This is what $13,200 worth of GIjOE equipment looks like. The eye-popping auction price of this Magnum Power set shocked many fans, prompting such intellectual reaction as, “WTF?!” (Photo: jelibeli)
Final price stuns Experts
Saturday, June 8th, 2013, was a red-letter day for GIjOE and ebay. An unprecedented sale of a NRFB Magnum Power uniform set fetched a whopping total of $13,200 for its seller in one of the most noteworthy GIjOE sales EVER. The set in question is truly a beautiful piece. It is obviously in very nice condition and has somehow remained unopened and unused since its date of manufacture. Surprisingly, the seller kept his description very simple, almost blasé, saying only:
“For sale is a 1975 Hasbro GIjOE Magnum Power Adventure set. This set contains: jacket and pants, magnum rifle with 3 removable scopes, map and case, binoculars, bullet-proof vest and walkie-talkie. The contents are obviously in like-new condition. The packaging shows signs of wear. It would be considered fair to good condition.”
A fully dressed Magnum Power seems stunned by the final price of his distinctive camo outfit. “13 Gs? Really?. I knew I looked good, but WOW!” (Photo: Paul Nordstrom)
When the gavel came down on the final bid, fans over on the Trenches forum were shocked by the set’s ultimate selling price. Initial reactions were predictably short and swift:
“Freaking nuts!” —GIjOEBill
“Insane!” —Fishbulbs
Once the dust had settled, other fans jumped in and offered their own, more contemplative viewpoints:
“Like anything, it’s worth what a person is willing to pay for it. I have to assume a buyer willing to pay this kind of price must already have about everything else in his collection. I mean, I can’t imagine this being a ‘starter piece,’ y’know? Like the Air Security piece, I’m glad to see these things surface every once in a while. It’s good to know they’re still out there!” —Wayne
“This is the ONLY known packaged copy of this set in private hands. The repros that the Club put out were based on two sets found in the Hasbro archives. Before those were found, no one had seen a packaged Magnum Power set since the 1970s! Is it worth the money? Not to me. But if you’re a super-mega-high-end collector, this is one of those GIjOE Holy Grails. It will be interesting to see if this price brings any more sets out of hiding.” —Escapecar
“If I didn’t have 3 kids to put through college, I would have considered it myself. An amazing piece and an amazing price! Hope both the seller and buyer are happy.” —BarryK
This screenshot captures a moment in ebay and GIjOE history that fans will not soon forget.
Bottom Line: NRFB vintage GIjOE sets are scarcer than hen’s teeth. Whenever one is found it’s news. Whenever one sells for this much dough, it’s BIGGER news. Congratulations to both the buyer and seller. You’re now a part of GIjOE history!
