Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994
by Mark Bellomo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark BellomoEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-06
ISBN: 0873416694
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Krause Publications
Book Reviews of Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994
Book Review: Excellent reference guide - if perhaps a little sterile
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this book following a rather comprehensive comparison and evaluation between this book and other "similar" products. For my needs, this was the perfect book for me and I'm very pleased with my purchase from Amazon. The obvious reason to choose this book over any of the alternatives is if your interests lie exclusively with the 3-3/4" G.I. Joe line. For the convenience of those reading this review, I will begin with what I liked about the book and what I wish would have been included.
I'll be honest, the primary reason I purchased this book was for the color illustrations. With over 250 pages of incredibly detailed (and clear) photos, I was very impressed with the presentation and layout. I was pleasantly surprised with the 2-3 sentences on each character - as they nicely tied together the toy line, cartoon series, and comics. I will have a bit more to say about the pictures in my portion on suggestions for improvement (perhaps a 2nd edition?)
While I agree with other readers that the price guide may not be entirely accurate - it is, nevertheless, useful for gauging the relative prices among the figures. For that reason, no matter how seemingly inaccurate the prices may be, I appreciated some measure of the toys' value.
To be sure, there were a few instances when this book didn't meet my expectations. Nevertheless, I awarded this book a 5-star rating because, while there are some things I sorely missed from this edition, those things that it did present were done so well.
While I previously lauded over the quality of the images in the book, like other reviewers I took exception to the "bird's-eye" angle used for the vast majority of the vehicle images.
This brings me to my next point - I think the book would have been perfect as a reference guide (and I do mean perfect) if it included more box art. I firmly believe that a gallery of figure file cards, as found on the back of each packaged toy, would have really made this book complete. For comparison's sake, Tomart's price guides for Star Wars figures do this and I find it extremely helpful in identifying variants.
Lastly, I would have really enjoyed more anecdotal accounts about the 3-3/4" G.I. Joe line. In the book's defense, it does open with a few paragraphs about the toys and the series itself. However, the book felt very sterile - which was odd given that it was written for a very passionate fan base. Perhaps highlighting the collections of, say, 5 of the largest G.I. Joe collections would have made the book seem less lifeless. Similarly, I think the book would have been improved by including a section recounting the production and development of the toys themselves. There are a few instances when production variants are raised - and I think giving a step-by-step of the creation of the toys would have been great. On a related note, [...] (which is credited in the book) has a very thorough section dealing with prototypes and I would have loved to have seen that in this book.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book if you are interested exclusively in the 3-3/4" G.I. Joes and no other aspects of the G.I. Joe universe. The book is very comprehensive and brings together the entire toy line in an easy-to-read book with clear, color images. As a reference guide I think it is nearly perfect (though without box art and file cards).
Summary of Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994
Introduced in the 1980s, the 3 3/4-inch G.I. Joe became an instant hit. Today, the first run of these action figures (1982-1994) has become one of the hottest collectibles in the toy-collecting hobby. The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994 is the must-have resource for enthusiasts, with more coverage than any other book available.This comprehensive, full-color reference features 1,000 brilliant photos, identification information and current collector pricing for 350 action figures and 240 vehicles and accessories.
-The most comprehensive coverage available anywhere -1,000 full color, detailed photos -Coverage of 350 action figures and 240 vehicles and accessories, with current pricing and identification information
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