| In this article we're going to discuss a doll that was | | | | If a boy wanted accessories for his fighting man he |
| made specifically for boys, the classic G.I. Joe. | | | | had to buy them separately. The doll itself sold for |
| Back in the late 50s and early 60s dolls were just not | | | | around $5.00. But where Hasbro really made its |
| something that boys played with. Your typical doll, | | | | money was on the various accessories and uniforms |
| even before Barbie came out, was a baby doll, | | | | that you could get for the doll. |
| maybe with a bottle and rattle. These dolls were | | | | The accessories were sold in flat packages as |
| made specifically for girls because boys didn't play | | | | opposed to the dolls which were sold in boxes. The |
| with dolls. If they did, they were looked at as sissies. | | | | accessories usually sold for about $1.50. Some were |
| So Hasbro had its work cut out for them. They | | | | more and some were less. They were usually sold in |
| already had great success with their Barbie Doll but | | | | logical sets. For example, there was the infantry set |
| wanted to break into the doll market for boys if it | | | | which came with an M1 rifle, belt, helmet and hand |
| was at all possible. After a lot of thought and careful | | | | grenades. Most accessory packages didn't contain |
| research, Hasbro decided that if they were going to | | | | more than 3 or 4 items in it. Some accessories, like |
| make a doll for boys to play with then it was going | | | | the sandbags, came alone. Hasbro made a mint with |
| to have to be a doll that ONLY boys would want to | | | | these as there were just so many of them. |
| play with. It had to be tough and rugged, just like | | | | Aside from accessories, you could also buy different |
| boys were supposed to be. So in 1964, Hasbro | | | | uniforms for G.I. Joe. You could dress him up as a |
| introduced the first doll made specifically for boys, | | | | Marine, Sailor or Pilot. In later years you could dress |
| the G.I. Joe Doll and ever since, it has been one of | | | | him up as an astronaut and even get a space capsule |
| the most popular dolls in history. | | | | for him. The capsule was quite a piece and sold for |
| G.I. Joe was indeed tough and rugged. The doll stood | | | | about $10. Back then that was a lot of money. |
| one foot high and had moveable joints so that it | | | | In the late 60s, with growing outrage against the war |
| could be posed in a number of ways. He was a | | | | in Vietnam, G.I. Joe became a very controversial |
| private in the United States Army and came with | | | | figure. But Hasbro had won its own war. Boys were |
| dog tags and boots and that was it. He was a pretty | | | | totally taken by the doll and it went on to become |
| bare bones doll for boys to play with. And therein lies | | | | one of the best selling dolls of all time even though it |
| the genius of Hasbro's thinking. | | | | only appealed to one segment of the child population. |