McFarlane Toys TMNT line

[Dask]

Originally Posted by Otter

Yeah, this is me too. I was checking out McFarlane's "collector" Neytiri from the current Avatar line; sculpt was okay, but paint applications were pretty ordinary.

Paintapps are mediocre on Neytiri (deluxe scale) until I found out that they are all blacklit! Now, I'm tempted to get their Avatar 2 pieces and dioramas just so I can have that light show.

[Dask]

Originally Posted by AquaParade

But if McFarlane can rival that at $20 or so, great. I haven’t really seen that yet but I’m no expert on McFarlane’s toy output, especially as of late. What do you think some of his most impressive recent releases are in that price range?

Most of his impressive stuff has to do with the Batman license. Injustice 2 Page Punchers 7" Batman Figure, DC Multiverse AZ-Bat (Knightfall) (Gold Label), DC Multiverse Red Hood from Batman: Three Jokers, DC Multiverse Red Robin, Infinite Frontier Scarecrow have all been standouts. Upcoming Gladiator Batman, Infinite Frontier Joker, and Armored Batman (Kingdom Come) continues to impress.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Dask

Paintapps are mediocre on Neytiri (deluxe scale) until I found out that they are all blacklit! Now, I'm tempted to get their Avatar 2 pieces and dioramas just so I can have that light show.

They are kind of tempting purely due to that novelty, but I have space issues, and those banshees take up a chunk of real estate. And there's a Mirage line coming.

[Dask]

Originally Posted by Otter

They are kind of tempting purely due to that novelty, but I have space issues, and those banshees take up a chunk of real estate. And there's a Mirage line coming.

Bingo! That's the ultimate reason that I am not currently, in any capacity, collecting the Avatar 2 line. Space issues.

Maybe a few years down, I will have to hunt down an Avatar lot from eBay.

[Dask]

For those that are unaware,

Mcfarlane has similar roots and style to NECA.

Both companies dabbled with the horror market. You'd be hard-pressed to differentiate some of Mcfarlane's Movie Maniacs (e.g. Freddy Krueger, the Crow, Edward Scissorhands, The Terminator, RoboCop, Chucky and Tiffany, Hellraiser etc.) from the NECA counterparts. Likewise, the Mcfarlane Deluxe Alien Queen resembles a NECA product.

So, clearly, Mcfarlane has what it takes to do the Turtles justice, but it really depends on what he's doing with the license.

[DonnieLaForge]

Come on guys. We have the vintage figures (and ultimates). The NECA toon line. The NECA movie line. The NECA comic book line. We have 2k3 turtles, 2012 Turtles. We have enough Turtles! Do not need! Don't care how cool they look. A year or two later this movie will fade from memory and we'll be left wondering why we bought them. We are in our late 30s or 40s. We have retirement to plan for. This is not going to resonate with us like the nostalgia of what we already have going. DO. NOT. NEED. And no punchline here...I mean it!

[Chris]

I mean, yeah, you're right. We don't need them. Arguably we don't need the NECA or Super 7 stuff either and they are more directly aimed at us.

That said, the McFarlane DC stuff tends to be decent for the price and normally feels pretty solid/satisfying in hand (you don't feel like they'll break if you don't blast each joint with a hairdryer before you move it). So if the film is enjoyable and the designs are ok then it won't make or break a retirement plan to pick a few up if you like them.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by DonnieLaForge

Come on guys. We have the vintage figures (and ultimates). The NECA toon line. The NECA movie line. The NECA comic book line. We have 2k3 turtles, 2012 Turtles. We have enough Turtles! Do not need! Don't care how cool they look. A year or two later this movie will fade from memory and we'll be left wondering why we bought them. We are in our late 30s or 40s. We have retirement to plan for. This is not going to resonate with us like the nostalgia of what we already have going. DO. NOT. NEED. And no punchline here...I mean it!

At this point all I want for every single collection I have are a set of figures that sort of caps off a collection with the "last figure of that kind you'll ever need".

The MAFEX Hush stuff has done that with Batman and Superman for me.
Same thing with the Classic Armor Iron Man.
I'm hoping I feel the same way about the NECA Lawson Turtles, etc.

At this point it's all about wish fulfillment for stuff I've loved since I was a kid. if the new TMNT movie is cool, then that's great but it's very unlikely I'll care about any of it's toys.

[Dask]

Originally Posted by DonnieLaForge

Come on guys. We have the vintage figures (and ultimates). The NECA toon line. The NECA movie line. The NECA comic book line. We have 2k3 turtles, 2012 Turtles. We have enough Turtles! Do not need! Don't care how cool they look. A year or two later this movie will fade from memory and we'll be left wondering why we bought them. We are in our late 30s or 40s. We have retirement to plan for. This is not going to resonate with us like the nostalgia of what we already have going. DO. NOT. NEED. And no punchline here...I mean it!

We actually don't have updated representations of 2K3 Turtles or even 2012 Turtles, although the short-lived Revoltech figures were nice. However, NECA and Super7 can handle those lines, but I wouldn't mind McFarlane's interpretation. While TMNT is reaching the point of saturation, they still have not been exhausted to the point of say, Batman (although, film media barely scratched the surface).

[I Crave Pizza No More]

Originally Posted by DonnieLaForge

Come on guys. We have the vintage figures (and ultimates). The NECA toon line. The NECA movie line. The NECA comic book line. We have 2k3 turtles, 2012 Turtles. We have enough Turtles! Do not need! Don't care how cool they look. A year or two later this movie will fade from memory and we'll be left wondering why we bought them. We are in our late 30s or 40s. We have retirement to plan for. This is not going to resonate with us like the nostalgia of what we already have going. DO. NOT. NEED. And no punchline here...I mean it!

I'm with you. In my 20s and early 30s, it was like a badge of pride if I could collect every TMNT thing there was. And then two things happened: first, there got to be way too much stuff, and often the process of trying to get some of it was incredibly frustrating. Second, every time I'd look around, I'd realize just how much crap I had, how much I'd spent on it, and how in the long run most of it will end up becoming a terrible burden (on both me personally, and on society/the environment more generally). Anyway, aside from some very particular things that might grab my attention, my collecting days are over.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by I Crave Pizza No More

I'm with you. In my 20s and early 30s, it was like a badge of pride if I could collect every TMNT thing there was. And then two things happened: first, there got to be way too much stuff, and often the process of trying to get some of it was incredibly frustrating. Second, every time I'd look around, I'd realize just how much crap I had, how much I'd spent on it, and how in the long run most of it will end up becoming a terrible burden (on both me personally, and on society/the environment more generally). Anyway, aside from some very particular things that might grab my attention, my collecting days are over.

I've had this same feeling on and off for many years now. I've never stopped buying though. But I have done a lot of modifying to my buying habits

I amassed an Iron Man collection similar to what you said about TMNT. But it was different then too - back in the day finding anything with Iron Man on it was a victory so you'd buy the "Iron Man cup" or the "Iron Man Pin" because it was a score. But believe it or not it was actually around the second movie once everything proliferated that I cut off nearly all Iron Man apocrypha outside of the comics and action figures.

The problem is that since around the pandemic there have been a lot of resurgent I.P.'s that are now represented very well for the 80's generation. Like somehow I've managed to avoid literally all of the new G.I. Joe stuff which is like a miracle for me, explainable only if you saw my vintage G.I. Joe collection.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by DonnieLaForge

Come on guys. We have the vintage figures (and ultimates). The NECA toon line. The NECA movie line. The NECA comic book line. We have 2k3 turtles, 2012 Turtles. We have enough Turtles! Do not need! Don't care how cool they look. A year or two later this movie will fade from memory and we'll be left wondering why we bought them. We are in our late 30s or 40s. We have retirement to plan for. This is not going to resonate with us like the nostalgia of what we already have going. DO. NOT. NEED. And no punchline here...I mean it!

I felt I did not need the original Playmates toys from the 80s/90s because they did not represent the characters I loved from the Mirage comics. Now NECA is finally doing them, so those I want. Same for the 1990 figures.

There have been heaps of versions (as you mentioned) of the Turtles that I have had no interest in... but somebody has. Most likely new fans as the property is reinvented for new audiences (as the Fred Wolf cartoon and original Playmates figures did for most of the people on this forum).

I'm sure it will be the same for these.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Otter

I felt I did not need the original Playmates toys from the 80s/90s because they did not represent the characters I loved from the Mirage comics.

Well.. the very big difference there is that back in the day there was no choice and most collectors weren't even aware to discern that the Playmates toys didn't like look any singular representation. Things weren't like that back then - it was just "these are the Ninja Turtles".

In the 80's It was unheard of and not even part of the conversation to say "they don't look like the Mirage Universe", although now and again I remember conversation amongst kids maybe you'd say "it'd be cool if they looked just like the cartoon" now and again I suppose. But you got what you got.

[RaphaelinSTL]

I originally told myself I only wanted to strict myself to the NECA Movie line, but when I inherited the SDCC 2017 8-pack set ... I fell in love with them and was able to trade in a bunch of stuff from my childhood and my late brother's stuff to get a lot of the 1987 figures I wanted. Still got more to get too that I missed out over the fall when I had other stuff going on.

There was a point where I was considering jumping into Super 7 this summer, but I'm glad I didn't and now I just enjoy how cool they are from afar.

That's how I'm viewing this McFarlane line as well.