Sometimes I get something in my head that just nags at me. I know there was a desert three-pack planned for the 1998 line that didn't make it out. I also know I've seen pictures of what that three-pack would have included.

I want to say that it would've included Pathfinder, Outback, and -- I think -- Dusty. I just don't recall which version of Dusty, and I keep thinking that Outback would've had white hair like his European Tiger Force version.

All three figures would've been dressed in desert camo uniforms.

It's a shame the set didn't make it out, but -- can anyone direct me to a photo?

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Thank you very much! Just what I was looking for. Obviously I was right about Outback's hair, but not Dusty. How the heck did Dial-Tone get in there?

Shame this set didn't make it out. That's some really nicely done camouflage.

Here's another odd, related question. I've long heard that there were TWO three-packs that weren't released. This desert one was one of them, and obviously it reached a bit of production.

Does anyone know what the OTHER one might've been? I've never even heard it described.

I'm pretty sure dusty was one if them. I saw these in Chicago at the wizard word con, maybe 99-2000? They were part if a huge display.

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Here's the podcast episode we did about these figures. The links to the photos are broken so I'll just post the photo in here for the sake of discussion since it has all three of them together.

http://joedeclassified.podbean.com/e/ep7-deserts-and-dinosaurs/

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I like those and I'm sad they don't exist. I know that doesn't add a ton to the discussion, but they look darn cool. I like older dude Outback.

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It is such a shame that these didn't come out. I know of one individual who has a set, and the price he quoted that he'd pay for them -- well, eek!

Anybody know what the second 1998 unreleased (and presumably totally unproduced) team would've been?

My guess is that Dialtone isn't actually Dialtone. My guess is that he is actually Dusty. They used Dialtone as Dusty in the 2002 line although they didnt paint the mustache that time.

looking back I guess they only used his arms and torso with Dust's head and legs. Cant remember everything all at once. LOL

I'm not aware of a second unreleased team for 1998. The main reason this team didn't get produced is that they were intended to be packed with a rerelease of the 1992 Joe Headquarters, and they probably got cancelled when the Headquarters got cancelled.

I'm pretty sure that was the reason. At the time, I think it was slated to be the '83 headquarters, and a tru exclusive. That never materialized, and we then got the MCC awhile later.

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You know, now that you mention it, I think I've heard that Headquarters story, too.

As for the MCC, you'd think they could've made it a different color on its re-release. That molded-in camouflage effect that they used from time to time would've looked seriously cool on something that big.

Still a shame we never got these desert figures.

I came across another picture today, which was reportedly figures that would've been part of the 1995 Power Fighters line. I think the blue-and-green AVAC is my personal favorite of the lot.

That's how I understood it. They were supposed to come with the 83 HQ, but they didn't have the tools or something. So then we got the 92HQ as a ARAHC TRU exclusive, then during Spy Troops we got MCC.

I can't believe we had a MCC, and people didn't buy it.

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And I know how much one of the people who imported them paid per set (multiple sets) and that is the opposite end of Eeek, and more like WTF are you gouging the rest of the collectors for then?

Most of the 97 to 2003 protos that entered the US from China were sold in bulk, at prices lower than most people would think reasonable.