GI Joe convention attracts people of all ages
June 3, 1996
Web posted at: 9:00 a.m. EDTARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- "Old soldiers never die. Your mom threw them away."
This phrase hangs on a wall in the convention hall where more than 1,600 men and women converged to trade soldiers, exchange stories and talk about one of the best-selling toys of all time, the GI Joe doll.
The GI Joe convention, held over the weekend in Arlington, Virginia, came about because of dedicated hobbyists like James Desimone, who produced this year's convention. He started collecting memorabilia 15 years ago.
"In the course of doing this, I found there were a lot more people out there that were doing the same thing as me," Desimone said.
The original GI Joe doll came out in the 1950s. Since then, the military action figures have been released in different sizes from 12 inches tall to 3 1/2 inches tall.
By the end of the 1960s, GI Joe forces had members of every U.S. branch of the military including numerous specialized forces.
GI Joe enthusiasts in California began holding meetings which, with help from Hasbro, the original maker of the doll, grew into conventions that Desimone says have become a phenomenal success.
"The dolls also have a deeper meaning than something to just play with. A father and son or a mother and daughter can bond because the children are playing with the same thing the parents used to," he told CNN.
This year's convention coincides with the September release of a GI Joe collector's doll, patterned after the originals.
The doll will retail for around $50 and will come with a hardcover book tracing the history of GI Joe.
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