Any item no matter what it is, is only ever worth what the buyer is willing to pay at the time. No matter what the item has sold for in the past.
As for me, not collecting vintage g.i joes at all. If i had the opertunity in front of me to buy a very, very nice MISB Defiant. ( just because of the memory from when i was a kid being in zellers going down the toy isle. And i pass buy this box, i look over and the box is taller then me. " MOM!, MOM! I fuckin want this!!!!"
NO DICE
I would pay 1000$ if the box was @ least an 8 out of 10 condition.