I grew up in a wealthy area with lots of spoiled kids in huge houses with massive basement playrooms, and we all loved GI Joe, and only one (1) kid had the USS Flagg

It was expensive, and so big that you absolutely had to have a full room devoted to it.

My buddy's USS Flagg had a sad fate though - he had a huge spend the night birthday party with like 15-20 dudes. We stayed up all night at these. One kid got off his Ritalin and freaked out, and in a fit of rage picked up the entire USS Flagg and threw it up into a ceiling fan, breaking both the Flagg and the ceiling fan.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49948349)

Excellent analysis. The 90s niche mega consoles did come close, but the real estate costs of the Flagg put it way over the top.

But in deepest proleland where I grew up, there were things where the toy itself wasn’t the status signal. One friend in particular had a well-graded dirt go-kart track through the wooded part of his family’s property. And, unlike every single other country kid, this kid’s dad kept the fleet of several go-karts in actual, no bullshit, working condition.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49948360)

The USS Flagg was fucking huge - like 7.5 feet long (90 inches long, 36 inches wide, and 32.5 inches tall), and 45 lbs. You couldn't move it aside to "store" it out of the way, it literally had to be the centerpiece of an entire room to do it right. Poor kids didn't have a "room" to do this in, and even houses with lots of land for go kart trails didn't necessarily have this.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49948911)

Also Cobra’s planes were much cooler than GI Joe’s, so we’d pretend Cobra captured the aircraft carrier and stocked it with those blue jets that had missles on the wings.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49948367)

However, the GI Joe Striker (f-14 Tomcat with folding wings and detractable landing gear) and the helicopter (a Marine Corps Super Cobra) with spinning blades. Both were so fucking cool

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49949029)

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49949350)

GI Joe was for real American kids, no shit libs at all

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49951312)

well that explains the discrepancy. 80s atlanta was on par with the northern rust belt. I grew up in a wealthy NYC suburb and went to private day school. playmobil and legos were the toys of choice.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49957962)

Playmobil is for everyone. While the toys were traditionally marketed to kids ages 4 to 12, they are entirely gender-neutral and universally recognized as inclusive. The brand has even released specific sets featuring same-sex parents and historical couples to reflect modern, diverse family dynamics. The appeal of Playmobil for any child—regardless of gender or sexual orientation—stems from a few key factors:

Imaginative Roleplay: Because sets are built around themes like castles, farms, space exploration, and city life, children use them to build narratives and explore their interests, not just reinforce rigid stereotypes.

Open-Ended Storytelling: Unlike heavily scripted media, Playmobil gives kids total control over the characters, allowing them to construct whatever family structures or social dynamics they can imagine.

Commitment to Diversity: Playmobil has made notable efforts to represent all types of families and mythical pairings, ensuring children can find figures that reflect the world around them.

The toys encourage problem-solving, social development, and creativity in any child who loves pretend play.

Also https://gaynation.co/new-playmobil-catalogue-includes-first-gay-couple/?srsltid=AfmBOooRbteTA3KDTmDpoX1LqCDgOtmnNpYT0LtkG7NCU76R5S9iZHFo

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49957996)

this speaks more to the fact playmobil still exists whereas gi joe is all but extinct.

(https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5875552&forum_id=2#49958064)