The A-Team Action Figures Identification Tool with Pictures

The beloved A-Team television series

The A-Team was a band of four former United States Army Special Forces who had the misfortune of being charged with a crime they had not committed. Instead, an official mission that they undertook during the Vietnam War led to their sentencing. Feeling betrayed, they broke out of prison to become soldiers of fortune operating out of the Los Angeles underground.

The team was led by strategist and master of disguise John “Hannibal” Smith, played by George Peppard. His second in command was acquisitions specialist and accountant Arthur Templeton “Faceman” Peck, played by Dirk Benedict. Dwight Schultz played H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, the trusted pilot for the group. Finally, there was their mechanic, Bosco Albert “Bad Attitude” Baracus, played by Mr. T. The entire team drove around in an iconic grey, black, and red GMC van.

The Galoob A-Team toy line

The rising popularity of Mr. T and the exciting action quickly made the A-Team a success. Even before the show began airing, the producers believed in its potential. So, they set out to market the show with various toys and other memorabilia.

The main home for the A-Team toy line was Galoob, a San Francisco, California company. Excited about the upcoming series, Galoob created a two-tier toy line. They set out to create action figures for the main cast from the series. They also created a new set of villains, “The Bad Guys,” for the team to fight. These villains were all named after snakes: Cobra, Viper, Python, and Rattler.

The 3 3/4″ and 6″ action figures

The basic action figures for this line were 3 ¾”, similar in style to G.I. Joe. These figures came in two sets. The first had all four members of the A-Team, labeled the “Soldiers of Fortune”. Meanwhile, the second had the entire cast of  “the Bad Guys”. Accompanying these action figures were a wide range of vehicles and other accessories.

Galoob also released a series of 6” action figures with more detail than smaller ones. Notably, Amy “Triple A” Allen, a reporter who originally followed the team’s exploits, only appeared as a 6” action figure. Galoob also created several vehicles for the 6” figures, such as the Off-Road Attack Bike.

The toy line’s vehicles and 12″ action figure

Galloob created a toy of the A-Team’s GMC van at both the 3 ¾” scale and 6” scale. The larger van had more features, including a removable roof so the figures could sit inside. Unlike the vehicle from the show, this van was only black with red stripes.

On the larger scale was a 12” action figure of Mr. T. Galoob, who also produced a couple of activity accessories. For instance, a Target Game set included a toy closely resembling a rifle. This set fired both darts and toy grenades. Then, there was the Action Train Set and more.

Unfortunately, Galoob’s toy line was troubled by pricing and manufacturing issues. The action figures were not created with the best sculpting or plastic, so they did not accurately capture the characters from the show. Moreover, the packs were priced well above those of competing toy lines. Thus, several parts of Galoob’s toy line, especially the accessory packs, have become rare collectibles.

The international A-Team action figures

While the toy line was active, Galoob licensed its toys to several different international companies. In most of Europe and Australia, Croner Toys released the A-Team toys. Meanwhile, Glasslite licensed the line and released it as the Esquadrao Classe A in Brazil. Glasslite’s line featured several toys that never appeared in America, including a boat and a porsche.

In addition to Galoob, several other companies had their hand in creating A-Team toys. Around the same time Galoob produced their toys, ERTL released a die-cast vehicle of the A-Team’s van. The team’s vehicles also appeared in LJN’s SwitchForce, an offshoot of their Rough Riders line. Furthermore, Tyco created a racing track set, dozens of miscellaneous activities, and other toys.

The lasting legacy of the A-Team

There was even a short-lived comic book series from Marvel. In March 1984, the company released the only three issues of the series they would ever produce. However, the UK comics lasted for 18 issues. The A-Team would return to the comic book medium when IDW launched a new series in 2010.

While the excitement for the A-Team died with the series in 1987, the legacy lived on. In 2010, a new version of the team appeared on movie screens with the movie from 20^th Century Fox. While the movie never gained a sequel, Fox announced they planned to create a new televised series in 2015. While that series never materialized, the A-Team appeared in two toy lines in 2016: Lego Dimensions and Funko Pop!