Stalkers thread about must have Joes got me thinking about my collecting, and I realized that I wouldn't enjoy my collection half as much without third party stuff.
For many of us MJ's products have revolutionized our collecting, but so have bbi, PTE, Trigate Creations, Broken Arrow, & others.

So are there must haves and what are they?

For me

1. MJ MP7
2. PTE Dune Buggy
3. PTE Canvas covered hummer
4. MJ M16A2
5. MJ M4
6. PTE Little Bird
7. PTE M1 Tank
8. Corps! Ambulance
9. Corps! six-wheeler (just made for Oktober Guard)
10. Corps! Hummer knockoff

I'm at work and shouldn't be posting but....
Here is my quick thinking list.

1-PTE Little Bird (a must for Destro and the IG's to recreate the Sierra Gordo comic) as well as uses for the Joes.
2-Bratz Limo- A versatile toy that could be tailor made for CC, Serpy, Headman or in my case Extensive Enterprises Crimson Twins ! Do some searching and see how Yo-Jo-a-go-go used his. Fantastic !
3-Corps! Ambulance- Ambulance/SWAT you decide !

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PTE watchtower
PTE HQ
PTE bridge set
MJ weapons, anything its just great stuff!

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Various Star Wars vehiceles and accessories, they make for good fodder and back drops.

Eversparkle-if you can find them, dio pieces and helms.

Corps vehiceles. ATK is a must have.

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1) pretty much everything marauder John has put out

2) ELite forces MRE Boxes

3) Indiana Jones Artifacts (and artifact boxes)

4) PTE little Birds and Blackhawk (without it, no Black Hawk Down reainactment can be done)

5) BBI Ground vehicles

6) co-sign on the Corps! jeep/humvee

7) Chap Mei Chinook and Transport copter

8) Corps! Accessories Sets (cause everyone needs barbed wire and rapid fire tanks)

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I am going to go rather generic here and simply say all PTE stuff and all Marauder stuff.

I can't think of anything that has added as much to this genre, as these two companies have. Vehicles, playsets, weapons, dio fodder, it's all golden, with little to no duds in either line.

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Any of Bbi's modern stuff (AH/MH-6s, much better than PT's, same goes for their Blackhawk)

21st Century's modern stuff. (UH-1, AH-1W Super Cobra, Bradley, Vietnam era tanks, M113)

If you don't mind fudging, 21st's WWII armor works too.

The Forces of Valor stuff that's Target's exclusive. Large, detailed and cheap, plus miles ahead of anything Hasbro will do.

The Corps! stuff is great, and still better than Hasbro. If you don't have issues with size Chap Mei makes lots of interesting vehicles and accessories.

In order.

MJ modular M4. This is the best 1:18 scale accessory ever made. Maybe Mola Rom's bearning heart fromtEmple of Doom will give it a run for its money once it is released but right now there isn't anythign even close. The fact this came from a small e-tailer instead of the big H is just mind blowing.

XD Bradley. Tons of detail. Tons of playability. Moving treads. Opening hatches. This toy is everything I wish a modern GI Joe tank could be.

PTE Tower. With the its simplicity and attention to detail (currogated roof and rope ladder) this thing harkens back to the golden age of ARAH GI Joe when mini playsets ruled the day.

PTE Blackhawk/F-18/Little Bird. I like all three of these for all the same reasons. They fill a huge void in the GI Joe line, add real world military equipment to my forces, and have just the right balance between playability and reaslistic features.

Honroable mention goes to the Galoob A-Team vehicles. The armored car specifically is afavorite of mine. http://www.toymania.com/334archives/ateam/car.htm

If I could find any at a decent price I'd probably include some Action Force/Red Shadows vehciels here too.

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Battlefield Earth Learning Chair makes a great Brainwave Scanner.
Star Wars Bacta Tank for Mindbender's Lab

The Eversparkle base. I really, REALLY wish I hadn't had to sell mine. Absolutely brilliant (it's completely customizable and modular)...I wish more companies would make things like this.

Everyone needs at least one Marauder piece in their collection. But if you can stop at one, there's something wrong with you.

Chap Mei Cobra Piranha rip-off boat. Obvious homage to the piranha, but much, much cooler and in better colors.

War Planets "bone" planet: perfect flight-orb for Golobulus.

Flash Gordon Ming's Jaws of Death throne: Perfect throne for CC or Serpentor.

Starriors Snake head playset: If you can find the damn thing. Great little cobra base.

Transformers Beast Machines Night Viper: Alt-mode is a robotic cobra. Good as a new type of BAT or something (I used the cobra head part in my Air Chariot custom)

Relic crates from Indiana Jones figures: Excellent dio fodder, and they're practically free.

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agreed on the corps humvee and ambulance.

I would add the black pearl, sure its useless, but its a giant pirate ship.

Otherwise, PTE HQ and A10.

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Yep - I found three of them at a KayBee's outlet a few years back - I those things. -- I need to start working them into my dios more often.

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I'll agree with the comment of everything that Marauder makes. The M14 EBR is a must have. The modular M4 is good for generic soldiers, but the real life M4 is utter phail. I wouldn't give it to any characters you actually like.

Hevy Hitters dirtbikes. I've had no trouble getting Joes to sit on these, with feet on pegs, butt on seat, and hands on handlebars. The spring for the rear suspension is too soft to support a Joe, but the pin that holds the swing arm on is easily pushed out, and put back in. You can get a suitable spring out of a cheap ink pen. The detail is great, and the main chunk of the body work is easily removeable for painting. Also, the helmet for the included figure will fit some Joe heads. Perfect scout vehicle.

Plenty of 1/18th scale Humvees out there, from a couple of different companies. Get one, and let your Joes ride in proper battle field style.

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Greyryder just reminded me....


those 1:18th scale motorcycles. especially the Harleys, perfect for Dreadnoks!

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Lil Bratz HIgh School
PTE HQ playset
Deathstar playset
Glamour girls Cruise ship
Robotech f-14

And the Limo Poet flint made mention of is actually a Scarface 1:18 Caddy

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