Heritage’s July 12 auction spotlights original artwork, proof material and hand-painted prototypes from one of America’s defining toy lines.
By Intelligent Collector Staff | June 17, 2026
Heritage’s July 12 G.I. Joe Absolute: An American Icon auction gives collectors a focused look at how one of America’s defining toy lines was built: through original package art, production proofs, prototypes and rare pre-production samples.
The sale is anchored by material from the collection of Derryl DePriest, a former Hasbro executive and longtime authority on G.I. Joe. That background matters because many of the auction’s strongest lots are not simply packaged toys; they are artifacts of design, manufacturing and brand history.
A major first-generation highlight is G.I. Joe Jeep Combat Set Original Package Art by Sam Petrucci (Hasbro, 1965). The artwork helped define the visual identity of the original 12-inch action-figure line and carries direct Hasbro executive provenance.
The auction also moves into the 1980s A Real American Hero era with production material tied to Cobra’s early retail presence. G.I. Joe Cobra Officer & Cobra Trooper Cardback Proof Sheet (Hasbro, 1982) preserves the packaging layouts for the first Cobra infantry forces, offering buyers a behind-the-scenes view of how the line’s hero-versus-villain structure reached store shelves.
Pre-production prototypes are another core attraction. The catalog includes G.I. Joe Ace with Helmet 2-Up Hand-Painted Pre-Production Prototype (Hasbro, 1983), G.I. Joe Wild Bill 2-Up Hand-Painted Preproduction Prototype (Hasbro, 1983), and G.I. Joe Firefly 2-Up Hand-Painted Preproduction Prototype (Hasbro, 1984), each preserving a stage of the tooling and paint-master process before the final retail figures were produced.
The modern-era rarity is equally notable: G.I. Joe 15th Anniversary Cobra Command Team with ‘Pimp Daddy’ Destro Pre-Production Sample AFA 85, a packaged approval sample tied to one of the hobby’s most famous unreleased variations.
For collectors looking for the best place to buy G.I. Joe prototypes, package art and production material, this auction is valuable because it treats toys as design history. The lots give buyers access not only to beloved characters, but to the evidence of how those characters were created, approved and brought into popular culture.
Source: Heritage Auctions press release (June 17, 2026).