Are there accessories that just don't fit into your Joe-verse for whatever reason? I have a few in mine, mostly technology based.
For example, Mainframe's 'portable' computer, which was high-tech and fancy in 1986, just looks ridiculous today, so it gets stored away and he carries a PTE laptop. I also don't use Firefly's walkie-talkie, because with modern cellular technology and 2-way radios, I don't see him carrying an old walkie like that. I do sometimes use it as a remote for explosives and such. I have others, but that should work as an example for now.

For some reason, while outdated tech bothers me, I don't have a problem with outdated vehicles or weapons. Vehicles that should've been retired years ago, or guns that haven't been used since the '60's are just fine for my guys.

Very interesting stuff. I have to admit I'm a stickler for organization, if figures were issued with certain accessories, that's what they will use. One of the highlights of the G.I. Joe toyline was the unique individual accessories.

I do make the rare exception: like giving the 25th Twins bronze versions of their pistols (from some DVD Cobra Troopers) because I didn't like the original green colours they were issued. Or I'd augment a figure with an accessory I know they should have: like giving 25th Shipwreck v1 his comic pack version's grapple hook thingie, or my Snake Eyes and uzi from Marauder's Inc. because I didn't like the one he was originally issued.

But I do agree with you, Mainframe's gigantic computer with foot-stands is really bothering me. I will eventually give him a laptop and break my unwritten rule.

As for the walki-talkies like Firefly's (I've also got two black ones for the Twins), I like to think of it as an 80s cell phone, and they still work fine for this scale. If we were to have an ipod touch or blackberry in 1:18 scale it would be pretty much a rectagle piece of plastic and indistinguishable. So i think the walkie-talkie/80s cell phone still has merit.

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I don't much care for backpacks to be honest. They just seem sort of in the way most of the time. I keep them and stuff, but I rarely put them on the figures, unless they are super cool or hold swords or something. Obviously there are exceptions, because I love v1 Beachhead's pack, but for the most part, they are just a nuisance

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oh I know of another accessory I don't use - crappy animals!

I know it's unrealistic for Hasbro to package a real 1:18 scale croc with Croc Master, but I had it with his baby-crocs:

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It used to bother me when a guy came with three weapons, but he only has two hands. What the heck do I do with the extra weapon?? It really sucks when there is nowhere on his gear to put it. Like Redstar from the ARAH line. Because of that missile launcher and doube barrelled mini-gun thing on his other wrist, I have to pinch his rifle between his body and pack just so I dont lose it. Luckily there was a place for his knife or I wouldve had a fit!

It drove me nuts that almost every Cobra army builder from VvV and DTC came with some guns, then a knife too and nowhere to put it. So in my parts box I have a compartment full of those damn things.

All my figures are displayed, and overall I try to display them with everything they came with. But in the case of a ground mounted missile launcher or catapault, there isnt enough room so they get put away. Sonic backpacks are too bulky as well. But if I ever did a battle scene, I would drag out all that stuff and use it.

Here are a few I never used:

Salvo's Mine shooting gun.

Capt Grid Irons, helmut, football nades

Roadpigs hand crossbow.

Snake eyes blow gun

Mace helmut

Muskrats machette and Surf board

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I totally pick and choose. None of my ARAH figures are actually out on display, but I keep all their accessories with them in drawers. That's just for completeness' sake though, since most of them get different stuff when they're out on display. With the new sculpt, post '94 ARAH molds, and 25th I have no real attachment to the weapons the figures came with, so they get whatever I feel appropriate. Anything too big, too awkward for a figure to hold (the exception there being Roadblock's M-2) or too unrealistic gets ditched. Same with stuff I don't feel fits the character (none of my Troopers have the Dragunov, because I don't see a sniper rifle as a rank and file weapon). With so many options for weapons and gear, I'd rather not limit myself just to Hasbro's offerings.

I thought Mainframes computer was outdated when it first came out when I was 10 years old. Just for the record, that 8-inch floppy drive on Mainframes computer was outdated even in 1986. By 1986 and most of the early 80s we were already using 5 1/4 - inch - I think we were even up to DD disks by then that could almost hold an entire Meg of data!

Wow, in my kids eyes, I grew up in the dark ages.

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See, I always thought it was a 5.25" drive on there, and when I was a kid, that was neat, because it looked like a 5.25" drive and a 3.5" drive right beside it, and the 3.5" drives were way cool because they had just come out.
Then in HS in the '90's, our computer teacher actually brought in one of the units this thing was based on, and it did indeed have the 5.25"/3.5" drives, and while technically portable, there's no way I'd want to carry that thing around for any length of time.

I hear you in the Mainframe computer. Mine kept the backpack but has a marauder laptop.

one accessory I hated was all the spring loaded missile launchers. I can understand Battle Corps Bazooka having one,.. but why would Cross Country and Dial Tone need one? And Destro's "Pez Dispencer of death" got chucked immediately.

I also replaced a lot of the 25th figures with Marauder John or Tri gate Creations weapons.

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I have just one word for you: Sound Attack

Thosen giant clunky parachute packs that came with some of the coolest figures in the line such as Drop Zone. None of them could stand with them on and I couldn't even get the chute into the giant pack in the first place. The same could be said for the MC ones that are just tied to Jinx's backpack. No use.

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I've also replaced almost all of my guns with MJs. Some bbi, but the bbi guns are a different scale than MJs, so they don't look good together.
I chuck any spring loaded or neon weapon. Backpacks I'll usually keep. I usually have the figure with the equipment that would make him most effective. So no blowguns or spears or football grenades. No hand weapons scaled for vehicle or 1:6 use. I figured counter-terrorist teams move fast and hit hard. I tended to stay away from the more outrageous figs, so I didn't have to deal with some of the odder stuff.

Not just your kids, man,

LOL


What about the cobra la three pack, I never used the gun for my guards, the weird green thing for the enforcer, or golobulus' thing, either.


And to be completely honest, I never used the bat attachments, well, occasionally the claw, but mostly just the hand, or heck, even just the connector peg on some post 1987, lol.

And I loved backpacks, I'd load up all my cobras as if they were going camping, pile them in the hiss 2, where they would drive up to the end of my bed, next to the pillow and attempt to establish a camp, then those horrible joes would ambush them, I'd let them have guns and grenades, ammo, whatever, in their packs so they could hold out wagon train style against the joes.

Then again, My pal Billy and I also used to set up a joe training base and tape stuff to the walls, since the APC had stuff stuck to it, it made sense, lol.

One thing I love about the 25th a stuff, no more modded weapons.

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The thing with Mainframe's computer and Firefly's walkie talkie is that they are so outdated for their purppose that they actually work for the next wave of modern technology. Firefly's walkie talkie was an ok phone in the 80's and 90's, but now it works even better as a satellite phone which is much larger than the typical cell phone. Those aren't floppy disks on Mainframe's computer anymore, those are DVD r/w super drives and USB ports. You have to remember too, he isn't just trying to send out an email or check his My Space page in an airport. If he's on that thing he is probably trying to do one of the following: data system download, system command takeover, upload a virus, or protect against any or all of these things and probably somewhere without optimal wireless modem coverage. To do those sorts of things you need tons of memory and a lot of hard rive drive speed. Two areas where laptops are lacking.

The only items I never, ever have a use for are the neon colored weapons. I have them in a drawer in one of those screw drawer organziers and realized a couple fo days ago while looking for something that I never go in that drawer. Even with sound attack I've been able to cut the pegs off or use parts of the for custom weapons. The missile launchers don't get a lot of use but every once in a while I've been able to find uses for them because they have some great details molded onto them.

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