The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe

Heads up! Earlier this week, Retro Toy Quest shared word of a new Kickstarter campaign that serves as a companion book to their The Toy Collectors Wish Book series. The campaign has nearly reached its initial funding goal in just over 2 days!

In case you haven’t checked it out for yourself, read on for full campaign details –

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/toycollectorwishbook/the-toy-collectors-wish-book-special-edition-gi-joe/description

The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe is a companion to Retro Toy Quest’s The Toy Collectors Wish Book series. This exclusive edition focuses on documenting a more extensive vintage toy line that is too large to support a traditional wish book chapter. The special edition covers a comprehensive, in-depth dive into Hasbro’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, 1982 – 1994. Each chapter is thematically dressed with a beautiful hero image featuring the toy lines series’ year of release. Individual product photos with detailed parts and breakdowns of accessories tell the story of the toy line through the lens of the generation that experienced its glory.

I am excited to announce that this project has partnered with R. Carson Mataxis of 3DJoes, which will drastically speed up the development of this book. Retro Toy Quest is also very proud to have the opportunity to contribute product photography and resources to 3DJoes.com, providing content to an incredible online archive and database dedicated to preserving the history of G.I. Joe. So, let’s get this project funded to see this partnership reach fruition!

This special edition is laid out consistently with The Toy Collectors Wish Book format you enjoyed with Volume One & Volume Two. Stunningly detailed photography and a timeline history of the toy line offer a comprehensive analysis you can consistently refer to and enjoy for years. Unique variations, mail-away exclusives, parts, accessories, and a detail of the animated series offer further insight within the pages of this photograph guidebook.

Chapters will appear chronologically, starting with 1982 and ending in 1994. Below are random page examples of my current work in progress. The page content is not shown below in any particular order, is subject to change, and may be edited or updated.

With the success and popularity of The Toy Collectors Wish Book Volume One & Volume Two, Volume Three is also currently in development. I anticipate opening pre-orders once this special edition goes to press in the upcoming months. Fun fact: this special edition book focused on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero reached conception before The Toy Collectors Wish Book Volume One ever became a reality. The project continued to evolve throughout the development of Volume One and Volume Two.

Your pledge will help with the production of this special edition and ensure future volumes of The Toy Collectors Wish Book continue to follow. My overall vision is an anthology of encyclopedic-style books covering ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s toy lines, and yes, I’ve only just begun!

I need your help to ensure The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe gets funded! Please help spread the word by informing your friends about this project and how they can help. Use your favorite social media outlet and share this Kickstarter with everyone you know! You are an essential part of this process, and thank you all for your support!

• The Hardcover book is produced in an 8.5 x 11 inch (21.5 x 28 cm) format with thick, premium 128 gsm glossy pages.
• Limited Numbered Hardcovers: Books 1-300 Individually Numbered
• Professionally designed layout with beautiful hero images, easy-to-use reference guide with detailed parts & accessory photos, and anecdotal write ups.
• Approximately 400+ Pages
• Premium Chrome Foil Stamped Cover (Logo, Text, Background Behind Action Figures)
• Estimated Ship Date: March 2026

• Make a Pledge Without a Reward: $1+
• Early Bird Hardcover Book: $65 (Ends March 25th)
• Hardcover Book: $75
• Limited Numbered Hardcover Book: $90 (Limited Quantity of 300)
• Case of 10 Hardcover Books: $650
• Case of 20 Hardcover Books: $1100 (Limit of 20)
• Producer Credit (Shipwreck): $2000 (Limit of One)
• Producer Credit (Doc): $2000 (Limit of One)
• Producer Credit (Spirit): $2000 (Limit of One)
• Producer Credit (Storm Shadow): $2000 (Limit of One)
• Producer Credit (Cobra Commander): $2000 (Limit of One)

During the golden era of toys, you took control of the toy box and lived the adventure. Now, you can be a pledge hero and support The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe with a production-level credit located in the front of the book on the title spread. As soon as the book is opened, readers will see your name credited as a top-tier contributor to this project.

Your generous contribution ensures the continued success of future volumes in the series. The exclusive producer credit will be rewarded with your choice of one of five different exclusive acrylic framed displays, including a hardcover book, a vintage-era figure (with accessories) that was photographed for the book’s cover, and a certificate guaranteeing the set’s authenticity.

With your support, we can pack even more value into your pledge for The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition by reaching the funding goals below, we’ll include the following bonus content and items:

Help get The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition fully funded, but let’s not stop there…

Add approximately 6-8 pages covering the Sunbow / Marvel (1983-1987) animated series. This unlocked tier includes the show’s history, primary characters’ military rank, and voice acting cast.

Add approximately 4-8 pages covering the DIC (1988-1992) animated series. This unlocked tier includes the show’s history, primary characters’ military rank, and voice acting cast.

Add a premium first-printing exclusive slipcover case to protect The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe book and display your support as a backer and its first-printing exclusivity.

I have allocated a limited quantity of wholesale books in cases of 20 to a reward tier option. I want to encourage retailers interested in carrying this book to back this tier and help show your support to get this project funded.

Wayne A. Scheiner is the author, historian, and creative professional responsible for creating The Toy Collectors Wish Book series. As a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, Wayne has over 25 years of professional experience ranging from music production to industrial manufacturing, printing, and graphic design. For the past 3 years, he has combined his passion for vintage toys with his graphic art background, authoring two books and over 40 Retro Toy Quest single-page reference guides.

Using his photography and artistic skills, Wayne produces dramatic visual diorama images showcasing vintage toy lines that are the foundational anchor of each chapter. Extensive research and his passion for retro toys fuel his desire to tackle this uniquely ambitious project. His photographic guidebook series combines the classic holiday wish book style with a modern collectors’ guide. Wayne aims to provide educational content for nostalgia seekers and those looking to learn about the golden age of toys. 

Join him now on this exciting quest for retro toys and back the The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe TODAY!

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I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the local retail stores, convention vendors, fellow collectors, and my toy-collecting friends for allowing me the opportunity to photograph your inventory and collections on numerous occasions. This encyclopedic guidebook series would not have been possible without your support and encouragement. The Toy Collectors Wish Book focuses on our wonderful toy-collecting community along with the exceptional toy designers, sculptors, photographers, executives, and retailers who brought so much joy into the youth of decades past. Which still resonates with us today. Thank you all for entrusting me with this honor of documenting the golden age of toys!

We will collect shipping once the Kickstarter campaign concludes via our pledge manager, using PayPal or Stripe. Shipping rates can vary from backer-to-backer and collecting shipping after the campaign allows us to give you the most accurate rates. We estimate shipping in the U.S. via USPS Priority Mail to be approximately $8 – $18 (we ship from metro Atlanta area). For International backers, we estimate shipping to be between $22-$42 (excluding VAT) depending on your location and quantity. International backers please be aware that you will be responsible for VAT (if collected by your country), but there will be no other surcharges or fees.

You’ll be notified by email that the shipment is ready for payment and will have 90 days to pay for shipping. Please understand that we can only fulfill pledges confirmed in our pledge manager. We will provide a deadline for backers to submit their information in our pledge manager, but once the deadline passes, we won’t be able to deliver unconfirmed pledges.

By backing The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe you acknowledge that the final look, materials and content of the rewards (and the project) are subject to change and may differ from what is presented while the Kickstarter project was active. 

All backers that wish to receive a reward for this campaign, must make sure to confirm their order by the Pledge Manager deadline. We will announce the date for the deadline once the Pledge Manager becomes live.  If you do not confirm your information in our Pledge Manager system within 90 days of our email notification to do so, you agree that we have fulfilled our obligation to you in full for payment. We will treat unconfirmed pledges as donations once the Pledge Manager deadline has passed. Unconfirmed pledges make it difficult to plan fulfillment and logistics and could lead to project delays. If you contact us after the 90 days has elapsed, we may, at our discretion, fulfill or refund your pledge. Please do not pledge on this project if you do not accept these terms.

If you confirm your pledge within 90 days of our email notification, providing correct address information and ensuring the address is deliverable by normal methods, you agree that Retro Toy Quest’s responsibility to you is to ship your order as entered into our Pledge Manager system, that title and risk passes to you upon delivery to a carrier for the shipment, and you are responsible for import duties or any other duties that may be payable to the relevant tax authorities.

If your book arrives damaged, let me know as soon as you receive it, and I will send you a shipping label for return and get you a replacement as quickly as possible. In the unfortunate event this occurs, please get in touch with backersupport@retrotoyquest.com.

Are you new to Kickstarter and need clarification on how the process works, or perhaps have a question about The Toy Collectors Wish Book Special Edition: G.I. Joe project? I’ve compiled a FAQ section to help answer some of your questions. I will continue to update this throughout the project, but you may find that the answers to your questions already exist in this section, so feel free to have a look.

No AI image-generated content is used in the creative development or artistic work featured in this book. I do, however, use Grammarly to assist with spell-checking and grammar within the captions and copy, as this is essential to the quality of this project. As a person dealing with dyslexia, Grammarly has undoubtedly been a fantastic tool in helping me overcome my handicap, which has presented many professional obstacles and challenges over the past few decades.

The purpose of this book is to serve as a collecting reference guide for educational, identification, and archival preservation purposes. All images of products, trademarks, logos, and copyrighted works used in this documentation are for editorial reference only and used without intent to infringe on any proprietary copyrights. This book is not authorized or endorsed by Hasbro, and all registered trademarks are held by their respective holders. 

Risks and challenges

I am committed to delivering the highest quality book to our backers around March 2026. The book is approximately 1/3 away from completion, and all content is secured for documentation, so there is little risk of the project not being completed. However, unforeseeable delays due to print or fulfillment challenges may occur. Should any delays occur, I will keep backers updated.

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The amount of G.I.Joe themed literature that we’ve received over the last few years is nothing short but awesome! As for this latest entry? I’m in!

Will you be adding this book to your G.I.Joe Library?