G.I. Joe Star Brigade Payload (v3) AFA 85 ** POP 2, Highest Grade ** (Hasbro, 1993). Payload returned to the carded l...

Description

G.I. Joe Star Brigade Payload (v3) AFA 85 ** POP 2, Highest Grade ** (Hasbro, 1993). Payload returned to the carded line in Series 12 as part of the 1993 Star Brigade subset, shifting the veteran astronaut into the line's deep-space combat era. This v3 figure was created using the same mold as Eco-Warriors Barbecue from 1992, giving the Star Brigade pilot a repurposed suited body for orbital action. This example features the earlier cardback variation showing a painted Payload prototype among the six Star Brigade figures, with a noticeably different helmet from the final produced figure, making the package itself an important production-history detail. Originating from the collection of former Hasbro executive Derryl DePriest. Graded AFA 85 NM+ with subgrades of C85 B85 F85, this example ranks as the highest grade on the population report, shared with one other, with none graded higher. Payload spent his childhood watching rockets climb over Cape Canaveral. Bring this POP 2 highest-grade example home before it leaves orbit.

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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