DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions announced the upcoming G.I. Joe Absolute: An American Icon — Extended Bidding Signature® Auction, taking place July 12, 2026.
Held just days after the 250th anniversary of the United States, the event is poised to become one of the most significant G.I. Joe-specific auctions ever assembled. Anchoring the sale is the renowned collection of Derryl DePriest, widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and historically important G.I. Joe collections in existence.
The collection reflects the lifelong passion of DePriest, a respected toy industry executive, pop-culture historian and former Vice President of Global Brand Management at Hasbro. During his tenure from 2001 to 2018, DePriest helped oversee major initiatives for both Star Wars and G.I. Joe, including collector-focused programs that reshaped the modern action-figure hobby. A longtime advocate for the collecting community and an authority on the history of the brand, DePriest assembled a collection that spans G.I. Joe’s evolution from its earliest years through the modern era, preserving rare prototypes, production materials, original artwork and historic toys that illuminate the creative process behind one of America’s most enduring toy lines.
Introduced in 1964 and widely recognized as the world’s first action figure, G.I. Joe revolutionized the toy industry and created an entirely new category of play. The concept traces back to 1963, when inventor Stan Weston pitched Hasbro executive Don Levine the idea of a “rugged-looking doll for boys” with articulated limbs. Although initially rejected by Hasbro CEO Merrill Hassenfeld, Levine continued developing the concept, creating prototypes with interchangeable military uniforms and accessories. When presented again, the idea won approval and set in motion one of the most influential product launches in toy history.
At a time when the term “doll” was considered unsuitable for boys’ toys, Hasbro coined a new phrase to define its innovation: “action figure.” Released as G.I. Joe: America’s Moveable Fighting Man, the line became an immediate sensation, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the company’s profits within two years. More than six decades later, G.I. Joe remains a cornerstone of American pop culture, inspiring generations of collectors and fans.
Celebrating that full legacy from its groundbreaking debut through the modern era, the auction presents an exceptional range of material spanning generations of collecting. Offerings include highly sought-after packaged 1960s figures and accessories, graded Adventure Team sets from the 1970s, hundreds of AFA-graded pieces and an extensive selection of A Real American Hero figures and vehicles dating from 1982 to 1995.
Among the sale’s most important artifacts is Sam Petrucci’s original 1965 package artwork for Hasbro’s G.I. Joe Jeep Combat Set, a foundational image from the first generation of the 12-inch action figure line. Long displayed in the office of former Hasbro executive Rick Behling and later gifted to him upon his departure from the company, the painting represents a rare surviving piece of original G.I. Joe advertising art from the brand’s formative years.
The auction also includes a large-format 1982 Cobra Officer and Cobra Trooper cardback proof sheet documenting the earliest packaging designs created for Cobra’s first infantry forces. Together with an extensive selection of production materials, these artifacts provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creative and manufacturing processes that helped shape the G.I. Joe brand.
Exceptional preproduction material from the landmark A Real American Hero era includes hand-painted 2-Up prototypes of Ace, Wild Bill and Firefly, each created at approximately twice the size of the final retail figures and used during the tooling-development process. These rare resin paint masters preserve key stages in the design evolution of three iconic characters, from Ace, pilot of the beloved Skystriker, and Wild Bill, commander of the Dragonfly Assault Copter, to Firefly, Cobra’s mysterious saboteur and explosives expert. Offering a direct view into Hasbro’s design process before production began, the prototypes rank among the most significant developmental artifacts from the line’s early years.
Another marquee offering is a pre-production packaged sample of the legendary 1997 15th Anniversary Cobra Command Team featuring the so-called “Pimp Daddy” Destro variation. Graded AFA 85 and believed to be one of only a handful of packaged approval samples produced, the piece occupies a near-mythic place within G.I. Joe collecting. Developed during production testing but ultimately altered before release, the leopard-accented version of Destro remains one of the hobby’s most famous “what-if” stories and one of the most sought-after modern-era G.I. Joe rarities.
“This auction is a true celebration of G.I. Joe as both a cultural icon and a cornerstone of American toy history,” says Justin Caravoulias, Heritage’s Consignment Director of Action Figures & Toys. “The depth and quality of the material represented is extraordinary, and the importance of Derryl DePriest’s collection cannot be overstated. From original artwork and production proofs to prototypes and legendary rarities, this event offers collectors a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire pieces that tell the story of G.I. Joe’s evolution across more than six decades.”
