ACTION MAN
'Mail-Away' Figures
Period: All periods
Dates: c.1966-84
Star Scheme Gifts
Action Man 'Mail-away' Nude Figures from the Star Card scheme:
The Palitoy Star Card Scheme was a brand loyalty reward scheme aimed at increasing sales of additional product. A 'Star Card' was included with the majority of Action Man Boxed figures and many of the larger boxed items. Any number of stars (proportionate to the 'value' of the original Action Man product) would be printed on, or included within the boxes. The child would cut out the stars and affix them to the Star Card. When a pre-determined number of stars had been collected, they could be redeemed for free gifts. The top gift was 21 stars (plus token amount to cover postage) in exchange for a FREE undressed figure ('mail-away') which Palitoy would mail out from Coalville in a plain corrugated card box, together with a preprinted covering letter from 'Action Man Command'.
Notes:
The first undressed mail-away figures were shipped with at least a dog tag, letter and new Star Card. The inclusion of anything else seems sporadic, and inconsistent. Theories on hair colours and particular body types that were included for the mail-away figures always seem to be proved unfounded by new discoveries. It would seem to suggest a random policy of inclusions was in fact in operation at the Palitoy factory. Short, and tall boots at some time have been included, as have Equipment Manuals and extra Star Cards. The early boot inclusion would have been due to the fact that a good number of 1960s uniform cards did not include any for the new recruit. Later uniform sets would typically have footwear included and so the need for boots became redundant.
Action Man early red head mail-away figure with manual c.1967
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions
Action Man brown haired mail-away c.1969 note new tag.
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions
Action Man late mail-away with dynamic physique and last Star Card c.1983.
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions
Other 'FREE' gifts included the popular Brutus Dog, and RCMP uniform.
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions.
Action Man blond mail-away c.1968.
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions
Action Man blond mail-away 'softhead' with boots c.1969.
Image courtesy of Vectis Auctions
Standard Action Man Message Form AM66 for mail-aways.
This 2 colour template letter was also used for general correspondence.
Message towards the final period when production had stopped
Action Man Star Cards
A partially completed early Star Card
A fully completed 1976 Star Card
A 1976 Star Card with additional step targets to reach
