Shoulda Woulda Coulda

[inaheap]

I thought it might be fun to share some of our almost, but not quite stories. The ones we passed on, and wish we hadn't. Got rid of, and wish we hadn't. If anyone has any they care to share that is. I had 90's Giant Movie Raph complete, no box, near perfect condition. Gave it away during that should be over toys phase.

[plastroncafe]

I will always regret the following:

1) Not buying a Leonardo bust from A.C. Farley at the 1992 Turtle Con in Portsmouth, NH.

It was my very first nerd convention and I had all of $80 in my wallet.
The busts were selling for $80, and I was leery about putting all of my money into a singular purchase.

Thanks to roseangelo I did manage to get my hands on a Leo bust a few years back, and a friend of mine who used to work for MacFarlane Toys cleaned him up for me. Now he lives on my mantle.


2) Not buying more Palladium Covers

During the 1999 GenCon in Milwaukee, WI I found a table selling unused covers to the TMNT role playing game for a quarter a piece.
I'm fairly certain every book in that series was represented, but I only bought four of the total. My rationalization was: Where am I ever even going to put these things?

When what I should have been thinking was: THEY'RE A QUARTER A PIECE. YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY GO AFTER YOU BUY THEM.

Since then I've had the ones I did buy professionally framed, and they're some of the most prized pieces in my collection.

But still...I'll always kick myself for not having the full set.

[TurtleWA]

Instead of buying pogs and magic the gathering cards as a kid I wish I would have bought more TMNT.

[newfan]

More something I did rather than got rid of. I Cut the hair of my 'my child' dolls, only one was bad, the one which would have been worth a lot only had little trim but I wouldn't part with her anyway, just rather I hadn't done it.

[TheMasterTurtle]

Originally Posted by newfan

More something I did rather than got rid of. I Cut the hair of my 'my child' dolls, only one was bad, the one which would have been worth a lot only had little trim but I wouldn't part with her anyway, just rather I hadn't done it.

I think that deserves its own thread, Ive got a handful of stories like that....

In Novemberish 93' I was shopping with my mom at KMart and I vividly remember seeing Scratch on the shelf and taking it to my mom to buy. I was too young to have cash of my own at the time. She was always great about gifting me what I wanted so she would often make me put whatever it was down and go back later to buy it. I didnt understand the process so I was obviously upset and even more so when Christmas came because there was no Scratch under my tree. It took me until 2012 to finally get Scratch and piece his accessories together.

I consider Christmas 1993 the pivotal moment of my childhood when I truly became a collector and completest.

[Powder]

I threw out Warrior Chrome Dome when we were moving because "I only need the screen accurate one". I was going through the teenager drugs/sex/rock & roll phase, so there was virtually no collector mindset beyond keeping the essentials. I was pressured into chucking a lot of toys, Gundams, Pokemon, TMNT vehicles & mini mutant playsets, etc. I regret it all (who'd have known I'd get back into collecting?) but WCD stands out because he was a rare variant. Oh well. I was smart enough to keep Warrior Michelangelo Metalhead, at least. Love that figure.

I lost an auction for a samurai helmet from TMNT 3 by about 5 bucks, because I hesitated at the last moment. The paiiiiin, man.

I customized (trashed) Warrior Winged Leonardo as a kid. Snapped his wings off & painted "blood" all over him. Oh my f**king God. Also ruined Troll Donatello's hair.

Not related to collecting but I regret not introducing myself by name to Kevin Eastman when we met a few years ago. We had some email correspondence, were Facebook friends (he would "like" my art pretty often!), & we also both worked on the vol. 3 finisher. I colored a print he worked on too, & when the dude who put it together mentioned me, Kevin apparently was like "Oh, I know him!". We could've actually clicked a little face to face, but I was too star-struck to realize that. Had a very nice time all the same! Chatted a bit while he did a drawing for me. Oh well, hopefully there will be a next time.

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

-snip-

If you have an art collection online somewhere, I'd love to see it.

[BYWInsaniac]

Not Ninja Turtles, but TMNT adjacent.

In 99/00, I saw a MiB Jenny from the unreleased 2nd wave of Bucky O'Hare figures on eBay for $125. I made the ethical and responsible decision to not use my mom's credit card to buy it, but damn do I wish had and endured my well deserved punishment.

The next time I would have an opportunity to buy Jenny would be around 2010. A guy I'd bought some stuff for was selling a lot of 3 unreleased figures for $1,500, and refused to sell Jenny solo.

The last opportunity to buy her was on eBay last year, when the guy who bought the lot of 3 figures put her up for $10,000.

-JJ

[funatic]

In around 2007-8, when I was just starting to really get back into TMNT, I went to a signing by Peter Laird and some other Mirage guys at a small comic shop in Dover, NH (birthplace of the TMNT!). Pete was selling a few of his remaining signed boxes of the original NYCC NECA 4-pack. Ironically to the purpose of this toy thread, I did buy it, two of them in fact (such a good fledgling collector!). . . However the big "shoulda" was right next to those figures... a tall stack of TMNT v4 issue 29, hot off the press, with Laird ready and willing to sign it. "$10 for a comic?!" I thought, "think I'll pass and just double up on these figures." 10 years later: OOPS: https://www.ebay.com/itm/TMNT-Teenag...e/172987891348

P.S. I still have that second unopened box of NECA if anyone's interested... or wants to trade for TMNT 29 (har har!).

[dragonside]

saw a NECA TMNT Donatello in clam shell (during 2009) for $15 at a local comic shop. I was a poor university student and didn't buy it. #NORAGRATS

[DarkFell]

I sold my TMNT figures in family-hosted yard sale. A broken tentacle Playmates Bubble-Walker Krang and a 'fall-apart' Playmates Leonardo, killed the child-hood magic of TMNT toys for me.

Another pet-peeve that I had: Mikey's craptastic plastic nunchucks. They're suppose to bend, not snap like a twig.

However, I did get to see whenever my Dad would melt the broken ends with his cigarette lighter in an attempt to fix the broken weapon.

Dads are awesome for that: making their kid(s) happy.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Powder

If you have an art collection online somewhere, I'd love to see it.

My art collection isn't great, I have a real soft spot for unused covers.

I think I have one for the original shellshock anthology, the 4 RPGs, and a couple of pieces from Talbot whose stuff I have always loved.

I'll see what I can do about taking some pictures and putting them up in a place. And when I do I'll share the links.

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

I bought a bunch of NECA clamshell turtles and sold them to people for actual price + actual shipping when they first released in 2008 as favors to friends. The comic store I went to had a lot of them. I also bought and then sold at actual price + shipping several copies of TMNT Vol. 4 #29 and 30.

[slashpieturtlemix]

This one hits close to home lol I regret breaking the wings off my warrior Leonardo and Donatello because I saw the wings came off of Gargoyle toys and I wanted them to be like them.... I was such a stupid kid lol

[clodguy]

Should have bought muckman when he was 30 bucks on eBay. But I thought that was too much to pay for a playmates figure

[drag0nfeathers]

I should have somehow saved all my vintage turtle figures before my mother came home one day and decided I shouldn't play with "boys toys" anymore and threw them all away.

[newfan]

Damn, that sucks.

[D Piddy 1982]

Originally Posted by dragonside

saw a NECA TMNT Donatello in clam shell (during 2009) for $15 at a local comic shop. I was a poor university student and didn't buy it. #NORAGRATS

I have a similar one, saw a NECA Mirage Donatello circa late 2000's in Forbidden Planet in London for retail price (about £15~£20?). Didn't get him because "I would have preferred Raphael or Leonardo"...D'oh!

[DonnieLaForge]

Here's one for you...
I wish I had bought another Atilla while I had the chance, because now it's just one of 9 that I still need carded to complete a set of carded 2012 figures (and can't find anywhere). Terrible figure, but completeness calls!

[MrPliggins]

I've said this one before, but I always regret selling my MOC Scratch in 2008 for $250. That thing was in near flawless condition. I could probably get more than triple that today. Still, it was a profit, so I can't complain too much.

Another thing I miss is my original cover of TMNT Adventures #48 by Chris Allan, sold for just $100 in 2007. "Never sell covers" is a good rule to live by!

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

I will always regret the following:

1) Not buying a Leonardo bust from A.C. Farley at the 1992 Turtle Con in Portsmouth, NH.

It was my very first nerd convention and I had all of $80 in my wallet.
The busts were selling for $80, and I was leery about putting all of my money into a singular purchase.

Thanks to roseangelo I did manage to get my hands on a Leo bust a few years back, and a friend of mine who used to work for MacFarlane Toys cleaned him up for me. Now he lives on my mantle.

Ooh, I would love to see a photo of that! I still have a "messy" one sitting here that I never get around to cleaning up.