In no particular order, this is my thoughts on some “rare” items:
• a complete 3211 Stomper set. I’ve seen maybe 3 the last couple years. Almost always they are missing something. The last one I remember actually had the mat, airport, and the cardboard garage. But it had no trucks in it.
• any Montgomery Wards catalog item. A 3330 Highway Overpass set was AFAIK the first catalog set I’ve seen. There are seven sets they offered, with three being unique. Another six accessory combos (actually three, but each year had a different catalog number), and two vehicle combos.
• the 3965 green/white Stomper pickup. While I have seen at least six of them in the last half decade, it’s probably the rarest slot in US-1.
• the 3717/3039 lane changer with the painted lines on it. Never seen one so far.
• the 3708/3015 12”R 1/8 circle. I’ve only seen these come up a couple times. I got so lucky and got four of them with the painted lines. Considering how they were offered, it can be assumed they didn’t sell very many.
• funny to say it’s rare, but an actual 100% 3217 GI Joe set. There are so many pieces to this set it’s a given that something will be missing. If you haven’t ever owned one, it has ~44 figures, 4 tanks, 2 Jeeps, a boat, a helicopter, 4 paratroopers, 4 parachutes, string for them, a label sheet of reinforcing labels for the ‘chutes, 3 crates in dark brown, 5 barrels, 3 medium and 2 small piers, then the cardboard buildings. Those are made with 4-5 different parts each. I bought more of these sets than should be allowed by law. I bought 3 sets, and two or three listings with just parts. One thing was the blue Cobra Jeep I have was missing the windshield part, so I bought a listing just for the complete Jeep.
• the 3061 Special Offer. The 3061B posts up quite often, but the 3061 not so much. It just has “Special Limited Offer!” where the B has a $1.99 price and some fine print.
• a complete 3211 Stomper set. I’ve seen maybe 3 the last couple years. Almost always they are missing something. The last one I remember actually had the mat, airport, and the cardboard garage. But it had no trucks in it.
• any Montgomery Wards catalog item. A 3330 Highway Overpass set was AFAIK the first catalog set I’ve seen. There are seven sets they offered, with three being unique. Another six accessory combos (actually three, but each year had a different catalog number), and two vehicle combos.
• the 3965 green/white Stomper pickup. While I have seen at least six of them in the last half decade, it’s probably the rarest slot in US-1.
• the 3717/3039 lane changer with the painted lines on it. Never seen one so far.
• the 3708/3015 12”R 1/8 circle. I’ve only seen these come up a couple times. I got so lucky and got four of them with the painted lines. Considering how they were offered, it can be assumed they didn’t sell very many.
• funny to say it’s rare, but an actual 100% 3217 GI Joe set. There are so many pieces to this set it’s a given that something will be missing. If you haven’t ever owned one, it has ~44 figures, 4 tanks, 2 Jeeps, a boat, a helicopter, 4 paratroopers, 4 parachutes, string for them, a label sheet of reinforcing labels for the ‘chutes, 3 crates in dark brown, 5 barrels, 3 medium and 2 small piers, then the cardboard buildings. Those are made with 4-5 different parts each. I bought more of these sets than should be allowed by law. I bought 3 sets, and two or three listings with just parts. One thing was the blue Cobra Jeep I have was missing the windshield part, so I bought a listing just for the complete Jeep.
• the 3061 Special Offer. The 3061B posts up quite often, but the 3061 not so much. It just has “Special Limited Offer!” where the B has a $1.99 price and some fine print.
