I read the newsletter Monday morning while waiting for my flight to Edmonton. It made the time fly by for me as I read the whole issue. I haven't been able to do that with MCs newsletter for some time now. The newsletter was a great read.
I had a good laugh when I saw Ed's review of the Consumers Distributing (CD) Cobra motorized tank because I was going to pick up one in Edmonton. It worked out for me and the seller off ebay as his house was in the same areas as my hotel. Considering I didn't sleep at all on Sunday night, worked a brutal 12-18 hour days (mind you I am on salary so I have to take it up the ass), picking up the CD Cobra motorized tank was the highlight of my trip. The low light was getting my crappy KIA rental stuck in a small snow bank at the rear of an industrial building that I was snooping around. Fitting to have a figure named Snow Bank in this issue
I had put off getting the Cobra motorized tank because I was never a fan of this mold (or any other MOBAT version). But knowing how this hobby works, I better try and get one now before the market really dries up. So I bid and won a complete CD tank off ebay last week. I won't consider this as a holy grail but it's sure nice to get another Canadian exclusive and keep it in Canada.
So today, after cleaning the sticker residue of the bottom of the CD tank, I went back and looked at Ed's review again. Ed is right, the black glossy plastic enables the molding highlights to stick out better than the green M.O.B.A.T. My opinion of the mold has changed slightly as it's not all that bad. Still not worth the price tag I paid for it (15 bucks is a steal Ed). And considering I have no urge to own another one or army build it, this tank will be indeed Cobra Commander's personal tank.
And I wasn't a fan of Consumers Distributing's system. I remember the first GI JOE figure I wanted was Snow Job in 1983. He was displayed on the Polar Battle Bear in the 1983 catelog. Considering my mom hardly knew English, we both went up to the counter for help. I pointed to the area on the catelog with Snow Job. So the person at CD helped us and I thought I got Snow Job. Remember he was on the cover of the Polar Battle Bear box. I get home and find out it's just the vehicle. I probably whine or cried or something as my mom had a hunch this wasn't what I wanted. She took it back and exchanged it for Snow Job (some how). That was the last time I ever remebered going into CD to get a GI JOE toy. After that it was Zellers, Bi Way and TRU. And I do remember Toys R' Us as a kid as they where in my area in 1986. It's where I picked my X-Mas presents (H.A.V.O.C. and Wetsuit).
And you couldn't find Storm Shadow besides CD? I remember seeing pegs of him and other characters at Zellers.
