Biggest plot hole of them all

[Scandia]

Especially in the Old Toon.

How in the world did the Turtles obtain money?

When I was 13, I came up with the explanation "they do odd jobs at night". But rewatching the OT, it did say they had never held jobs before Mikey took a job in "Pizza by the Shred". My brother (who was 10 at the time) simply said "April gives them money"- but how did they get money before meeting her?

And it said that when Hamato Yoshi arrived to America, he was penniless. So it's not like he brought a lot of money from Japan. But no matter how poor he was, he did not need to live in the sewers.

So how did they get money in the OT? At least in the NT they are shown scavenging for food and supplies.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Maybe they take money who accidentally fall down into the sewers. Maybe they also take from criminals they meet. OK, it's wrong to steal people say, but they are mutant Turtles (even if they think by humans), especially before they met April the US authorities didn't knew them. The laws about that stealing are forbidden are for humans, decided by politicians in parliaments, elected by humans. I've written this fanfic http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?p=531219, explaining much that Splinter gets money from his old sensei.

[odupianist]

They were and still are scavengers for the most part. That's how they get their stuff

[Swany]

So do they also scavange for food to keep the fridge stocked. Some people will throw out food if its just out of date, even if its still edible.

So they live a "freegan" lifestyle?

[ToTheNines]

I always assumed people drop alot of money through sewer grates, and no one else is in the sewers to pick it up, so the turtles get it.

[Scandia]

Yeah, people dropping money would be one of the few ways that it could work out.

Or if they found some hidden treasure of money- like something some robbers hid or forgot- would account for a large sum at one time.

But this would still be sporadic and not be able to keep a family of five well fed with so many pizzas and sushi. Their items I am assuming that they find at the dump and Donatello refurbishes. The power I am assuming they obtain from a nearby station (I don't think this can be placed in the same category as stealing cable TV from a neighbor). It's the money for food- which is the need they have to spend on the most often- that would be most necessary to obtain.

[SimplerSimon]

I wouldn't think April gives them money - she's not that rich :P Nor would the turtles be able to sustain off pennies that may or may not fall into the sewer.

In the OT, was it established that the Turtles ever went topside before they met April? I'd guess they sell some of what they scavenge at pawn shops and the like.

[ToTheNines]

I wouldn't think April gives them money - she's not that rich :P Nor would the turtles be able to sustain off pennies that may or may not fall into the sewer.

In the OT, was it established that the Turtles ever went topside before they met April? I'd guess they sell some of what they scavenge at pawn shops and the like.

I don't think they left the sewer, they asked April alot of dumb questions about humans and didn't have disguises.

[Scandia]

Pawning things is plausible had they (or even Splinter alone) gone above ground.

It was my little brother who came up with "April gives them dough". He was 9 or 10 when we first began watching the OT. He does not have much imagination- I got all of it.

[Ava Collier]

April had to "borrow" money from Mikey to buy the crystal from the kids that found it in the Eye of Sarnof (or however we spell that today) story arc. Sunshine suggested that they just kept some of the money from stopping robberies and such, but now that you mention it, they hadn't been to the surface had they? Hrrrmm...
Well for one thing, it is New York. I lived there for a year, though not in the city...and still people dropped all kinds of money. That's probably the most logical assumption, although I don't suppose it will ever be explained.

[SimplerSimon]

Pawning things is plausible had they (or even Splinter alone) gone above ground.

Splinter it is, then. All he'd really need would be a long, hooded cloak to cover his face and tail, and he could walk topside. The running joke of the OT was that people on the streets brush off weirdness as 'typical' New York, so its possible. Plus he was once human so he would have the most experience, and being the father figure it'd be his responsibility anyway.

[Spitfire]

Know why I like Image? They explain the turtles get money from April and Casey, and Mikey writes books to get cash.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Why would it be Splinter who worked in the 1987 cartoon. In "Splinter no More", he said he couldn't walk the streets, so he probably never did so.

[Drtooth]

[QUOTE=SimplerSimon;532843]I wouldn't think April gives them money - she's not that rich :P Nor would the turtles be able to sustain off pennies that may or may not fall into the sewer.

[QUOTE]


That would explain everything after her appearance, but before she met them, it's a mystery. but then again, it's a cartoon, and we're not ment to think that much about it.

[ToTheNines]

Know why I like Image? They explain the turtles get money from April and Casey, and Mikey writes books to get cash.

Know why I like the new movie? Don and Mikey have jobs.

[Sage Ninja]

I think Donatello printed their own money and thats why they where never short on cash. :roll:

It would be in character ;)

[Ninjinister]

At least in modern times, it wouldn't be too farfetched for them to find stuff in the sewers and sell it on ebay.

[The Shelf]

The fact is, the OT is packed full of absurdities, plot holes, and "just because" situations, so it's nearly impossible to take it too seriously. There's nothing wrong with that, but that's the way it was written, and that's just part of what made it so entertaining. At least for older folks anyway. I never noticed any of the plot holes when I watched it because I was too young to care much about the stories. I just thought ninjas were awesome, and I thought ninja turtles were even awesomer.

[Scandia]

I recognized some episodes from the 5th season. Meaning that I was still watching the OT in the 9th grade. Not sure when it was moved, since I did not watch any of the Red Sky episodes.

The OT met my needs as a tween and teen. But now that I am an adult (technically), the NT meets my current needs much better. The OT gives me a lot of laughs. The NT has a solid plot and awesome characterizations and themes. But both stimulate my imagination WAY too much.

The other day I was reading one of the comic books and it had an ad for the first movie. I was in the 7th grade back then. I got misty eyed. Keep in mind one of my two favorite manga was written before I was born- but because the story took place in 18th century France, it could have been written yesterday or 100 years ago with the same plotline. But this ad was definitely time travel for me.

[Andrew NDB]

Pawning things is plausible had they (or even Splinter alone) gone above ground.

I don't think they have valid New York state IDs.

[Spawn Guy]

Ninja art of counterfitting?

Their best bet is as far as food is concerned is probably raiding storage warehouses. In one NM episode, mike showed up with a bunch of frozen stuff for soem bruises claming he'd "swiped" it. Maybe April lends them a couple of bucks every now and then, or they perform the noble art of corpse picking a palm a few bucks off a slaughtered street thug. Hey, their not going to use it to but drugs.

[odupianist]

The money printing isnt too far out there. A few bucks drop down the sewer. Donny matches it. Bam, they're good to go. How would they trace the money to a bunch of turtles in teh sewer?