When an action figure aisle was an action figure aisle. Someone posted this picture to Facebook. Go ahead, cry. I nearly did...

Yeah, this picture usually pops once or twice a year when there's nothing new coming out or that distribution is at it's worst.

The game sure as changed a lot in the last 30 years.
There seems to be more toy companies/lines and there's a lot more platforms of entertainment available yet there's still only 24 hours in a day and most of them are used up with work/school and sleep so there only a few hours left to "play".

Plus back then, GI Joe seemed to be THE toy line. No matter where you went, you could always find someone who played with Joes. Even if you moved away and went to a new school, you could make friends through GI Joe. I lived it.

There's probably a similar game/toy that's popular with a lot of kids these days as well. The kids I know are all into Pokemon cards.

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Pokemon!? STILL?!??! Good grief.

Honestly, I can't think of a single action figure line that's granted THIS much space anymore. Not even Star Wars.

Sort of thing that makes a person want a time machine -- and a time-displaced expense account.

Part of the shelfspace difference is that no toyline produces anywhere near this amount of product.

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Not that i don't also have fond memories of stocked toy aisles in every store, but i'd like to play a little devils advocate...

We always regard those times as "better" and the kids better off. But were they?

I know kids now are more into video games. I was pretty into video games back then as well, and that hobby led me down a path that placed me in a pretty good career as an engineer.

No idea what the numbers would be, but i would bet that a lot more people are drawn to IT/Engineering careers by video games than are placed on their respective career paths by action figures.

That being said, i'd also like a ride in one of those time machines to about 84 and 85

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I don't want to overstate the matter, and you've probably got a good point (look at all the people that went into science, especially space science, as a result of the original Star Trek), but I've never believed that every aspect of a child's life had to be something directed towards his future.

I suppose this is a bit of a sore spot with me because of my own father. I think he would've been entirely content if I'd never had any toys, unless there had been an action figure of a business executive. As far as he was concerned, every toy I ever owned was a waste of time.

And then there was that day when I was in high school, and came back to discover that my parents had gone into my room, and systematically removed nearly every single toy, and thrown them out. I lost a huge collection of Megos, some Major Matt Masons, my original Captain Action, some Big Jims, as well as some Hot Wheels, Matchbox, and board games, because my parents (especially my father) decided it was time for me to "grow up".

Okay, in the long run, that didn't work out too well. But even so, I've never forgotten that incident, and I've told this story to any friends of mine that have ever become parents, and then said -- don't EVER do this to your child.

And I'd still rather give a child any of the items shown in that photograph, than one more piece of beeping electronic junk.

My son and his friends and cousins are all about LEGO. And LEGO is the only thing I can think of that comes anywhere near that photo.

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Good point. And according to several reports I've encountered, it's the #1 toy in the world.

Here's a screenshot from a movie. Similar.

I've got more like the first one I need to dig them up.

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Here's some more. Not necessarily all Joe related, but I'll keep looking.

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Here's a great one!

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Awesome pictures -- and check out that one with all the 12" stuff!

a screenshot from The Legend of Billie Jean

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Here's another great one.

Those days were ok but not really since I was a kid with no job and no money and had to depend on the kindness of my parents for toys, which they were very kind. Payment for chores around the house was a roof over my head and if bills made Dad's paycheck a little thin, then there were no toys to be had and I was left just staring at those toys.

Mid 2000's were much better for me. I'm an adult and I'm working a fulltime job and got my bills in line. Freakin' disposable income!!! HasbroToyShoppe.com just opened up and they always had joe stuff and I could order multiples and get them sent right to my door. No driving around and hoping the stores had what I wanted.

But that didn't last either.

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