Please help identify this toy!

January 29, 2010 10:28 AM

Anyone familiar with G.I. Joe Battleship (toy from the 80's)? In need of some clarification, please.

Asking this for a friend: She's trying to figure out whether or not 'G.I. Joe Battleship' was an actual toy ship or whether it was the board game. Can anyone verify this? She wants to buy this as a gift for someone and wants to make sure she gets the right thing (if both actually existed).

Thanks!

posted by blithecatpie to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

Best answer: Seems like it could be either.

There was an aircraft-carrier playset, called the USS Flagg. It cost $90 new in the 80s, and probably costs more now.

There is also a recent GI Joe Edition Battleship board game, sold soon after the release of the live action movie. Retails at $20.

I imagine that it's the latter - the former is a bit much to ask for.
posted by stachemaster at 10:39 AM on January 29, 2010

Best answer: You probably want to check here.

Perhaps the USS Flag?
posted by zamboni at 10:40 AM on January 29, 2010

Best answer: As a kid, I HAD the G.I. Joe Battleship. It was a playset. It was about a million feet long (no, just seemed that way -- closer to 8 feet) ... and was truly made of pure awesome. And yes, the USS Flagg linked above is it.
posted by frwagon at 10:44 AM on January 29, 2010

Best answer: The USS Flagg actually existed as a toy. My friend had it, and I was very, very, very, jealous. The thing was enormous- almost five full feet of fun.
posted by Shohn at 10:46 AM on January 29, 2010

Response by poster: You guys are quick, and awesome! Thanks so much! My friend was able to find one that was new and unopened, for a mere $10,000. Needless to say, she's probably going to re-think her gift, but thanks nonetheless :]
posted by blithecatpie at 10:53 AM on January 29, 2010

Man, I always wanted the USS Flagg. That thing was huge and awesome.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:49 AM on January 29, 2010

oh my god I wanted that thing so bad.
posted by scottatdrake at 11:58 AM on January 29, 2010

My mom was so mad at my grandmother for buying me that.
posted by nickmark at 12:10 PM on January 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I found my younger brother's USS Flagg in my mother's attic about 10 years ago - in about 1 million pieces. I hauled them all back home 600 miles away and spent weeks trying to re-assemble the thing. I finally decided that it was missing too many pieces to be of any use.
posted by COD at 12:21 PM on January 29, 2010

The USS Flagg would make an awesome coffee table.
posted by drezdn at 12:30 PM on January 29, 2010

As a kid, I was on Team Millennium Falcon myself.

Perhaps for good reason, no one's mentioned the live-action GI Joe movie from last year. I have no idea if they made a ship toy of any size to tie in the with the movie, but that's another possibility. The age of the would-be recipient could help narrow it down.

The Wikipedia entry offers this amusingly-worded summary of the Flagg's role in the cartoon: "It is featured in many G.I.Joe cartoons, until it sinks."

And I came across this entertaining blog story about A Very Special USS Flagg Christmas.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 11:52 PM on January 29, 2010