Toy Exchange has had a U.S.S. FLAGG at their store ever since I've been going there, which admittedly has only been since August of 2018. Each time I saw it, I marveled at its massive size, and even more so that it was being touted as 100% complete with no broken parts. However, at (almost) eight feet long, I was by no means interested in taking it home. That's a lot of real estate for one toy, and space, as most collectors know, gets limited fast. While it was always fun to look at, I by no means ever had any intentions of bringing one home.
Then I made a trip to Toy Exchange today, and suddenly, all of that had changed...
With my brother in tow, I found myself asking the guy behind the counter, "What's the price of the FLAGG if I don't take the figure with it?" He came back after a few minutes of talking to the owner of the place, and informed me that the drop bottom price would be "X", and that would be regardless of whether I took the figure or not. After about fifteen minutes of rummaging through other items, all while thinking very hard on the matter, I said, "I think I'm going to take the FLAGG."
Everything just felt right about the decision. The price was good. The playset was in fantastic condition, and I just so happened to have a vehicle at my disposal which could transport it.
Unfortunately, while I had said vehicle, the massive ship had to be taken apart if we were going to get it out the front door of the shop and into the car without it breaking. Several minutes, a few boxes and a swiped plastic card later, and we started lugging parts out.
Getting it home was a bit of a scare each and every time I touched the brakes and heard bits of plastic shift. Then, low and behold, the unavoidable happened. Staying true to Virginia drivers, someone finally reached a point where they were screwing around behind the wheel, and brake lights flared as people slammed their feet down to avoid hitting each other. The FLAGG went crashing everywhere in the back. So badly that I had to pull over and readjust things before continuing on.
After an hour or so of driving, I finally made it home. With the help of my brother, we lugged it all upstairs, and the rearranging began in the toy room. With space made available and instructions in hand, it was time to reassemble this massive beast. There was just one downside...I can't stand putting toys together. I have no patience for it.
Fortunately, I have a big brother who doesn't seem to mind it. After perusing over the instructions, he sat down to tackle the project. I happily watched, photographing all the way...
It not only took the instruction booklet for this task, but also the aid of a picture of the fully built FLAGG from Google and an online video on Youtube.
The lower frame was the only pieces which stayed somewhat intact from the shop dismantling it.
Still, there were some bits and pieces to put together...
Such as the bow...
and stern.
Then there were the cannons and radar dishes and their trays to put in place.
Then it was on to the deck assembly.
All the tabs were accounted for, and because of their known brittleness, it was key to be incredibly careful when taking them out of the deck to snap each one in place.
Each piece had to be lined up just right to install it.
There was also a lot of consulting of the instruction booklet to ensure everything was on the right track.
Each piece seemed to be larger than the last.
And with it, more and more difficult to put in place.
It was around this point that I said, "I bet a lot of dad's were cursing their children's existence on Christmas Eve night of 1985.
Though I didn't hear any, my brother may have been doing the same about me.
Finally, the deck was in place. This not only provided the framework for the rest of the FLAGG, but also made it much easier to shift around the floor to continue working on it...Not that I did much of anything beyond spectating and taking pictures.
The elevator looked to be the most troublesome piece. It was also at this point that we noticed two tabs were broken off of the playset. It fortunately didn't hinder it being put together.
The bridge and its multiple floors took a few attempts. Not because it was difficult to put together, but because it was so flimsy that the slightest incorrect movement of hands resulted in it being knocked out of place.
The middle section of the deck not only had to be placed just right, but was also where the majority of the inner pieces had to be attached - Computers, ship's wheel, chairs, ladders, etc.
Much like the middle deck, the top layer had to be installed precisely, and due to some miscalculations in placing it the first time, the middle section had to be set up again.
The rockets on the top turned out to have warped plastic on the connectors, and unfortunately this resulted in the launcher not being able to be touched or it would fall.
The radars and antenna had to be handled with care due to their known brittle and easily breakable nature. Fortunately nothing bad happened.
Then it was time to put the railings in place...
...and install the ladder.
The Admiral's launch is often mistaken as a lifeboat for the FLAGG. I myself did so when first writing this post.
The FLAGG came with a mini rig gas vehicle. Even it had its challenges to get it put together.
As my brother went to work putting all of the interiors of the bridge together, I installed the other side of the tow cable. This one job took me four or five tries to get right, only backing up why I don't build vehicles and playsets.
I think he got half the items in place before I got done with one thing.
I didn't get a shot of the interiors, which I regret, but here's I nice photo from the outside.
That wrapped up the construction, and it was time to top it all off with the two Skystrikers I picked up from Toy Exchange while I was there. One came with Ace, a figure I already had, but neither had the parachutes.
***UPDATE*** I was able to find the railing on ebay on the 16th of May, and immediately grabbed it for the "ridiculous" buy it now price. My Flagg is now 100% complete!
I'm really glad my brother was there to help me get this thing home and also put it together for me. Otherwise...Well, now that I think about it, if I had my car, I probably wouldn't have bought it. Like I said, everything just seemed to fall into place, and the FLAGG came home with me.
If it's been a while since you've checked my original Order of Battle post for Joe figures, check it out. I've added a lot of figures to my collection. If you like G.I. Joe as a whole, then check out my Cobra post too. If you just like looking at other people's collection in general, then check out all my Order of Battle posts.
***Update*** Here it is. The last part has been installed. My FLAGG is officially 100% complete.
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