Yeah, But What Else is at JoeFest?
Story by @GIJoeRepairShop
When I told my spouse and in-laws about attending JoeFest, some questions inevitably kept coming up: What else is at JoeFest? What else is there to do there? What other toy lines are represented? As it turns out, there’s a lot of other fun things to experience during JoeFest, if you should somehow find yourself there and not have a love of GI Joe toys.
First, there’s a ton of comics. There is figuratively, and probably literally, a ton of comics. All kinds of comics from a variety of publishers and eras are represented at the show. Everything from 1950’s serials to The Walking Dead can be found in the long boxes of JoeFest. It’s a goldmine of cheap comics. A lot of vendors offer comics for as little as one or two dollars, if you’re willing to dig through unsorted long boxes.
If you’re a fan of wrestling, then you won’t be disappointed at JoeFest, either. Around every corner seems to be a display of wrestling figures of some description. Some are from the early 1980’s, whereas some look as if they were made last week. These typically range from the old LJN figures that were licensed by WWF forty years ago, to more modern figures with the same articulation you’d expect from a modern six-inch figure. Because it’s JoeFest, the rare LJN-style Sgt. Slaughter figure made by Hasbro can usually be found on sale in one or two booths. Of course, the man himself often makes an appearance at the show, as well.
You can’t have a vintage toy show without there being Star Wars figures, and JoeFest is no exception. Star Wars figures seem to be more plentiful and more affordable than most vintage Gi Joe figures at the moment. This could just be that there were more of them produced over a longer timeframe; certainly if one includes all of the merchandise for The Power of the Force line, all of the merchandise associated with all of the twenty-first century Star Wars movies, as well as Lego Star Wars minifigs and vehicles. Star Wars is everywhere. There is even the opportunity to purchase rare and expensive Star Wars figures and toy store displays that you’ll see nowhere else.
At JoeFest, you’ll also find all kinds of toys, sets, vehicles, etc. from a multitude of vintage television programs. Some television programs are famous and recognizable, such as MacGyver, The Dukes of Hazzard, Night Rider, and even Bevis and Butthead. Others take a bit of searching (your brain or the internet) to figure out when it aired and what it is all about.
Finally, there are Funko Pops! These things seem to multiply like rabbits. They’re everywhere. Every shop, bodega, mall, and home in America has been invaded by Funko Pops in the past few decades. So, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of Pops to be had at JoeFest. Of course, there are Pops of favorite GI Joe characters, but there are so many more to choose from. Just as with GI Joe figures, there are inexpensive Pops and rare, valuable Pops. Every vintage toy show now seems to feature multiple booths containing these Funko products.
If none of this sounds appealing to you, there’s also a lot of drinking to be done in various bars and parties throughout the convention.
