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GI Joe - First Navy Scuba Suit with Modified Male Doll (Hasbro, 1964). One stroke of genius that...

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Other Start Price:15,000.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 46,750.00 USD
GI Joe - First Navy Scuba Suit with Modified Male Doll (Hasbro, 1964). One stroke of genius that...
<TR><TD width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#79735c><FONT face=arial color=#ffffff size=3><B>Description</B> </FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff><FONT face=arial size=2><B>GI Joe - First Navy Scuba Suit with Modified Male Doll (Hasbro, 1964).</B></I> One stroke of genius that Don Levine and the early Hasbro marketing division insisted upon was that the GI Joe line must represent all four branches of the armed services -- Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Neglecting any of the major divisions would give a competitor the perfect "in" to imitate Joe's all-but-inevitable success by launching an identical product in different fatigues. Consequently, uniforms and accessories for all four services were part of the initial design process, and Levine was quite keen on a Navy scuba suit -- but only if the piece could be done right; i.e., manufactured out of rubber, rather than plastic or vinyl. Offered here is the very first prototype of the wetsuit, constructed from an inner tube and hand-sewn, including a front-loading zipper. The suit is modeled by a vintage male figure, an off-the-shelf item bought by the Hasbro development team for visualization purposes, before a prototype Joe figure was ready. The boyish face has been "butched" up a bit with a hand-applied five-o'clock shadow, and his hands and feet have been blackened in as well. There is some threading evident around his sideburns (perhaps a scuba mask was sewn onto the figure at some point?), and some flocking is missing; the left arm is broken in two at the elbow, and the left leg has been reinforced with a metal rod. The rubber is still soft, but has moderate crazing, especially on the back. But these are minor considerations which do not affect the impact of this key piece of Joe history. <I>From the personal collection of Don Levine, creator of GI Joe.</B></I> <B>Estimate: $25,000-up</B> </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><!--<a name="PricesRealized"></a> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bgcolor="#000000"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3"> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#79735C"> <a name="PR"> <font face="arial" size="3" color="#FFFFFF"> <b>Previous Prices from Heritage Auctions</b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#F6F6ED"> No Prior Data Recorded </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <font face="arial" size="1""> PLEASE NOTE: All prices realized reflect the final hammer price PLUS the buyer's premium in auctions that charge a buyer's premium. Each item has a notation at the top of the listing indicating whether that lot included a buyer's premium. Example: A item that sells with a final hammer price of $100 and a 15% buyer's premium will display with a price realized of $115. All information listed is intended to be as accurate as possible, but errors are possible. Please use this guide carefully and inform us of any inaccuracies. </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>
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