 weeks” waiting time really was excruciating as a kid 😭 Could never figure out why the heck it took so long, especially compared to the “next-day shipping” world we live in now 🤔

[@perfectallycromulent]

it keeps you thinking about the toy that you're going to get. it's like planting an advertisement in your head for a few weeks.

[@malcr2325]

Myself and my brother used to pool our action man stars for the big prizes! An action man extra was between both of us. We had plenty of extra out fits for the guy but seeing as it came in the post, our mother got to it first and when we came home from school he had a thick woolly jumper and trousers she knitted and sewn herself for the action men. I think she enjoyed playing with them more than we did!

[@skabcat242]

You are so right. 4-6 weeks felt like an eternity for a kid.

[@hankw69]

I remember being disappointed when my mail-away Boba Fett arrived without the firing missile. I still have it, complete with un-firing missile. At 10 yrs old, that missile would have disappeared in short time, like half of my other figures' accessories. Somehow, my Yoda still has all of his little bits. Once again, great show.

[@sonicimperium]

Vividly remember walking to the mailbox and finding the Empire Strikes Back gear (Hoth backpacks, Yoda training backpack, weapons, etc.) waiting for me in that tiny brown box. Still have most of it!

[@cronocomics]

This was a sensational research work. I enjoyed every second of this video.

[@brianthomas741]

I miss mail away action figures. It really did give you something unique to look forward too.

[@daveyardbird7430]

Great video. Brings me right back to sending away for GI Joes, asking if they arrived yet everyday for the first 3 weeks, forgetting about it and then being truly surprised when a box would show up. One of my favorites wasn’t a toy. My grandma used to eat Raisin Bran and I remember mentioning in passing one day how the 1992 Dream Team basketball poster they were offering looked cool. She ordered it as a surprise for me and it hung on the wall in my bedroom for years.

[@Chasing80sToys]

Excellent video Tony 👍👍👍 really enjoyed this history on mail away action figures

[@TheToyBoy1978]

The only mail away figure i ever sent away for was the Mumm-Ra figure from Thundrcats, not the most exciting figure it has to be said, but funnily enough, i actually already had the coolest mail away figure as i had become the owner of a Skeletron through a swap with a friend many years prior.

[@EdsRetroGeekOut]

Skeletron looks freakin awesome! So true about almost every new toy being a preorder exclusive arriving by mail :'(

[@andrewgrant2990]

Ah a man of culture I see!

[@ChapMeifan]

That hooded Cobra Commander was the reason I started customizing Joes. I had ordered two of them and wanted to figure out a way to use my extra in my Cobra high command. I took a screwdriver and removed the screw and switched out his head with a General Patch head from a Remco figure. Suddenly I had a new and 'unique' character which I created a file card for and everything. Within a year I had saved up more Flag points and got four more hooded Commanders and made my own group of Cobra generals. God I miss the 80's.

[@georgeaitken2719]

I ended up with 10 in 87 used them as cobra officers because the year before I picked up 200 cobra officers for 39p each so used them as troopers and the 10 cobra troopers as sergeants

[@ChapMeifan]

@@georgeaitken2719 That's awesome. I miss the days we could walk into a store and find deals like that. Best I ever did was going into a Consumers Distributing store in February and they were blowing out all their old Joe products at discount. I got a ton of Cobra Vipers for $1.50 each as well as a Terror Drome for $19. It's funny how those are the fondest memories of my youth.

[@JettBlast]

I have enjoyed the getting exclusives in the mail the excitement was great like you said. And now I miss not having the great toys you and grew up with I know things change but we do have some awesome memories!

[@Mr666999666999]

The only mail away exclusive A.F/Joe figure I ever got was Super Trooper, with chrome plated accessories.

[@boarlegion5077]

I have the mail-in, Duke, Hooded Cobra Commander, Manta, Sgt. Slaughter and non-firing Bobba Fett, but I never received my Steel Brigade figure I sent off for.😥 Good video, Tony.

[@tycondrius23]

I'm guessing Bobby has your Steel brigade figure now :O

[@andrewflashchannelgibbs5384]

Another interesting video. I remember the stars on Action Man. Who would have ever thought that in the future the boxes without the stars cut out would be sort after? 😂 My toys were always played to death. Action Man lived up to his name - high falls from a block of flats and crashing down the slopes at the park. Such great memories always return when I watch these videos.👍

[@ManCave1972]

The 6-8 weeks wait for my mail away Nien Numb was painstaking. Getting home from school only to find it’s still not arrived was torture.

[@georgelea4297]

Great video as always Tony I got my reflector with the robopoints still got it today

[@paulhardman2515]

I remember mailing away for the hooded Cobra Commander and Duke from G.I. Joe! Awesome video and great memories!

[@wolveraza9896]

I strait up sent away for the Cobra Commander with the tactical surfboard with a sail on it lol .. LOVED that thing .. wish I still had all of my toys from my youth. Great trail down memory lane man :)

[@kieronball8962]

Once again, Tony and Analog Toys introduce a highly detailed, thoroughly researched and professional mini documentary, featuring the " mail away " action figure offers from the '70's and '80's! And yes, as a child, I too collected Action Man stars, to send away for an Action Man mail away exclusive. And it's also the reason why I now get so excited, when I order my action figures online, because it always reminds me of the excitement I felt, awaiting the arrival of those " mail away " toys ! 😁

[@penmanovicxxxxxx2694]

I agree with your comments about the quality of the videos. The information and production on this channel are top drawer.

[@brotherkellymatthewbarnes8882]

I too remember when: they sold the Star Wars certificates, and Zuckuss was called 4-L0M in a mail away promotion.

[@Byle1990s]

Love the culture of mail aways especially the packaging.

[@beaker126]

Right on! I remember being disappointed when my Boba Fett showed up with a letter explaining why his back pack wouldn't fire. I remember patiently saving my Kenner and Flag points, I had every accessory weapon set they had.

[@brendanhaley3668]

This was at a time where sleeping in the back of a car without seatbelts was standard, bikes were ridden without helmets and parents smoked in cars whilst kids drew in second hand smoke. God forbid Boba fired his rocket...

[@beaker126]

@@brendanhaley3668 IKR? I don't regret growing up when I did.

[@brendanhaley3668]

Me too, we were the lucky ones! 80s kids were lucky!

[@mlseries2553]

Absolutely wonderful video, Tony. You nailed it!

[@stephens4175]

I love your content in your videos Tony, always look forward to them. they destress me and they are a welcome part of my day, keep up the great work!

[@charlesphillips331]

Another great video Tony. Makes me think about the hell I put that hooded Cobra Commander through playing outside with him and all my other Joes with my cousin. We didn’t show him any mercy just because he came in the mail.

[@scubapete9500]

Such a great topic!!!

[@lonniestringfellow9854]

I fondly remember mailing away for my Hooded Cobra Commander, who was my first mail away. Later Sgt. Slaughter, and Fridge. Thinking about a package for 6-8 weeks made it all more special.

[@davidpascarella3997]

Great video. Brings back such fond memories of Star Wars and G.I. Joe. Got Boba Fett, Duke and Hooded Cobra Commander. Thanks Tony.

[@doctorx2105]

Spot on about waiting X number of weeks for something in the mail as a kid! I had the hooded Cobra Commander and it seemed like it took a lifetime to show up!

[@jeff72_]

Another great video Tony and brings back memories of saving up and sending away Action Man collecting stars and having to wait for what seemed like an eternity for the delivery of the gift.

[@AllThings80s]

Excellent video. Very enjoyable.

[@grahampearce3511]

Another example why Palitoy were the most creative and innovative toy company EVER!

[@malcolmgreene8830]

When I was young I used to cut out cereal box postage stamps for exclusive toys then having to wait one to two months just for the letter to get to California and the toy to come to North Carolina the feeling that I got when opening up a package back then you felt like you were in a secret toy Society with exclusive membership the kids today would truly never know the actual excitement of getting something from another state you never been in 1999

[@tausti]

Great video! I remember seeing the adverts for the mail away Emperor in the ROTJ comics and was so excited, and when I received it in the white mailer I was chuffed to bits....I still have that figure today.

[@mooseyman74]

Great video. Also reminds me of the many free toys you could collect with tokens from cereals etc

[@mixojoe]

I had a Viper & Cylon Raider that fired completely out when I was a kid. I think I got them in grade 3. I am guessing my parents purchased them from either Kmart or Venture in Ballarat. That birthday was awesome!

[@Gojitron1]

Great vid! I mailed away for four Boba Fett's when they were available. In the 80's, Hasbro offered several discontinued 1984 Transformers as mail aways in 1985 which helped me complete my collection. The last mail away I sent for was the Stealth Predator in the 90's. It's sad that those old mail aways were easier to get than the current Walmart and Target exclusives.

[@marcgordon3462]

Great video Tony.....and your were right, 6 to 8 weeks felt more like 6 to 8 years. I remember running home everyday after school waiting for clark kent to hit my family mailbox

[@rlpittsjr]

I and my brother got the mail away Sgt. Slaughter, Steel Brigade and Fridge action figures. It was exciting waiting for them in the mail.

[@JerryLopezArtist]

Wonderful topic and presentation! Took me straight back to my childhood in the 80s and saving up all those GI Joe Flag Points (and ruining many a card back), even some Zero Hour mail away from Bluebird too.

[@dinomonzon7493]

Technically, Boba’s exclusivity was valid- his debut can be argued as from the (in)famous Star Wars Holiday Special (in the animated segment); he made his physical debut in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back.

[@briancross7835]

Absolutely incredible stuff! Seeing the vintage 4-LOM (Zuckuss) figure being removed from the white mailer box immediately took me back to 1982. I could almost smell that distinctive & wonderful aroma that only vintage Star Wars figures had...

[@a_world_made_of_cardboard]

I loved the GI Joe mail aways. I grew up anticipating just about every mail away they offered. The last one I got was Joseph Colton, both 3-3/4" and 12" figures. It was a great time to be a kid. (Yes I was in college when I ordered both Coltons, but I am also a big kid at heart)

[@RANDYLIZARD]

Fantastic video ..as always Tony

[@georgeaitken2719]

I really loved saving for the exclusives mail aways my first one mail away was a Star Wars weapon pack followed by nien numb and the emperor by the time I got into action force I missed out on the commander figure but made up for it by getting skeltron and getting enough points for 3 grunts my last one was in 87 with the hooded cobra commander ended up with 10 of them before I stopped

[@japewisteria]

I'm probably forgetting something, but the only 2 mail-aways I remember getting as a kid were the Star Wars accessory "survival" kit and the GI Joe MANTIS (yes, the water-sail thing). Never a figure. Loved them both.

[@georgeaitken2719]

I got that survival kit most of the stuff in them ended up in vehicles like the rebel transport and atat

[@japewisteria]

@@georgeaitken2719 Finding those backpacks now with unbroken hooks is a real chore. As a kid, mine didn't last a week. The air masks fared better. They fit a lot of figures other SW.

[@xazylsclubhouse]

With the ease of internet shopping every action figure is now a mail away 😎😜 Obviously my favourite mail away is the first Sgt Slaughter G.I. Joe figure but man that Boba Fett is sweet 😍

[@kumachan9311]

I remember saving up points for the Empire strikes back weapons and back pack/gas mask etc sets..... and getting Action Force guns etc instead [As they'd run out]

[@ChapMeifan]

You did better than me. I sent for that same set and got a notice in the mail that they had run out and I got nothing. They even kept my hard-earned proof of purchases and shipping fees. Still haven't forgiven Kenner for that.

[@richardharleman]

I was going to post a comment that was my favorite mail-away. We sent away for it and waited and waited and waited. I still have the Yoda backpack to this day.

[@AllysonA8281]

It truly saddens me that Mail away exclusives don’t really exist anymore. Always great to stroll down memory lane about what once was. I wish it weren’t true, but I agree with you that retail toy shopping is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Only time will tell... Thank you, Tony!🙏

[@Jcc2224]

I miss mailaways, I feel like I was a part of the last generation that could enjoy them. I think Hasbro did their last one in 2012. It's a real shame, they did a lot of them during the more modern Star Wars and GI Joe era. There was a "Removable Mask Storm Shadow" mail away Hasbro did in the mid-2000's. My brother and I sent away for it and we swear it took two years to come, even though it probably just FELT like 2 years, it was probably just a few months! Great video man, it's always great to learn more about the toys before my time!

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

Great video Tony - invaluable info👍

[@johnvaughan9835]

first mail away I ever got was an Airfix model of the Golden Hinde you got when you collected enough tokens with Kellogs cornflakes. When it comes to Action Force my one regret was the Mail Away. In 1984 you could through the pages of Battle Action Force pay to join Action Force and choose which team. You got a code decoder, a notebook and a military style ID disc dog tag which was the best part of the pack. A year later when Action Force had changed over to repackaged GI Joe. There was a second mail away and to join Action force. To kids who were already members the Mail away would be free . It looked like a pizza box but it converted into a board game with pieces included and a cassette tape with an Action Force audio drama. In order to avail of this offer members would merely have to send in the dog tag as proof of membership. In late November 1985 the box arrived and it was cool except they never returned the Dog Tag...ARRRRGH!

[@bluesnagg]

Great research as always. Always looking forward to your videos.

[@ivane5110]

I don't think I ever got any mail-away figures (sure I would recall). But, I recall I did get a whole set of mail-away mini DC comics cardboard binder and a Transformers wristwatch. It was like a second mini-Christmas each time waiting.

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

I had the gold cylon. Great video.

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

Maybe the next exclusives will be the ones available at retail?

[@AnalogToys]

Hahahaha, thats a good point

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

I’ve seen some Toys R Us and Walmart exclusives on occasion. So maybe retail exclusives will become the mail-away offers of the modern era.

[@emjehobby]

Wow cool action figures

[@adamhanson1804]

I didnt' have any mail away figures in the 80s but in the 90s I had a mail away Johnny Quest figure and he ended up being my "go to" version of the character when I was playing with them.

[@MadisonCarter]

Hooded Cobra Commander (and Manta Ray) are about the only mail-ins I can remember getting as a kid. I was supposed to get the Sgt. Harris mail in figure from the Police Academy line, but he never arrived after I sent my stuff in. Years later, I got a couple of the Wizard Toy Biz exclusives.

[@DanielStJohn-jc1zt]

Great job.!! Fun subject to cover... and I'm glad you squeezed in Clark Kent from the Super Powers line.!! Good going..!!!

[@vintagetoykid9682]

The Mail-Away figures I remember ordering as a kid included hooded Cobra Commander, Super Trooper and the 1997 spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi . Such great memories of a much more fun and simpler time. I also recall ordering a Qui-Gon that came with some sort of creature he road around on.

[@Kaohsuing]

A very informative video. Thank you, Tony.

[@RCPropaganda]

You forgot to forget 😂😂😂 great video.

[@classicalvintagecollector]

That was very informative. Being that I was 15 years old when Return of the Jedi came out, my mail order items were pretty much Star Wars oriented. I was just showing my son today the display arena in the box that Kenner mailed it in.

[@Spacemonkey_Mafia]

I feel like Build-a-figures are the closest thing we have to a mail away these days. Growing up, the only mail away figure I distinctly remember getting was the ToyBiz Uruk-Hai from their Fellowship of the Ring line. Great video, Tony!

[@marklaurenzi1609]

That's a great looking royal mountie comment!

[@markmilner6729]

Another great video Tony I had the AM sentry box and later star wars accessory pack good memories

[@leesharp2140]

Mail aways were awesome, now all we get are friggin Hasbro Pulse exclusives etc! :( Had both Action Force mailed to me, wanted Steel Brigade mail away but that was the States, no internet back then, oh and the Fridge.... big thumbs up Tony! ;)

[@christophermoody6840]

I remember waiting 12 weeks! For a mail away G.I. JOE Hall of fame figure when I was 12 took forever. I also had and Still Have! That hooded Cobra Commander mail away figure. I couldn't have mailed away for it myself because I would have been like 3 years old at the time... My mom must have mailed away for it for me because I don't every remember how I got it... I've just always had it. Also here in the U.S. the Sargent Slaughter with the Tripple T tank was the retail version that came out later. The orginal mail away Sgt. Slaughter version had U.S.A. written across his tank top shirt.

[@brianartillery]

My brother got Action Man's dog - it's still in the loft, and he called it 'Max'. The last mail-away figures I got, were comparatively recently: I got the alien and throne from the 3.75" Hasbro 'Indiana Jones' series, and Indiana Jones and horse from the 'Adventure Heroes' line. Hell, I'm an adult, but the thrill of seeing those plain mailers was still there. I always thought that the Action Man stars should be stickers, sealed into the packaging, so that you had to have bought the item to get the stickers to fix to the collector card.

[@zathras61]

Great video Tony! I believe the people who thumbs down the video are still waiting for their Hooded Cobra Commander figure in the mail. Be patient kids, it’s coming. Mom and Dad wouldn’t lie to you!

[@shavanzar]

Neat video. Got in on only a couple of those, for many were US only (I am from Canada) Informative as always

[@thecelestialtoygazer7816]

Wish this was still a thing, I love getting packages from ebay and such

[@jamievaughn1485]

That last statement is so true. I buy almost all of my figures etc from online retailers or ebay. You just can't find them in stores outside of Lego. As a kid I remember seeing pegs full of Joes and now I have yet to ever see one in a store. Really sad times.

[@craigcharlesworth1538]

I feel like build a figures are the modern equivalent. They still encourage you to buy all the toys in a line but have the advantage that you don't need to wait 8 weeks for delivery.

[@jamespero6803]

Gi joe was the one toy line i got every mail away figure from.. I had all of em from duke and hoody coco to the fridge and steel brigade. By 88 i was getting to old i never got the super trooper

[@daschyt2225]

Top video Tony - Thank you! I remember being devastated that most Mail Aways were only available in the US and not to Australia.

[@cyborgroxx]

Great video! Awesome topic! I never knew that it traced back to Action Man. I'd say that you did a great job putting it all together. Very informative.

[@impossiblepie]

The one i remember the most is the hooded cobra commander, i remember looking through the blue catalog! Great childhood memories, great video Tony ! In this day and age is it even possible to do mail aways today? I guess online exclusives have taken the mail aways place.

[@Punisher6654]

Good video, love your knowledge on vintage Toys never a dull moment on this channel. Keep up the good work Tony.

[@darthroger860]

Man I will never forget sending in for my Boba Fett. It seemed like it took forever for it to finally arrive.

[@eltenda]

Very interesting video!

[@karlrudy4241]

Brilliant video Tony, very informative. Great to see Palitoy leading the way.

[@tycondrius23]

great video . the only mail away toys I ever got was dragster and one of the aerialbots from a weetabix promotion and I remember it taking ages for them to arrive . always wanted the gi joe stuff but I seem to recall it was UK only and ROI was excluded from it :(

[@Ksknight100]

Another excellent video mate. Used to stalk the postman waiting for my mail aways to arrive...

[@Michael_Johnson_5446]

Took me 30 years to get that Clark Kent mail-away.

[@alexzoltan]

Hey Tony you forgot... OH WAIT! Amazing video man once again. Thanks for the great content. Peace from Greece!

[@billrules8716]

Very, very good point, Tony! When all figures are exclusive, none of them are. Everything is watered down.

[@robertbeard8207]

Remember being so excited when the mail aways arrived. Think the Scorpion tank had almost enough stars for a free Action Man! Had to buy another Sand Person to get the Boba Fett figure. Looked like Palitoy tried the star scheme again with the 'Bounty Hunter' promotion that never really went anywhere.

[@iand9952]

Great job tony. I have both action force commanders and the emperor from rtoj. I think there might have been a weapons pack as well. Sadly the hooded cobra commander is no more

[@renegadebiker24]

Tony, I wanted you to know that when it comes to collecting by online can be a great thing, however, there's a problem in most neighborhoods as porch pirates will follow the delivery drivers, and make their moves in snatching and grabbing a package from the porch, and if the delivery happens when the homeowner is not home, that's when they strike, and even though some homeowners have cameras like RING, that really don't stop these porch pirates. I suggest that you include in one of your upcoming videos on ways to stop these porch pirates. One way is to have what I have. It is the Bench Sentry, and I talk about it on my channel called "My Recent Purchase To Stop Neighborhood Porch pirates" on my channel. It is a must, I think, for most collectors that get their collections from online stores. The Bench Sentry that I have has been a life saver, because I usually order online, and it is great to know that the package I had ordered, will be there when I get home from work and Uber. This next month will be a busy time for me when it comes to collecting, and I don't want these neighborhood porch pirates snatching and grabbing my collection, and I think that other collectors should research Bench Sentry. Once the delivery driver drops the package in the Bench Sentry, it locks after each delivery, and the only way to open it after that, requires either the last 4 numbers of the tracking number, or for the owner to use the app to open it and retrieve the package. When it locks, it looks like a Bench, so no neighborhood porch pirate sees any package on the porch. I have been a victim of neighborhood porch pirates twice, and that's what prompted me to first get the Doorbox, but I saw how the mailman would leave the package next to the Doorbox and not use it except for one time. Now, the Bench Sentry is better than the Doorbox, because, not only is it unlocked at the beginning of the day, but as soon as the package is delivered, it locks. No porch pirate will steal something that is not there.

[@SmugglersCanyon]

I think you're right mate, sadly mail aways are a thing of the past 😔 legitimately sad, to think that future kids will never experience this!

[@MrUncledarth]

Great video Tony. I have very fond memories of getting Boba Fett and 4 Lom back in the day.

[@kblinn68]

i had the mail in star wars bossk & boba fett.i sent away for these when i was around 10 & 12

[@andrewgrant2990]

When you said the line that used this concept the best I half expected you to tease us with My Little Pony! LOL Seriously another great brief, but in depth video covering the mail away phenomenon back in the day! I thought this was an awesome concept & I loved getting the new/ mystery items even the cereal ones. I really wish they did stuff like this today as it would feel like the fans were getting something more. Maybe one day Bobby's Brigade could take on the Boba Fett set from another (Toy) Galaxy! Thanks for another great video!

[@OldManTheseDays]

Mail always were such a BRILLIANT idea. The first I ever got was Boba Fett (like about everyone I’m sure). The last was the Spirit of Obiwan statue Hasbro/Kellog did.) That was truly an agonizing wait. What a way to keep a kid engaged with a line tho.

[@313cardcollections6]

The only ones I managed is Sgt.Slaughter and Hooded Cobra Commander, oh and Duke.