Background
To date, AJ’s Toy Boarders has released four series of their namesake figures. Following the release of two series of Skateboard figures and one Snowboard series, they’ve dropped yet another board-based – Surf Boarders.
The Toy Boarders – Surf Series 1 is similar to the previous three. There are eight different designs, featuring different characters in different surfing positions, and each bag contains a total of twenty-four figures – three of each design. And they have all been produced with that same little green army men aura.
The Facts
AJ’s Toy Boarders Surf Series 1
Series: Surf Series 1
Manufacturer: Alfa-Row Inc.
Material: Injection Molded Plastic
Dimensions: Around 2” tall
Points of Articulation: Zero
Designs: Cruiser, Drop In, Lay Back, Nose Ride, Pig Dog, Slash, Tube Ride, and Wahine
Pricing: $5.95 pack of 24
Packaging
Similar to the previous Toy Boarders series, the Surf Series comes bagged with a header card. All 24 figures are displayed similar in fashion to those little green army men, and the rear of the header card features silhouettes and names of each of the eight designs.
Our Opinion
It’s tough to write about AJ’s Toy Boarders and not mention the similarity to plastic toy soldiers – or little green army men. The rise of those little guys was thanks in part due to a lead-poisoning scare in the 1950’s. So while the WWII plastic figures took off, the once popular metal versions were less in demand.
Since the 50’s, there have been multiple iterations of these figures. Recently, we’ve seen a number of companies produce lines that emit that same retro feel. Of course, AJ’s Toy Boarders brings that same look and feel to board sports based toys.
The Surf Series 1 includes eight different designs. Ladies might be upset because there’s only one female figure (Wahine, which translates to a young female surfer). I like that most of the characters have different looks. There’s a somewhat out of shape, bearded dude, the aforementioned female surfer, and a longhaired surfer dude.
Even though these are small figures – measuring around 2” tall each – there’s still some decent sculpting work. They didn’t just do a few different poses and mail it in on the detail work. Now, the production quality isn’t high end…but what do you expect for $0.25 a figure?
Aside from skate, snow, and surf, I can’t think of any other sports that use a board. I guess they could make a play on the Boarders name and go the hockey route - show players getting boarded. There’s also pet boarding (at a kennel) and everyone’s favorite persuasion method – water boarding. I’m sure that there are plenty of other “moves” that can be designed under the trio of already released Toy Boarders series, but I’d guess a GID version of an already produced series would fare well.
To pick some up, check out the following:
AJ's Toy Boarders: $5.95 pack of 24