Ron Conner and Derek Anderson's G.I. Joe Books
Believe it or not, there was a day and time when the internet wasn't even a dream...back then toy collecting provided a certain challenge and a certain motivation to really track down information, rare pieces, and other things that people had perhaps not even heard of without the internet to tie all countries together.
Now that everyone has a computer and has instant access to all corners of the globe, information is at your fingertips, and looking at that rare Brazilian exclusive is only a few keyboard strokes away. But even with YoJoe, JoeIndex, and many other online resources out there, something still needs to be said for the feeling of a magazine clutched in your hands, which you can use to track your collection, drool over items you may never own, or just as an instant-access source of information when you might not be in front of your monitor.
Ron Conner and Derek Anderson, of Back in the Day Toys have produced a series of volumes that really takes a good look at the Joeline from '95 on, and even cooler than that, provides an entire volume devoted to international collectibles, something that a lot of fans don't know a whole lot about. Thankfully, Ron and Derek both know a metric TON about it, and have decided to share some of this knowledge with us, which is very, very cool. Even someone like myself, who has been pretty in depth in the Joe collecting field for two and a half decades, can find something new with every read, and I think it's a terrific resource.
Back in the Day Toys has produced three total volumes of resource guides (to date), and I'll give you a little look at each one of them here.
Volume One
Volume One jumps right into the fire, giving us the first paper-bound in depth look at the international world of G.I. Joe collecting. The book is broken down into several different sections based on country, and sorted alphabetically, so it's very easy to coast through the book and find exactly what you're looking for. However, they also break down exactly how to tell which figures are from which countries based on physical characteristics of those figures, even if they look remarkably similar on the surface. There is a bunch of knowledge to be found in these pages, even if you're not necessarily interested in the world of international collecting. Of course, those folks who ARE interested in this avenue of Joe collecting, this resource is quite simply necessary.
Along with a plethora of details about scaling Joes for sale (or collecting), there are more pictures in this book than I've seen in many other Joe books of larger size. There are pictures of pretty much any international varient you may have heard of regardless of rarity, and many of the most rare figures are shown in many different states of completion. Figures like the "Argen 7" (shown above) are displayed with all accessories in great condition, and are items that many collectors might not ever see in person, but in this easy to carry volume you can look at them all you want.
Every single country you can think of is covered in great detail, and Ron and Derek make sure to dive into the stuff that collectors want to see. Yet, they still manage to focus on some of the more similar figures as well, showing a desire for a very complete volume. The image on the left shows figures like Mutt, Spirit, and Doc who are very similar, yet also shows great detail on COBRA De Aco, one of the more notorious international rarities. The page on the right above, shows the infamous European exclusive Tiger Force figures, among others. The authors know which figures are the most desirable and interesting, and go to great lengths to focus on those figures.
There is simply a wealth of information in this first volume, with lots of pictures, tons of comparison shots, and more terrific detail than you can shake a stick at. I have read through this book a dozen times already, and I continue to find more interesting items and information. It is without a doubt worth a purchase in my mind, and I think if you are even the most slightly interested in how G.I. Joe was produced in other countries, you simply MUST pick up this book and check it out. You will not regret it at all. Considering what is out there right now for 3 3/4" Joes (meaning next to nothing) books like this can really help continue to spark your imagination and reinvigerate your interest in the Joe brand over all. I highly, highly recommend this book, which is available from Back in the Day Toys here. If my review hasn't yet convinced you either, you can also see a terrific multiple page preview of this volume here as well.
Volume Two
Pretty much every collector out there is well aware of James DeSimone's book, and Mark Bellomo's book, and they both do terrific jobs covering everything you want to know about G.I. Joe figures from 1982-1994, but what a lot of people don't realize is that there are actually MORE figures that have been released in the Joe line from 1997-2006 than there were in those first twelve years. Up til now there really hasn't been much coverage of that time period. I'm not sure why that is, but whatever the reasoning, Ron Conner has bridged that gap, starting with this volume. Ron and Derek have actually gone a step further, too, by making this volume a 1995-2003 book, so we get some great information about unproduced items that were supposed to be released back in 1995.
The authors spend considerable time focusing on classic sculpt variants, unproduced items and prototypes, which is terrific, in my opinion. Those folks who have been collecting for a long time and have seen pretty much every produced item out there still have a lot to look forward to within these pages. But those folks who perhaps are new to the game can just check out the released items and get all of the knowledge they need as well. They pretty much cover it all.
Beyond the unproduced items and prototypes, Ron and Derek cover every single classic and new sculpt item within these pages, showing them all with every accessory and every little alteration you can think of. Their organization methods are easy to follow, and you get a neat glimpse at new sculpt unproduced items as well as the classic stuff from '95. Some of this stuff is quite interesting to see and it's all collected in one central location.
Volume 2 does a fantastic job covering the entirety of the Joe series from '95-'03 and there are over 500 pictures in this volume alone! Breaking up the releases into these years allows the writers to really put some great focus on the figures here, and you end up with a terrific resource you can carry with you anywhere. Definitely check out Back in the Day's Volume 2 preview here, which has some larger pictures in place. You can order the book here.
Volume Three
Volume Three takes a look at the most recent run of G.I. Joe figures, from 2004-2006. At first glance it seems like there really shouldn't be much out there...I mean it only covers two years, right? Well, you'd be very surprised at just how much stuff is crammed into this one volume. Of course the entire run of regular release figures is in here in great detail, as well as a bunch of unproduced items, all of the Convention figures, and anything you can imagine.
Everything from convention release figures to Toys "R" Us exclusives, to very current new release items is in this book. As you can see on the top right hand page above, Ron and Derek have even managed to get early samples of Wave 4 figures to make sure this book is as up to date as possible. Even though the book was made months ago, it is 100% current up to this minute (at least until the two new six-packs come out). Each figure is mixed in with "Fun Facts", full accessory compliments and as much detail as humanly possible.
Of course, as with everything, things change quite a bit over the years, so previous volumes may need some updating, and the writers are certain to do that here with Volume Three, as they touch back on the International releases and updates from Volume One. More International variants are posted here, as are the absolute latest in Convention Exclusive items and the somewhat hard to find Built To Rule offerings.
As we've come to expect from Back in the Day Toys as well, this volume covers all sorts of great unproduced items and "Midnight Chinese" test shots. Some of these test shots are more interesting than the final versions we got, and it's really awesome to see a focus on some of these items that may never be seen on retail store shelves. A lot of this stuff may never be found by collectors, so this is a great thing to include in here for fans to check out. Not only that, but while there isn't enough room for tons of pictures of other items, Ron and Derek also include checklists for vehicles, 12" figures, and Sigma 6 items, just to round out the volume nicely. If these smaller pictures aren't detailed enough, check out the Volume Three preview here, and as usual, you can order the book as well, here.
Back in the Day Toys has managed to grind out three excellent paper-based volumes that are easy to carry, easy to use, and 100% fun to just look through and remember. There are an absolute ton of pictures within, some great details, and lots and lots of other interesting tidbits of information. I cannot recommend these three volumes enough, I think collectors will have more fun reading through these than they might think.
While the International Volume (Volume One) is my personal favorite, I think each one has it's appeals to each audience, and I will not hesitate in the least to fully recommend each volume for purchase. With all of the pictures, all of the details, and all of the information, these three books will keep you captivated for a long, long time.