All-New Photographic Reference Website for Collectors of Vintage G.I. Joes, With Unique 360-Degree Imagery, to Debut August 24, 2013

Artist and GIjOE collector, Matthew McKeeby, prepares to capture a rotating, 360-degree photograph of the three vintage cadet figures for use in his new “Vintage3DJoes” website. (Photo: Matthew McKeeby)

GIjOE Experts Join Forces to Create All-New “Vintage3DJoes” Website

In a stunning revelation, longtime GIjOE fan and collector Matthew McKeeby has announced that on August 24th, 2013, he will be debuting an all-new photographic reference website for fans of vintage (1960s-’70s) 12-inch GIjOE action figures. To accomplish this, McKeeby has enlisted the expertise of renowned RAH GIjOE expert, Carson Mataxis, and revealed that they intend to utilize the same 360-degree-view photographic process first demonstrated on Mataxis’ superb 3DJoes website.

Matthew McKeeby, co-creator of the new Vintage3DJoes website. (Photo: Matthew McKeeby)

We asked Matthew to discuss why he decided to take on such a massive undertaking, and to elaborate on his plans for this exciting new vintage GIjOE website. He replied:

“We are now on the ‘eve’ of GIjOE’s 50th birthday, and ‘Vintage3DJoes.com’ will be my tribute to a toy that I loved as a child and now obsess over collecting as an adult. Back in the 1990s, when I started collecting GIjOE, it was hard to get information about the toy, and experienced collectors often kept those details to themselves.

The exception to that was Dan McKee, host of one of the web’s greatest vintage GIjOE sites (found HERE) that inspired me to chase down all the sets I didn’t have, and has always been incredibly sharing with information and advice. When the content of his original site disappeared at the end of AOL’s hosting, it was a great loss to the GIjOE collecting community.

Fortunately, my friend Dave, an enthusiastic RAH Joehead and host of the Flag Points podcast, turned me on to 3DJoes.com a few months ago. That site is a fantastic resource that integrates 360-degree spinning photography alongside information about the 1980s and ’90s GIjOE line. Dave also introduced me to Carson Mataxis, 3DJoes creator, who was incredibly supportive about the idea of setting up a new website dedicated to the vintage 12-inch line.”

Carson Mataxis poses with just SOME of the hundreds of figures featured on his original, 3DJoes website. Wow! (Photo: Carson Mataxis)

3DJoes creator and Vintage3DJoes co-creator, Carson Mataxis, had the following to say about working on two such ground-breaking GIjOE websites:

“We wanted the two sites to be similar in terms of navigation and functionality (so users will have a seamless experience going between them), but different in look and feel.

The 12″ GIjOE line, with its removable uniforms, has a very different, more textured, more tactile feel. I felt the design of Vintage3DJoes should reflect that.

After a one hour kick-off phone call, I knew immediately that Matt was just crazy enough to take on such a big project. So, I spent a couple of hours setting up a few page templates and designing the new website’s logo banner.” (Just a quick note about Carson’s dedication: He did all this and more while closing on and moving into a new house!—Matt)

Matthew McKeeby as a child playing with a GIjOE 5-Star Jeep. (Photo: Matthew McKeeby)

McKeeby went on to discuss his goals for the new Vintage3DJoes site, revealing:

There have been a number of excellent works published that can help collectors learn about the many adventures and faces of GIjOE. Unlike a book, however, this site will allow me to present more visuals than a publisher could fit in any one volume, so I hope it will become one of your favorite stops on the web. It’s our goal to accurately catalog all the vintage 12-inch GIjOE sets produced by Hasbro between 1964 and 1976. The use of 360-degree spins will allow Joe fans to get a good look at all sides of sets, and create an interactive environment for viewers.

When it is complete, the website will have reference related to the entire 12″ GIjOE line produced between 1964 and 1976. I hope to document all the pertinent details related to the sets eventually, though it will take a while to get all that information photographed and written up.

Initially, there are a lot of picky details about tags, color varieties, or differences in molding that won’t be on the pages. The beauty of the web format though, is that I can continue to edit and add to the pages as necessary. If there is something missing (or a mistake), please feel free to contact me.

Most of what you will find on Vintage3DJoes.com comes from my personal collection, though I’m hoping that fellow collectors who might have variations or packaged items that I don’t, will be willing to share them on the site (with full credit to them, of course). Look for pages that request a picture, and if you have the item in question and would be willing to share it, please contact me via email HERE.

Imagine being able to view full, 360-degree images of all your favorite vintage 12-inch GIjOE figures and sets. Beginning August 24th, your dream will come true! (Photo: Vintage3DJoes)

Bottom Line: This is SO exciting! Matt’s new Vintage3DJoes website, along with Carson’s RAH counterpart, 3DJoes, will provide GIjOE fans around the world with a bookend pair of reference sites offering unparalleled access to a library of superb, full-color, 360-degree photographs. And, although the websites’ names may be somewhat misleading (the photos are 360-degree rotating images, but are NOT in 3-D), we’re sure they will quickly become fan favorites worldwide. And what better tribute could these two men have paid GIjOE on the eve of his 50th Birthday? We look forward to the grand opening of their new site on August 24th, and thank both gentlemen for their hard work and contributions to this article.