SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: A Partial History of Action Figures

What It Covers

The evolution of action figures from GI Joe's 1964 debut through Star Wars and beyond, including manufacturing processes, Reagan-era deregulation that enabled toy-based cartoons, and the collectibles market for rare figures.

Key Questions Answered

• •GI Joe Origins: Stan Weston sold the soldier doll concept to Hasbro for $100,000 in 1963, creating the first action figure at 12 inches with 21 moving parts. The term "action figure" replaced "doll" to market to boys, following Barbie's successful accessories model.
• •Size Evolution: Action figures shrank from 12 inches to 3.75 inches starting in 1974 with Japan's Microman, driven by oil crisis economics. Kenner's Star Wars line at this smaller scale sold 300 million units from 1978-1985, generating $100 million annually in peak years.
• •Reagan Deregulation Impact: In 1980, Reagan appointed FTC leadership that eliminated restrictions on advertising to children, allowing toy-based cartoons like GI Joe and Transformers. War toy sales increased 350 percent from 1983-1984 after informal bans were lifted, creating the cartoon-merchandise model.
• •Manufacturing Process: Action figure production takes approximately two months, with two-thirds of time spent creating master molds. Injection molding creates visible seams but preserves detail, while rotational molding eliminates seams but loses fine features, explaining early Star Wars figure quality limitations.
• •Collectible Value Drivers: Rarity determines value more than quality. The unreleased rocket-firing Boba Fett sold for $18,000, while double-telescoping lightsaber figures command premium prices. Production errors like GI Joe's facial scar became copyright protection when human figures couldn't be legally protected.