Action force toys

We buy Action Force Toys

After the success of GI Joe in the US as the first doll for boys, Palitoy launched Action Man in the UK in 1966 under their Action Force brand. The first versions of Action Man were almost identical to GI Joe, but over time Palitoy began making adjustments to make the figures more British.

Action Man figures from 1970 onwards included flock hair instead of painted hair which was considered more realistic for its time. Also added to Action Man at this point were gripping hands in 1973. This would come in useful for a range of accessories.

In 1976 Hasbro added the development of moving eyes by way of a lever at the back of the neck and this was later copied by Palitoy.

In 1978 Action Man had a body upgrade, becoming more noticeably muscular and tanned. Where GI Joe had faded in the United States around 1977, Action Man held out until 1984 in the United Kingdom.

Although Action Man had a brief reappearance in 1992, Hasbro launched an all new Action Man range based on a fantasy theme instead of a military one between 1993 and 2006.

Since then, Action Man has seen various revivals of its vintage form with a 40th Anniversary re-issue from Modellers Loft and subsequent new generation models from Art & Science International.

If you’ve got one or more of the following, we could be interested!