This is a quickie, but nevertheless
interesting as far as Hong Kong/China tat goes, if only for it's oddness, and
the fact that it explains something which has always bugged me, vis-a-vix some unpainted 'Galoob' figures in the collection!
First weirdness is that this is basically
an old VHS video-case, with a paper-card, windowed wraparound and a shaped,
inverted-blister tray where the actual tape would otherwise lay. I assume the
GIA is an attempt at a play on words, i.e., instead of MIA (missing in action)
they are going with G.I.'s in action? No, it doesn't really work, but I couldn't
find a better explanation in my slowing brain!
Contents are two really cheap die-casts
(the tank's turret already has a huge crack from alloy-disease, despite never having
been played with) and two figures. The figures are the unpainted versions of Galoob's Army Gear / Secret Army Supplies figures, which explains
them, and why, when I found an SAS
set, by Galoob a few weeks after that first post; they too, were painted.
They seem to be the same figures just
unpainted, so may have been a clearance thing, and while I don't think the tank
is Pioneer, the plane is rather
better, and these could be early Pioneer,
but it's only a thought and I won't tag them as such; they are clearly
marked-up to the Golden Wheel Die Casting
Factory Limited and dated to 1991.
The video-case thing was also common at one
point, back in the day, they could be used for fancy stationary sets, make-up
sets, aroma-stick/burner sets, greetings-cards, emergency tool kits . . . you
know; sort of novelty tat round Christmas time!
