Where do TMNT get money?

[TurtleWA]

Is everything donated by friends or scavenged. I think I remember cash being in play so how is it earned? Stolen like Robin Hood maybe?

[oldmanwinters]

Some possible answers:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=31279

[TurtleWA]

Oh oops, thanks though. Glad to see no broken images in the old thread. :lol:

[neatoman]

Theft
Counterfeit money
Fake charity
Selling stuff online
Whatever the hell Carl in ATHF does


As for what's actually been shown, they mooch off April and Casey and/or Don works a telephone job.

[Andrew NDB]

They don't need money.

[Splinter the boss]

As for what's actually been shown, they mooch off April and Casey and/or Don works a telephone job.

Does Donnie even do the telephone job anymore? That's like from season 1 or 2 if I'm not mistaken, I paused watching after season 4 ep 19.

[neatoman]

Does Donnie even do the telephone job anymore? That's like from season 1 or 2 if I'm not mistaken, I paused watching after season 4 ep 19.

... Which show are you talking about? Regardless of which, I think you're confused, I was refering to the 2007 movie and I can't remember any of the shows depicting him working on the phone.

[myconius]

they make bunches of money from their successful line of comic books, toys and cartoon shows.


9CdVTCDdEwI

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

*Money they find by accident fallen into the sewers.
*April, Irma (once they've met them)
*Recycling
*Splinter's earned money from Japan (in versions Splinter os originally Hamato Yoshi)

[The Deadman]

By gambling.

[FearlessLeader]

Some possible answers:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=31279

So I read through all of this and I think the fixing up thrown out junk and reselling it is a viable option. In more modern versions they could even use Craigslist and April and Casey to facilitate the transactions??

[CyberCubed]

Even in Mirage the Turtles are showing eating human food like hamburgers, chinese, pizza, sandwiches. Given both April and Casey are portrayed as poor as hell in Mirage with no money, I do wonder where they get the extra cash to support 4 teenage Turtles with huge appetites from.

[Xav]

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[IndigoErth]

At least in terms of the little bit of money they actually need for the pizza and other takeout and food for the fridge... I just always imagined they were good at spotting loose change and lost dollars when they're out roaming around after dark. :) It's NYC, surely a fair amount gets lost.

As for non-food items... refurbish and re-purpose whatever they find. These days maybe they might be eBay sellers of some of the stuff they might find.

Beyond that, the kindness of friends.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I imagine alot of their food comes from dumpster waste and food thrown down the sewers. (although in versions such as the OT, they are shown to buy pizza and have money, but before that they most likely accquired the taste of the stuff after picking up pizzas thrown away by Viny's pizza for not having the correct ingredients or something)

As to where they get their money from, I don't think many versions of them used money at all or needed it since many items in the lair could've just been acquired from the local dump and food is pretty readily available in the city, even for the peniless. When they did need money in the OT and were out, they did work jobs rather than ask April.

[IndigoErth]

Even in the 2003 series, off the top of my head (since I recently re-watched it), in the "Prodigal Son" ep even 2003 Leo bring back food as Mikey requested, tossing his brothers cartons of Chinese takeout. Not only did the guy apparently have the money for it, but was able to actually go to a place and get it. (edit: They'd also requested he bring back sodas. Weren't seen, but maybe a vending machine in that case would work for them. Still requires money though.)

Maybe it's a place that's used to them, or maybe he just wore his coat and hat from his trip to and back from Japan to disguise himself a little, though he wasn't carrying that with him so... cartoon magic.

[Splinter the boss]

... Which show are you talking about? Regardless of which, I think you're confused, I was refering to the 2007 movie and I can't remember any of the shows depicting him working on the phone.
It's from the movie, my bad. I thought it was from the 2012 show.

[pferreira]

They don't need money.So they steal everything they need? Like criminals? :o

[Tarris Vaal]

I was trying to figure this one out as its a really good question.
I don't think Splinter could realistically be using saved money - mostly because depending on the iteration he's either a rat originally or is in exile (and using his own money would leave a traceable trail).

So I would suspect that in the 'early years' that Splinter scavenged as much as he could - but even then I think it would have been very hard and some amount of stealing would be highly likely. Especially given the need for workable weapons for training and later 'field' usage.

That paints a pretty hard life for Splinter and the young turtles, and suggests Splinter had to make repeated trips to the surface to steal what couldn't be scavenged.
The alternative - which I quite like personally - would be that Splinter had 'topside' assistance from someone; either financially, logistically or both. Its unlikely Splinter would have trusted several people given the situation, so it would be more likely only 1 or 2 'key' people that he would have come to for aid.

Later on - I think its likely the turtles had some kind of work. I can't imagine April's salary stretching so far as supporting a family of 5, and Casey's certainly wouldnt.

So either the turtles are stealing money (highly unlikely), salvaging it from the Foot (possible, but incidents like Mikey's reaction to Mondo Gecko doing the same in 2012 Series suggest otherwise), or earning it.


For my own thoughts, I was thinking that IDW implies Woody is at least providing some free pizza (though not huge quantities)

Thinking about it, the turtles have a significant knowledge of the layout of the sewer and underground systems beneath NYC; they move quickly, keep out of sight and can avoid NYC traffic easily; And of course they have a huge love of pizza.

Whats to say that somewhere like Woody's pizzeria hasn't hired them to make deliveries themselves? At least then they can earn their keep, and be stocked with as much as they want as part payment.

Obviously this isn't the case, but it seems strangely appropriate for them as regular work.

[Andrew NDB]

So they steal everything they need? Like criminals? :o

Probably. Or garbage. Ninjas aren't supposed to be altruistic.

[Candy Kappa]

I'd imagine whenever they encounter criminals and stop them, they'll also loot their dead/unconscious bodies.

[Andrew NDB]

I'd imagine whenever they encounter criminals and stop them, they'll also loot their dead/unconscious bodies.

Maybe. Not that they should be actively patrolling streets to fight humanity's crime for it.

[Candy Kappa]

Target practice, and keeping their side of the city clean for nuisances.

[dawwe]

I would assume that some money makes it way down the sewers and the turtles or Splinter collect it. Or April gives them a nice little allowance.

[triplexxx]

Through the "Fourth Wall", aside from recycling/scavenging/pawning, more minor sources.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Or April gives them a nice little allowance.

But not before they met her.

[TurtleWA]

If they could figure out how to get past the interview and be hired, I think late night janitorial services could be an option.

[IndigoErth]

Through the "Fourth Wall"
Well in that case, they're famous, so they're rich and don't know it. Money just keeps appearing now and then. :tlol:

[inaheap]

I would think in the 80's - 90's time frame scavenging and pawn shops. Maybe online message boards. Now a days I would think those things and Ebay. Even though there is five of them they wouldn't need that much. Their home is free. Their utilities are free. The only things they would need to spend money on are food and weapons. Perhaps since they are masters of their weapons maybe they can make them as well.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I would assume that some money makes it way down the sewers and the turtles or Splinter collect it.

Of course, it's New York City.

[Andrew NDB]

they're rich and don't know it. Money just keeps appearing now and then. :tlol:

I remember a fanfic ages ago where the Mirage Turtles are the real Turtles in reality, and they were getting residual checks from all of the movies and cartoons and toys based on them. A silly idea, but funny, and approached relatively seriously. I forget who wrote it... Dawn? Horseturtle? One of those.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I remember a fanfic ages ago where the Mirage Turtles are the real Turtles in reality, and they were getting residual checks from all of the movies and cartoons and toys based on them. A silly idea, but funny, and approached relatively seriously. I forget who wrote it... Dawn? Horseturtle? One of those.

Or maybe Michaelangelo creating comic books? :)

[IndigoErth]

I remember a fanfic ages ago where the Mirage Turtles are the real Turtles in reality, and they were getting residual checks from all of the movies and cartoons and toys based on them. A silly idea, but funny, and approached relatively seriously. I forget who wrote it... Dawn? Horseturtle? One of those.
Heh, I kinda like that. (So where they known to society, or just keeping hidden and allowing people to believe they're fictional? lol)

[pferreira]

Maybe they do night work?

[TigerClaw]

As for how the Turtles were getting money, I remember the 2007 movie showing Mikey dressing up for a kids birthday party, and Donnie doing tech support on the phone.

[Andrew NDB]

Maybe they do night work?

Maybe they don't.

[pferreira]

As for how the Turtles were getting money, I remember the 2007 movie showing Mikey dressing up for a kids birthday party, and Donnie doing tech support on the phone.Yep that works. Not sure everyone would agree but that's valid at least for the 2007 movie.

[TigerClaw]

Yep that works. Not sure everyone would agree but that's valid at least for the 2007 movie.
Yep, here's clips of it.

Donnie working as an IT Tech Support

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Mikey, a Ninja Turtle dressed up as a Ninja Turtle for a Kids Birthday Party.

oyjpmeSEm2Y

[pferreira]

Not sure if I'm right but I remember one of the early levels of the 2007 game is Mikey making his way back to the sewer after doing a kids birthday.

[Andrew NDB]

Yep, here's clips of it.

Donnie working as an IT Tech Support

E75bEVNBxB0

Mikey, a Ninja Turtle dressed up as a Ninja Turtle for a Kids Birthday Party.

oyjpmeSEm2Y

http://cdndata.bigfooty.com/2015/09/169796_a092e9110e084e0e8ac1123f22454c45.jpg

[CyberCubed]

It is weird the Turtles have food in their refigerator and drinks and stuff. That's fresh food look like it was bought in the supermarket, not found in the garbage or storm drains or whatever.

April and Casey are always portrayed as poor as hell in every universe, so they sure don't have the extra money to feed 4 more teenage boys. I don't know where they get the food from.

[IndigoErth]

Maybe some of it is stuff that's just past expiration date (but still edible) that local stores tossed out. For fresher stuff... even if their friends are not well off, well, coupons exist and they might, as I said before, no doubt be pros at spotting loose change and dropped dollars to be able to contribute to their friends willing to pick up a few things for them. (Plus being able to afford delivery/take out, the pizza or otherwise.)

In terms of moral gray area, since it's technically shop lifting (and I'd like to think they'd at least feel a little guilty for having no other choice), they might also know what days local stores tend to get their stock deliveries. Then swipe a case or two from the truck when the employees' backs are turned.

[TurtleWA]

It is weird the Turtles have food in their refigerator and drinks and stuff. That's fresh food look like it was bought in the supermarket, not found in the garbage or storm drains or whatever.

April and Casey are always portrayed as poor as hell in every universe, so they sure don't have the extra money to feed 4 more teenage boys. I don't know where they get the food from.

Maybe some of it is stuff that's just past expiration date (but still edible) that local stores tossed out. For fresher stuff... even if their friends are not well off, well, coupons exist and they might, as I said before, no doubt be pros at spotting loose change and dropped dollars to be able to contribute to their friends willing to pick up a few things for them. (Plus being able to afford delivery/take out, the pizza or otherwise.)

In terms of moral gray area, since it's technically shop lifting (and I'd like to think they'd at least feel a little guilty for having no other choice), they might also know what days local stores tend to get their stock deliveries. Then swipe a case or two from the truck when the employees' backs are turned.

Look at that pizza. :trazz:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hungry-freegans-ignore-dumpster-diving-health-warnings/news-story/d525b15d0241f0b69f316768ddf5f3d4

Link doesn't want to work without paper subscription but anyway photo attached. It was about freegans.

nom nom nom

[Ninjinister]

In the early Mirage days I would say it might be tough but after the first cartoon I'm sure they made bank off dat merch.

[victory_angel]

Maybe some of it is stuff that's just past expiration date (but still edible) that local stores tossed out. For fresher stuff... even if their friends are not well off, well, coupons exist and they might, as I said before, no doubt be pros at spotting loose change and dropped dollars to be able to contribute to their friends willing to pick up a few things for them. (Plus being able to afford delivery/take out, the pizza or otherwise.)

In terms of moral gray area, since it's technically shop lifting (and I'd like to think they'd at least feel a little guilty for having no other choice), they might also know what days local stores tend to get their stock deliveries. Then swipe a case or two from the truck when the employees' backs are turned.

Or swipe from the local food pantries. They would take enough to throw off the inventory somewhat, but not so much that it couldn't be replaced.

In the Fred Wolf series it's any sort of guess as to how the turtles are able to pay for stuff.

2k3 I would wager they do get some monitory compensation for doing some manual assistance for April and some of their other allies. since we do see the turtles snag some hot dogs during the episode when Usagi arrives in New York and then a few dollars drop from the sky.

And in the first Justice Force episode we see Don ask Casey to help him get that flying toy from that comic book store.

2k12 maybe they scrimpt a lot of the occasional money that falls down the sewers. Murakami seems to give them Pizza Gyoza on the house since he says he wasn't popular before he invented that dish for them

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

It is weird the Turtles have food in their refigerator and drinks and stuff. That's fresh food look like it was bought in the supermarket, not found in the garbage or storm drains or whatever.

April and Casey are always portrayed as poor as hell in every universe, so they sure don't have the extra money to feed 4 more teenage boys. I don't know where they get the food from.

April and Irma in the 1987-1996 series weren't so poor (even if they weren't superrich either). The problem is more before they met them.

As when it comes to the refigerator in the sewers, Donatello can fix most things.

[eskater]

Yep that works. Not sure everyone would agree but that's valid at least for the 2007 movie.

I remember being a little bit satisfied with this when the 2007 movie came out but it still sort of still begs to ask where they got money before that? Doesn't seem they had been doing it before they stopped fighting crime.
Also when they're younger how did Splinter get cash? I can't imagine the turtles as kids being able to support themselves on their own.

[snake]

Stealing seems the most likely. I really wanna know where Donnie gets all his sh*t from.

[Powder]

Stealing seems the most likely. I really wanna know where Donnie gets all his sh*t from.

In Mirage/4kids he's a junkyard picker, which only goes so far, but it's something. Figure April fills in the blanks with cheap tech.

[IndigoErth]

I know it's old, don't hit me. Think it was recently mentioned again somewhere(?) how they afford stuff, but this was the most recent thread I could find on the topic.


Just wanted to add that this must be part of it. :)

Researchers from Arizona State University analyzed sewage sludge—the stuff left behind after treating raw sewage—with a mass spectrometer, and found that a city of a million people gives out $13 million worth of metal annually—and $2.6 million of it is silver and gold.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/the-gold-lurking-in-americas-sewers/384749/

NYC is a city of how many millions? With help from Donnie's ingenuity to set up a way to collect it (and avoiding doing a lot of really gross panning by hand), these guys are secretly richer than we know.

Clean it up, melt it down in the case of small fragments, then put on a disguise to go pawn it... :tcool:

[FrederikWolferson]

They find lost wallets and loose change? Mikeys Stand is Harvest.

[Mr_riddler]

In issue 2, of the volume 4 of mirage, we can see than Donnie found an abandoned armored car, full of corpses and with a lot of money inside, i guess is not the first time they found corpses with money.

https://i.imgur.com/kNl1y45.jpg

[Prowler]

Oddly, I've never given this question much thought.

They only really need money to buy food, to be fair. Everything else they have is most likely stuff they've found abandoned and brought home for Donatello to fix.

Ordering pizza as often as they do can be quite expensive, though. And to make your own pizzas, you need ingredients. In the 1987 series you see them wearing those disguises at the supermarket in the first season 2 episode. But you never see that in the 2k3 series for example. Then again, they don't eat pizza in that series.

[IndigoErth]

But you never see that in the 2k3 series for example. Then again, they don't eat pizza in that series.
That show should have touched on it at least a little how they go about it. After they all finally regrouped and were at the old water treatment plant, didn't someone (Leo?) go pickup Chinese or something like that for everyone? They surely shopped and wore disguises more than we ever got to see.

Which is a shame, because one of the only times we ever saw it (when they got into the Purple Dragons headquarters) was sort of adorable. :tcool: Those should have been figures.

[Hamato Yoshi]

You're guessing about April , for all we know she earns a decent living

Dunno bout Casey though

A lot of edible food is thrown away (400 tons/yr in Norway alone !) and its plausible they take some of it

"Ordering pizza as often as they do can be quite expensive, though"

I know from personal experience , ate way too much take away in US.......

"Then again, they don't eat pizza in that series"

They might not have been pizza obsessed but I'm sure they ate em now and then (off screen)

[Andrew NDB]

Why would anyone assume Mirage TMNT wouldn't primarily just be eating things like slugs and spiders and stuff? Why would they have a human's sense of cuisine?

[Hamato Yoshi]

Well , I did see one of them drinking a beer though ;)

[Prowler]

You're guessing about April , for all we know she earns a decent living

Dunno bout Casey though

A lot of edible food is thrown away (400 tons/yr in Norway alone !) and its plausible they take some of it

"Ordering pizza as often as they do can be quite expensive, though"

I know from personal experience , ate way too much take away in US.......

"Then again, they don't eat pizza in that series"

They might not have been pizza obsessed but I'm sure they ate em now and then (off screen)

Oh sure. They probably até Pizza occasionally off screen. But it wasn't ever shown because Peter Laid most likely said it so.

Why would anyone assume Mirage TMNT wouldn't primarily just be eating things like slugs and spiders and stuff? Why would they have a human's sense of cuisine?

So basically they have the same diet as ordinary turtles? Eh, doubtful. They're way larger and more physically active than ordinary turtles are. They need good fuel to fight all those goes. I doubt slugs, spiders and beetles would provide them enough nutrients to build muscle and stay in shape.

[Andrew NDB]

Well , I did see one of them drinking a beer though ;)

I don't see what one thing has to do with the other. They probably get a case of beer that "falls off the truck" once in a while.

So basically they have the same diet as ordinary turtles? Eh, doubtful. They're way larger and more physically active than ordinary turtles are. They need good fuel to fight all those goes. I doubt slugs, spiders and beetles would provide them enough nutrients to build muscle and stay in shape.

Basically they'd eat whatever is around available to them with a minimum of stealing. Rats, bugs, pigeons, you name it. Why wouldn't they? Tons of proteins. And why would something with 0 human DNA definitely be craving human food? I've occasionally thrown a rat or a slug into my red earred slider tank... they immediately play tug of war with the body gleefully.

I'm not saying once In a blue moon they wouldn't somehow splurge on something like a pizza... just it couldn't possibly be the big deal that people perennially like to make it out to be. In Mirage.

[Prowler]

I don't see what one thing has to do with the other. They probably get a case of beer that "falls off the truck" once in a while.



Basically they'd eat whatever is around available to them with a minimum of stealing. Rats, bugs, pigeons, you name it. Why wouldn't they? Tons of proteins. And why would something with 0 human DNA definitely be craving human food? I've occasionally thrown a rat or a slug into my red earred slider tank... they immediately play tug of war with the body gleefully.

I'm not saying once In a blue moon they wouldn't somehow splurge on something like a pizza... just it couldn't possibly be the big deal that people perennially like to make it out to be. In Mirage.
Eating rats is a bit unsettling considering their master is a rat himself lmao. But I can imagine them eating pigeons, sure.

Maybe not crave it. But since they've gained human intelligence and learned about the outside world from watching TV and going out occasionally, stuff humans eat might have piqued their curiosity, and once they tried it they began enjoying it and thus craving it as well.

Kinda reminds me of that Calvin and Hobbes sunday strip where Hobbes complains to Calvin that his dad gave him ice cream to which Calvin says "dad says tigers don't like ice cream" to which Hobbes replies "tigers will only know if they like ice cream if all of them try it first". So maybe the same applies to mutant turtles :lol:

[IndigoErth]

And why would something with 0 human DNA definitely be craving human food?
I dunno, ask the species of small deer that snuck up behind me within a few feet once at a beach camp ground hoping for a handout when they apparently recognized the sound of chip bags as I was packing up the car.

Or any dog that begs for it, for that matter. Or raccoons and bears that get into whatever they can.

One bite of that human stuff and you're hooked. lol

[Galactus]

Also eating rats was a big no, no for Splinter throughout City At War. It took him being trapped, nearly starving to death and being emotionally tortured by the Rat King for him to do that so I highly doubt he encouraged his sons to do it.

[Andrew NDB]

Also eating rats was a big no, no for Splinter throughout City At War. It took him being trapped, nearly starving to death and being emotionally tortured by the Rat King for him to do that so I highly doubt he encouraged his sons to do it.

That's a good point. Though while it would have been looked at as cannibalism for himself... maybe not so for his 4 hungry turtle wards?

[Venom]

Why would anyone assume Mirage TMNT wouldn't primarily just be eating things like slugs and spiders and stuff? Why would they have a human's sense of cuisine?

C'mon man, you know after being mutated their metabolism had to have sped up closer to something like a mammal's, especially with how active they are. Simple insects just wouldn't cut it. Also explains how pizza could have became a dietary staple, as packed with calories as it is.