With her head turned to the right, as though surveying the medical equipment displayed alongside her in the window box, the nurse in crisp medical whites does not look like the typical combat-ready soldiers normally conjured by the name “G.I. Joe.” Nonetheless, she was the focus of a battle as bidders competed to win her at Cordier’s April 23 G.I. Joe Auction.
The auction featured hundreds of G.I. Joe action figures, many of them, like the nurse, in the original boxes. All came from the same single-owner collection. The 1967 nurse was the highlight of the auction, selling to a bidder online for $4,200. A second nurse without the original box sold for $1,300.
In total, over 400 lots were sold, including a 1969 G.I. Joe Aquanaut in the original box, which brought $1,400, and a 1966 G.I. Joe Action Soldier Green Beret, which sold for $1,200. Overall, the highest performing items were all from G.I. Joe’s early days.
Hasbro introduced the G.I. Joe line in 1964. In response to the then commonly held belief that boys should not play with dolls, the company used the term “action figure” in its marketing. The toys grew to be so iconic that G.I. Joe was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y., in 2003.
Other high points of the sale included a 1964 G.I. Joe Black Action Soldier, one of the first toys of its kind to be marketed specifically to African-American children. Mint in the original box, it brought $850.
The sale was held at the company’s Harrisburg, Pa., auction house, with bidders participating both live and online. Prices reported are hammer prices and do not include buyer’s premium.
For additional information, visit www.CordierAuction.com.