Your First Figure

[Ninjinister]

How many of you remember your first TMNT figure? Not your first one of a specific series, not your first one you kept carded, but the first one you ever were able to claim as your own.

Mine was Rock N' Roll Michaelangelo. I had been watching the show since its first airing, and was completely and totally bonkers over the Turtles. When they started advertising the toys, I knew that I had to have them. The problem was, my family was never really well-off, and we were constantly struggling financially. I didn't understand the concept of money all that well at the time, so I just kept asking my mom for them over and over (My dad worked bizarre hours and I rarely saw him at that time. This is also the reason why I, at the time, found sort of a father figure in a wizened old rat named Splinter).

Sometime during '89, our family had finally saved up enough for a vacation (vacations in my family have never been extravagant - we were simply driving out of town to stay with relatives for a week. In fact, until recently for a funeral, I'd never even left the state. But I digress...). As we stopped off for provisions for the trip, my mother told my father to pick up a toy for me to keep me occupied. Much to my surprise, he returned with Rock 'N Roll Michaelangelo - my father, not being around much, didn't even remember that I liked the TMNT. He just saw it and thought that it was "something I'd like". It may have been the "ninja" in the title, as back before he got this job, he and I used to sit around and watch cheesy martial arts flicks.

After getting this Mike, I was hooked. My parents reluctantly gave me some rudimentary chores to perform at the ripe old age of four, and every other week on his day off, when my father went to the store for groceries, I would go with him and "help", and I would be able to pick out any basic TMNT figure I wanted as that fortnight's payment.

I've brought the figure to work today after finding it again to show a co-worker who is mildly interested in TMNT.

[VaughnMichael]

I think my first turtle was squishy head Leo or Don.
I believe after that I got Splinter & Shredder next.
And then from there I haven't been able to knock the addiction to TMNT.

[notebook]

I believe my first figure was a soft head Raph. I was 4, and Raph was my favorite. For my 5th birthday, I got a foot soldier. I think eitehr X-mas 89 or 90 I got the Knucklehead.

I remember I had a soft head Shredder.
Did they make a softhead April?

I'm sure I had the original 10 all together after they first came out. I remember losing my Splinter..

I rememeber getting issues 5-13 of TMNTA in one day back in 1990. I was real happy. To this day, those are my favorite issues. I think I got Baxter Stockman the same day I saw Honey I Shrunk the Kids. It was always a happy occasion, getting TMNT stuff back in the day.

[CudleyCowlick]

Undercover Don, the 1990 version. That was the very first. That same day I also scored Raph the Space Cadet, Leo the Sewer Samurai, Mike the Sewer Surfer, Don the Storage Shell Turtle, Panda Khan, Fugitoid, and Wingnut & Screwloose (my dad really liked the name I recall).

Here's the thing tho - my mother has confirmed for me that I got my first Turtle figs for Xmas the year I was 5, 1989. I was born in 84, birthday is in February, so I was 6 just a couple months later. Did the figures for the following year actually hit the shelves by Xmas of the previous year? It sort of makes sense to me.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

It was some figures for Christmas 1991 (I belive it was all the four TMNT, and Krang).

[Archon_Turtle]

I got the four basic turtles together as my first. That was it for a really long time. My folks wouldnt even buy my the party wagon, so I made one out of a shoe box...which was awesome!

Then for christmas of 1990 they shocked the hell out of me buy giving me every figure that released prior to that point. It was the best christmas EVER :-)

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I got the four basic turtles together as my first. That was it for a really long time. My folks wouldnt even buy my the party wagon, so I made one out of a shoe box...which was awesome!

Then for christmas of 1990 they shocked the hell out of me buy giving me every figure that released prior to that point. It was the best christmas EVER :-)

Did they buy the vehicles too.

[Buffy]

When the old toon aired, I was hooked instantly and I begged my mom for a turtle toy. unfortunately she never wanted to buy me one. And then around 2001 I bought the 4 original turtles from someone who lived in the neighbourhood. They where in really good condition and they still had all their original weapons. I was so happy! :) The old lady who sold them was wondering why someone of my age wanted to buy turtle toys :D.

[Archon_Turtle]

Did they buy the vehicles too.

Naw I'm pretty sure it was just the figures...OH! and the sewer playset. Although I know I did have a childhood party wagon, pizza thrower, and foot cruiser...I'm not sure as of the timeframe.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Naw I'm pretty sure it was just the figures...OH! and the sewer playset. Although I know I did have a childhood party wagon, pizza thrower, and foot cruiser...I'm not sure as of the timeframe.

I also got the Foot Cruiser one Christmas, don't recall if it was 1991 or 1992.

[CudleyCowlick]

I recall getting the second version of the Turtle Blimp, after being jealous of my friend's original Turtle Blimp for an eternity. I thought mine was SOOO much cooler, too.

Then about 2 days after I got it I sailed it too close to my grandparent's old-fashioned wood stove and POP! I cried like a little girl for a while, but then Gramp came to the rescue with the duct tape. It just needed a little patch and it was good for years to come.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I recall getting the second version of the Turtle Blimp, after being jealous of my friend's original Turtle Blimp for an eternity. I thought mine was SOOO much cooler, too.

Then about 2 days after I got it I sailed it too close to my grandparent's old-fashioned wood stove and POP! I cried like a little girl for a while, but then Gramp came to the rescue with the duct tape. It just needed a little patch and it was good for years to come.

You mean this one? http://www.ninjaturtles.com/toys/1989/blimp2.html? What's the difference between them except that the second looks larger.

[CyberCubed]

I think my first figure was the very original Raphael from the first wave.

I remember losing his belt and all his weapons, haha.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Here in Sweden, not all action figures were released, especially during the later years. I belive they weren't sold here after 1994 or something.

[ToSte]

It was the summer of 198something. I spent the weekend at a friends house and was introduced to Guns N Roses and TMNT, both remain dear to my heart.
I nagged my mom and got a first series Don. He was my only turtle for what seemed like forever.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

It was the summer of 198something. I spent the weekend at a friends house and was introduced to Guns N Roses and TMNT, both remain dear to my heart.
I nagged my mom and got a first series Don. He was my only turtle for what seemed like forever.

It must have been 1988 or 1989 if it was the 1980's, since the first TMNT action figures were released in 1988.

[CudleyCowlick]

You mean this one? http://www.ninjaturtles.com/toys/1989/blimp2.html? What's the difference between them except that the second looks larger.

The original one is actually differently colored than the second one. Check out this comparison from the virtual tmnt museum @ http://www.tmnttoys.com/index.html

BLIMP I
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t236/WolverineBurger/blimp.jpg
BLIMP II
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t236/WolverineBurger/blimpII.jpg

As an adult, I've grown to like the original more. But as a kid I guess I loved the bright colors and the "graffiti"

[Canadian Turtle]

MY first one was normal hard head Don. I was home schooled when I was a kid and my family never had any money. But I remember one evening, I was no more than 4 my dad helped me count out pennies on the floor in little rows to show me how to make piles of ten and then ten of those made a dollar and so on. I remember rolling them up and taking them down to the Home hardware and buying the fig. soon after on my 5th birthday all my friends that came (about 4 I think) plus mom and dad got me turtles.

From that point on that was known as the turtle party, my toy box was then known as the turtle box regardless of what went in it, and still was until finally a year or so ago it was reduced as all the toys went into storage in large collections of mine.

My don and 3 of my original 4 I still have but each turtles arms and shoulders are all heald together by carefully mounted wood screws and plastic welds by my dad over the years. I was a resourceful kid and if a toy broke I had to fix it.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Undercover Don, the 1990 version. That was the very first. That same day I also scored Raph the Space Cadet, Leo the Sewer Samurai, Mike the Sewer Surfer, Don the Storage Shell Turtle, Panda Khan, Fugitoid, and Wingnut & Screwloose (my dad really liked the name I recall).

Here's the thing tho - my mother has confirmed for me that I got my first Turtle figs for Xmas the year I was 5, 1989. I was born in 84, birthday is in February, so I was 6 just a couple months later. Did the figures for the following year actually hit the shelves by Xmas of the previous year? It sort of makes sense to me.

Did you ever know who Fugitoid was back then? He was just in Mirage.

[CudleyCowlick]

Did you ever know who Fugitoid was back then? He was just in Mirage.

At the time I got the figure, I guess I assumed he was a character from the cartoon and maybe I just hadn't seen that episode, I also had the vague idea that perhaps it seemed not all of these characters were on the show at all, and seemed made up or something.

It was probably two years later that my older cousin started feeding me Mirage comics and my whole attitude on the TMNT was revolutionized.

[A little *too* Raph]

I think my first action figure would have actually ben some superman thing. As far as ninja turtles, it was one of the 4 turtles (hard head) but I can't remember which. I can vividly remember getting it though and being sooo excited. I can actually remember the exact times and locations of several of the figures that I got. Pretty good for only being 7 at the time, I guess you never forget your first love :)

[GK Punk]

It was Mikey, the first Christmas they were released. My uncle got him for me, for a reason I'm unsure of. I ended up getting for my Birthday (Just a month later) A Ton of MotU and TMNT figs after that.

Thus began a lifelong obsession. With both.

[gobo]

Ace Duck/Wacky-Action Mouser

[sdp]

My favorite turtle was Raphael so I'm fairly sure he was my first.

[Archon_Turtle]

Ace Duck/Wacky-Action Mouser

Interesting! I think youre the first one that has supporting characters as thier first? I dunno though, maybe one slipped by me.

[Canadian Turtle]

Ace Duck/Wacky-Action Mouser

Interesting! Was that your choice? I would guess that most kids would want the turtles first unless they got the toys for a present or something.

[Archon_Turtle]

Interesting! Was that your choice? I would guess that most kids would want the turtles first unless they got the toys for a present or something.

Stop Copying me :-P j/k

[gobo]

Maybe I should have said that those were the first ones I picked out. I'm not sure if that was before or after I got all four turtles for Christmas. I've always been one to go for rarity over popularity.

[Eiko]

My Brothers friend came back from a holiday from America and he brought back a Donatello figure and i was like wow i didn't know what it at the time because the turtles hadn't arrived in Australia yet then i think it was about a month later they where in the shops can.t remember which turtle i got first but Donatello was the first turtle i got to see.

[Raph's Girl]

My first fig was Undercover Don. 2nd one was Storage Shell Don.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Itt seems that Donatello was poopular.

[Canadian Turtle]

Stop Copying me :-P j/k

hahah thats amazing you must have posted that while I was posting because I don't remember seeing your post when I wrote that hahaha. Sorry

[Bigfoot]

I have to admit my first figure was Storage Shell Mikey. I thought he was way cooler with his flip down shell, goofy smile and bright pink gums. I remember thinking how cool it would be to hang out with Mikey, like skateboarding and eating pizza... Yeah, those were the days.

[Canadian Turtle]

I remember soon after I got my first TMNT my friends had the sewer playset which I wanted SOOO bad! So my dad and I built one. But my dad being a super logical person and not watching the show built it as if it were how a sewer was actually built... just tubes. So he made it out of drainage tiles with access holes so I could put my hands in and make the turtles move around in the sewer. There was a tube going straight up to the 'surface' with this cool wooden man-hole. Great bath toy!

Later I built a second one out of wood which was more or less the same two room design as the 'real' one with an ABS tube sticking out the side were the one in the toy went. I also never had the ooze so I would take green dish soap and poor it down the man-hole like in the commercial!

[Archon_Turtle]

I have to admit my first figure was Storage Shell Mikey. I thought he was way cooler with his flip down shell, goofy smile and bright pink gums. I remember thinking how cool it would be to hang out with Mikey, like skateboarding and eating pizza... Yeah, those were the days.

The storage shell head sculpts are all fantastic. I love how expressive they are. No wonder they were popular.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My Brothers friend came back from a holiday from America and he brought back a Donatello figure and i was like wow i didn't know what it at the time because the turtles hadn't arrived in Australia yet then i think it was about a month later they where in the shops can.t remember which turtle i got first but Donatello was the first turtle i got to see.

Which year was that (when the TMNT franchise came to Australia)?

[tone-master21]

My first TMNT figures were Leo and Don "soft head".

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My figures are still down in the basement.

[Guitar_Raph]

In the 90's, I collected Captain Planet figures (usually cheap at Woolworth's, how I miss Woolworth's).

Sticking to the subject at hand, the first TMNT action figure goes back to 1998 on my birthday trip to Dallas (lived in Houston then). At Kay-B, I saw figures of Mikey & Raph of Next Mutation for $4.99 or on the clearance sale for 1/2 off. Wish I had found Raph's motorcycle, Leo, Don & Venus as well.

[Patraw]

My first TMNT toy was Triceraton, which I got for Christmas; don't remember the year.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My first TMNT toy was Triceraton, which I got for Christmas; don't remember the year.

Did you ever know about Triceraton back then? Triceraton was just in Mirage.

[Patraw]

The only knowledge I had of the Mirage TMNT back then was that all the Turtles wore red head bands, so, no, I didn't know anything about the history/role of Triceratons in the comics at that time of my life.

[Zachatello00]

I remember my first. I got into TMNT a little later than all the other kids, I was still watching Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales religiously. So, when I finally got into turtles, they were already super huge. We wanted to find a pre-school graduation gift for my brother, and all he wanted was a turtle figure. I remember going to walmart, and they had what seemed like an entire aisle dedicated to TMNT toys. But it was all Bebops, Rocksteadys, Foot Soliders, and Splinters. No Turtles to be found anywhere. So, with the help of a very nice walmart employee, I remember taking almost every toy off the peg, putting them on the floor, in search of just one turtle. We searched almost the entire wall, but finally found a single Donatello. I was so happy! Elated! I held the figure all the way home in the car. But then, we had to give him away to my brother. I was heart broken...

So, the next day after school, I came home, and Leo was waiting for me. I was in love. I remember so well how bright and pretty the blue paint on the green plastic was. How neat it was to put his little swords in his belt. I never put that thing down. I took him everywhere. Truly, my favorite toy.

I wish I could say I still had him, but I do have my original Raphael figure from back in the day.

[Raphael_]

My first I think may have been a Michelangelo figure but the first one I actually remember having was soft-head Raphael, I got him in what I remember to be the spring of 1988, from the Toys R Us in Niles, IL. On the same day my brother got Leonardo.

Man I remember those times, my mom would cart me everywhere to look for the figures I wanted. My mom was so awesome, still is.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My first I think may have been a Michelangelo figure but the first one I actually remember having was soft-head Raphael, I got him in what I remember to be the spring of 1988, from the Toys R Us in Niles, IL. On the same day my brother got Leonardo.

Man I remember those times, my mom would cart me everywhere to look for the figures I wanted. My mom was so awesome, still is.

1988. That's the year the first TMNT action figures were released. Cool.

[tmntman]

My first Turtle figure was an original Michelangelo figure in the summer of 1987. This was shortly before I had ever seen the cartoon, possibly before it even aired here in WI. At the time, my brother was a big fan of WWF wrestling and the Hasbro wrestling figures. I bought Michelangelo because he actually could move and preform more wrestling moves than the WWF figures could and thus got to beat up all of my brothers figures. :D

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My first Turtle figure was an original Michelangelo figure in the summer of 1987. This was shortly before I had ever seen the cartoon, possibly before it even aired here in WI. At the time, my brother was a big fan of WWF wrestling and the Hasbro wrestling figures. I bought Michelangelo because he actually could move and preform more wrestling moves than the WWF figures could and thus got to beat up all of my brothers figures. :D

It must have been 1988. The 1987 cartoon begun on 14 December 1987 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMNT_(1987)) and the first action figures were released in 1988, see http://www.ninjaturtles.com/toys/archive.html.

[DMC362]

Raph and Bebop was the first figures I owned I don't know the year but I think it was 88 or 89. I don't have them still becuase my box of turtles disappeared around 94/95 when a relative was living with us. I didnot play with them anymore but still had them in closet. Well when the realtive GF came with her kid. The kid played with the toys. I think my relative gave the kid the box of toys without my knowleadge. I can't prove this but after this point in time I don't remeber ever seeing the box again. I did not own much so I know they just didn't get lost. My parents didnot throw our stuff out.

But years after that I got figures at fleamarkets, kaybee and biglots

A strange or funny story about my orginal figures when playing with my first bebop and a leo fig. beop lost his hand when the leo figure sword tried to cut though the groove in the wrist. the hand just popped off.

had a slash figure head break off on the first day i owned him becuase he fell and hit the ground. had to use a rubber band to keep his head on. nto a few days later found another slash figure in the playground that was broke up into all his various parts. he got put back together with a rubberband also. Around the same got tricerton with no legs or tail becuase the boy i got him from had a wierd fiesh about legless figures and he didnot save the legs. so him and mondo gecko shared limbs for awhile.

also as I was looking for figures at fleamarket in early 2000s I never seem to find a saki (rabbit) figure with his ears still attached. rember the same thing as a kid with people i met had earless figures in thier toyboxes.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My first Turtle figure was an original Michelangelo figure in the summer of 1987. This was shortly before I had ever seen the cartoon, possibly before it even aired here in WI. At the time, my brother was a big fan of WWF wrestling and the Hasbro wrestling figures. I bought Michelangelo because he actually could move and preform more wrestling moves than the WWF figures could and thus got to beat up all of my brothers figures. :D

I like your site.

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

I just spent forever writing a chronology of my early TMNT acquisitions, and then lost it all. My first figure was Raph the Space Cadet.

[Kendamu]

Mine was the original first wave Michelangelo from Playmates. I was at Target or something and I wanted a toy, so my mom took me over to this one spot right outside the action figure aisle and said, "You can have one of these." I had no clue who or what they were but I thought that they looked cool.

I ended up choosing the Mikey figure, "...because he's wearing orange!"

It wasn't until the second season of the OT that I actually knew what I had been playing with alongside my Thundercats, Batman, and Ghostbusters for a year.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

The only knowledge I had of the Mirage TMNT back then was that all the Turtles wore red head bands, so, no, I didn't know anything about the history/role of Triceratons in the comics at that time of my life.

The Triceratons later appeared in the 1987 cartoon's "Night of the Dark Turtle" episode.

[Canadian Turtle]

The Triceratons later appeared in the 1987 cartoon's "Night of the Dark Turtle" episode.

Yes I think the toy was based on the one seen in the return to new york comic because what is on his belt is exactly what you see in the comin. With the dead rats and stuff.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Yes I think the toy was based on the one seen in the return to new york comic because what is on his belt is exactly what you see in the comin. With the dead rats and stuff.

The Triceraton action figure was released already in 1990, see http://www.ninjaturtles.com/toys/1990.htm so it was probably based on Mirage and Night of the Dark Turtle aired in 1993 (see http://www.ninjaturtles.com/cartoon/1993.htm).

[spazzy]

Yikes, ummmm I THINk it might have been the Original Leo, he was always my favorite, or I might have got them all at once.

I know my first playset/vehicle was the Sewer and Van.
I had it all though as a kid, I was spoiled, then outgrew it all and sold it in a big lot at a grage sale to a mexican guy for like $15...oops!:o

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Mine was the original first wave Michelangelo from Playmates. I was at Target or something and I wanted a toy, so my mom took me over to this one spot right outside the action figure aisle and said, "You can have one of these." I had no clue who or what they were but I thought that they looked cool.

I ended up choosing the Mikey figure, "...because he's wearing orange!"

It wasn't until the second season of the OT that I actually knew what I had been playing with alongside my Thundercats, Batman, and Ghostbusters for a year.

Do you think your mother already knew what it was?

[Kendamu]

Do you think your mother already knew what it was?
Possibly, but it also could've been because they weren't expensive and we had just enough money that we didn't have to move in next door to Hamato Yoshi's sewer den.

[Mutated Turtle]

i think my first tmnt toy was 2k3 raph but i cant remember

[turkishproverb]

I got my first Ninja turtle figure because my mother was softhearted. Don't get me wrong, she didn't like me, but she was softhearted.

I was finally going to get a ninja turtle, after seeing the show when I was a little toddler, and I made it quite clear "I like Raph." "Who?" "The red one!"

"I like Raph." "Who?" "The red one!"

"Is that the one you like?" "No, thats mike!"

This went on every day after I first saw the show when I was like 2 or 3.

My mother managed to eventually figure out roughly who was who, and left me and my sister in the car one day promising to come back with raph. (We were in the store parking lot, and I think she was afraid I'd tear into the turtle's isle.)

I waited eagerly, and she cam back with...

Shredder.:lol:

I was heartbroken, and I heard her and dad talking about it when I said that wasn't raph. Turned out, a woman in the store had bought the shredder by mistake, so my mom just gave her the money and took shredder.

After a bit more argument between her and dad, eventually she went back in and dug up an Original Raphael.



Incidentally, I wasn't allowed to touch their accessories for a long time after I got them. Most play consisted of Raphael jumping on Shredder yelling "TURTLE! TURTLE!"

I know I got splinter not too long after that, but I'm not sure he was the next.

Splinter is the earliest figure from my original turtle collection left in my possession (though he's had some work done, I had to replace his hand with one off a yard sale splinter.)


...

I think that might be my 2nd memory.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

i think my first tmnt toy was 2k3 raph but i cant remember

Can't you ask the one who bought it to you if he/she remembers?

[go_ninja84]

after my brother came home from his friends house he had a squishy head Donatello at that time i heard of tmnt but was mildly interested after i saw that Donatello i fell in love with tmnt and there was constant fighting over who got to play with the figure (i was 5-6 my brother being 9-10) i actually played with him more then he did (this made him very angry) i nagged and nagged my parents for my very own but to no avail they really did not have a lot of disposable income me being a child i did not understand that but when Christmas came around i finally got my own it was Leonardo but my parents did not like the violence part of turtles so we had to surrender the weapons to them and they went in the dresser drawer of no return but still i had him to call my own i took him everywhere until one day i was taking a bath i was playing with him in the water his seam on his body separated and he fell apart (to this day i don't know why, maybe that's 80s toys for you??) body parts were everywhere in the tub and i was devastated but my brother found some humor in the whole thing go fig. lol anyway to ease my sadness my mom said they would go and buy me another the next day but later that night my dad surprised me, he urethane glued him back together and he said nothing would brake him again so the next day instead of Leo i got Raphael now i had Leo and Raph and my brother still only had Don he became so jealous lol (what goes around comes around i guess):tsmile::tsmile::tsmile:

[raphfan84]

My first was the original 88 soft head Raphael. I got him for my 5th birthday in 1989.:tgrin:

[drewizzle88]

My grandma unexpectedly bought me all four playmates turtles I believe in 1989 for my birthday/Easter. I was very surprised to get them because my mom had been telling me I couldn't have any of the turtle toys because she didn't know what a "mutant" was, but I think she was telling me this knowing my grandma was going to buy me them. I still remember opening them, I was so excited. :)

[twopinacoladas]

Raph and Leo soft heads =)