Dial-Tone
Dial-Tone
Dial-Tone
Dial-Tone
Dial-Tone

Dial-Tone was released in 1984, as part of the not very popular G.I. Joe figure series from Hasbro. In order to capture the interest from kids, Hasbro added various gimmicks with their figures, such as "shooting missiles" (figures came with darts, marbles or small rocks), "magic camo" (figures that would magically change color if left in the sun), and "clay armor" (figure came with sand that could be mixed with water).
Dial-Tone was part of a small group of released figures that would later be known within the collector community as "Sonic Fighters". He came with several accessories, including a new sculpted rifle similar to the one used in the canceled cartoon pilot, and an entirely new paint. But definitely the most interesting aspect of this figure was the trading card and the clothing pin included in the package. You could attach this to your bike and have the card make a machine gun-like sound against the spokes.
Dial-Tone, and the rest of the 1984 Joes ended up selling surprisingly well, almost outselling LJN's Dune figures and the Sectaurs from Coleco. Today, a mint on card Dial-Tone can reach in the upper $20s on online auctions.


Nothing to tell on the figure itself. It's a repaint of some 1982 parts. What's interesting is the packaging, as it's the first time I try it. As with my last GP entry, I got Dream to color a sketch I made, and he also made a fantastic cardback of it.
The inner bubble is from a Viper pit, and is really a bit more modern than the rest of the concept, but I wanted it to look good on card.

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