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Action Jacks

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Action Jack figures were cheap and cheerful plastic-jointed three-inch high action toys with loads of accessories. I had a lot of Action Jack characters and used them to drive my Lego vehicles. When you bought them they came fresh in a boy or on a blister-style card. Action Jack was released by Star Toys towards the end of the seventies, but could still be bought until very recently. There were around seven different sets of Action Jack that ranged from the 'Rescue Team', 'Space Explorer', 'The Road Builder' and 'Snow Patrol' two figure original sets to the Western, Military Action and Action Jack Soldier single figure sets. You could pick up the Action Jack figures for quite a reasonal price back in the 70s (around 25p-30p) but they were very simple compared to the likes of Action Man. Action Jack's knees bent thanks to a simple joint, but his arms were fixed in a slightly bent position meaning they always looked fairly rigid. The accessories that came complete with Action Jack varied depending on the characters you bought. For instance, the Action Jack Rescue Team (who looked so identical they must have been twins) came complete with a walkie-talkie, oxygen tank, megaphone, hat, handcuffs, truncheon and gun (presumably if things got nasty) as well as an axe, a stop and go sign to halt traffic and of course, a helmet. Because of the very solid nature of Action Jack it could be pretty difficult to attach these accessories on.

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Do You Remember Action Jacks?

Do You Remember Action Jacks?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    i have just cleared my mums loft and found 18 figures loads of vehicels and so many bits
  • Anonymous user
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    Still got some of mine a couple are still boxed!
  • Anonymous user
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    I remember having a ton of these, and also three vehicles, a Police car that could sit one figure, an ambulance and fire engine that could seat two.
  • Anonymous user
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    Guys i had these as well,what a great cheap toy, if any of you remember the cheaper ones were like the picture above i had these and the darker coloured ones which came in the sets of police,army and fire all with vehicles and the characters had sightly more detail. Neal 38 yrs
  • Anonymous user
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    onya Mikey. I too am in my 30s and look back fondly on my Action Jack football matchers. Once I'd tired of the accessories I used to swap limb colours to make up football kits and play one-on-one, for hours. The hip and shoulder joints became a little fragile so most of them were retired and ultimately boxed. love to get hold of one or two for my new born to "replay" when he is older!!
  • Anonymous user
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    i thought i was the only saddo who remembered action jacks, but you guys are right they were brill. i am now 30 something and i still wish i had them. They were essential toys and i took them everywhere. mikey
  • Anonymous user
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    They were a great cheap alternative to the M.A.C (Mobile Action Command) figures from Lesney/Matchbox. Here are a couple of links: Action Jacks: http://www.geocities.com/lukemeadley/contents2.html M.A.C: http://www.strafe.com/mac/index.shtml
  • Anonymous user
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    I remember, my Grandma always used to buy me one, when I used to visit. I used to like dismantling them and mixing up the colours, so you would get blue legs and arms with an orange body etc. I would dearly love to see a picture of those figures again.
  • Anonymous user
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    I didn't think anyone else would remember these ! I had loads ! They were cheap and had loads of play in 'em
  • Anonymous user
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    Yep the scuba guy..perfect for the seaside holiday rock pools. I remember you had to put the together like some strange autopsy in reverse.

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