The earliest G.I. Joe action figures from the 1960s were a foot tall, in line with Barbie doll proportions. In 1982, the toy line was rebooted, and the action figures were rescaled to 3.75 inches tall. This allowed for more military vehicles and equipment to be made for them. They got jeeps and tanks and airplanes, but the biggest G.I. Joe playset came out in 1985- an aircraft carrier! The U.S.S Flagg Aircraft Carrier Playset was not exactly built to scale- if it were, it would have been 65 feet long. But it was still a massive toy, at seven and a half feet long, three feet wide and three feet tall. And you had to assemble it yourself. Or rather, parents did.
Every kid who knew about the U.S.S Flagg Aircraft Carrier Playset wanted one, but it cost over a hundred dollars, which was a lot to spend on a toy in 1985. Besides, it was a rare family that had room for one of these in their house. Those who actually purchased it got a lot for their bucks, including support vehicles, a PA system, and a captain. Read about this amazing playset that's now a collector's item at much higher prices at the Toy Collectors Guide. -via Nag on the Lake
My little brother got one for Christmas. My parents didn't even try to put it together. They just woke me up and put me to work.
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I never knew anybody who had one, but I got to see one this year in the Action Figure Museum in Oklahoma. They're really big in real life.
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