G.I. Joe Grunt 11-Back AFA 80 (Hasbro, 1982). A straight-shooting infantryman and one of the original thirteen, Grunt...

Description

G.I. Joe Grunt 11-Back AFA 80 (Hasbro, 1982). A straight-shooting infantryman and one of the original thirteen, Grunt is the kind of soldier every mission leans on, steady, capable, and always in the thick of it. This v1 straight-arm release captures the figure in its earliest form, before articulation changes reshaped the line in 1983. Issued on an 11-Back card, this version reflects one of the first packaging updates to the inaugural lineup, expanding the character roster on the reverse and marking the rapid growth of the G.I. Joe universe in its debut year. Graded AFA 80 NM with subgrades of C80 B80 F85, this example ranks as the fourth-highest grade on the population report, with only nine graded higher. Grunt doesn't wait for orders to matter; he's already in position when things start to go wrong. Now's the time to bring him into your ranks.

More Information: Derryl DePriest is a longtime toy industry executive and pop culture historian who served as Vice President of Global Brand Management at Hasbro from 2001 to 2018, overseeing major initiatives for Star Wars and G.I. Joe during a transformative era for collector-focused product. During his tenure, Hasbro launched key lines including The Vintage Collection and the 6-inch Star Wars: The Black Series, both of which reshaped modern action figure presentation and articulation standards. A lifelong G.I. Joe enthusiast and recognized liaison between Hasbro and the collector community, DePriest later authored Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Archive Edition and has contributed extensively to documenting the history of G.I. Joe. Items offered from his collection reflect the perspective of an executive who helped guide some of the most influential collector-driven brands of the modern era.


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