J.J. Armes (AKA Jay J. Armes) (Ideal)

J.J. Armes (AKA Jay J Armes)
Ideal
1977

Private Investigator, black belt in karate, bionic hands, television actor and book author - Jay J. Armes! Sounds like a pretty fascinating character, huh? Well, sit down for this one - He's a real person too.

J.J. Armes from the 1976 toy line from Ideal, is a real life American born in El Paso, Texas. At the age of eleven, he and his friend Dick Caples broke into a Texas & Pacific Railroad section house where they stole railway torpedoes. This day would be life changing for Armes in many ways.

When Armes rubbed two of the railway torpedoes together, they detonated mangling both of his hands. After being transported to a hospital, both his hands were amputated. Though it is not specified when he received his prosthetic limbs, it is safe to say that they certainly don't hinder him. In fact, they may have been what pushed him to become the man he is today.

Probably most notable in his numerous career hats is his own Private Investigator firm - The Investigators, which he founded in 1978. This included his launching of The Investigators Security Course which was designed as a mobile patrol and security service. Mr. Armes also professes himself to be the greatest Private Investigator in the world.

We're not to sure how the line came about. It might have been the publishing of his book, Jay J. Armes, Investigator in 1976. It could have been that the stars just aligned that day. Whatever it was that actually turned Ideal's collective heads towards the man, the end result was the short lived J.J. Armes doll and Mobile Investigation Unit playset that same year.

While we're not sure how popular the line was back in the 70's, these days the figure is rather valuable. Prices range from $20.00 to $40.00 for loose dolls - higher end prices being for those complete with the accessories and clothing. Ones in the box can sell for around $60.00 for low end condition, with mint packaging selling for upwards of $180.00.

Though the Mobile Investigation Unit isn't all that common, it doesn't sell often either. This is most likely due to sellers asking far too much than people are willing to pay. The average asking price for a loose one is around $60.00 to $65.00.

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