First, I want to make sure I am clear. I want to learn and help people understand whats rare and be friendly, so please don't take it as a personal attack. I just want to figure out whats up. I don't want anything to come off the wrong way here as disagreeing may sound like its meant to be harsh at times on a message board.
Additionally, this thread will put me in a terrible nerd catagory and if no one cares to discuss it further thats cool too. We can move onto other rare toys. I created the thread to discuss the toys and expand my knowledge, not argue with people...
That being said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krueger
The next one that was released was the April with orange boots that said "PRESS" above her left breast, which is also common. "PRESS" was later removed due to Playmates fear of children interpreting it the wrong way. This is the rarest April figure, due to its limited run.
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This is the reason I don't buy this story. If there was an intentional change with the press/no press (which I am not even sold on), the no press version would have had to be first and press would have later been added. Why would I make such a claim?
I will back this up:
The orange april was released in 1990. Apperently in both press and non-press versions. To the best of my knowledge these were all ont he same card. Its possible there are minor differences in cardbacks (like which had wacky action pictures-or only storage don and not the rest...or some other detail that was added/changed later)...But I suspect that they're all on the same cards. Now...They released ALOT of those orange aprils. Like we see TONS of them now...Then according to this story, because they were concerned with a possible misinterpretation of the word press being on them, they stopped having press on the figure...
That was the rumor...
but then in 1993, new cards came out and look what happened...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Teenage-Mutant-N...QQcmdZViewItem Thats an orange april with press on the '93 card.
http://cgi.ebay.com/TMNT-APRIL-ONEIL...QQcmdZViewItem and another from 93
now, here is the same figure on the 94-98 cards:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Teenage-Mutant-N...QQcmdZViewItem press
http://cgi.ebay.com/Teenage-Mutant-N...QQcmdZViewItem press
http://cgi.ebay.com/1995-Playmates-T...QQcmdZViewItem ...and press
Here is my question to you...
Why would they remove the "press" LATE in the run of figures released on1990 card-infact to make so few that they are "RARE"...and they would then decide, after that limited run was out to add the press back in again in 93...and then not catch themselves to stop in 94-on...Again, IF the story is that they removed the press due to parents concerns, then they didn't remove them for vary long before changing their minds.
So I'd beleive the press was either a later addition, or, in a more likely situation some simply didn't get the press at the factory accidently and no one thought it was an important error worth fixing. I am not arguing the rarity so much (because I honestly don't follow that particular varition for this very reason). Afterall, we agree they made SOOOOOO many oranger with press aprils on those 1990 cards. It just makes sence that a few would accidently not get the press. In this case it is an error, and by the standards of most "professional graders" (and again, I am not saying I believe in their grading standards) errors are worth less than the "correct" version. Of course, as I say, a professional grader doesn't set a "value" and a figure is only worth what the buyer and seller thing its worth...anyway...when collectors caught on to the little variations in the ninja turtle line (like different belts on slash and things of that nature), this one became a big story that people liked to repeat as though they had some insider information into the inner workings of playmates...I know I heard it when the toys were out...and I heard it from someone else buying toys at a toystore...I even believed it at the time. I don't recall hearing it from someone at playments through an interview, article, newsreport, etc on the press/no press topic...I can't honestly say no such article was ever written, but was it written by someone with "insider" information (meaning gotten in the toy isle) or from an actual source at playmates...
So, for these reasons, I think the story is more fan made than anything that had to do with playmates opting to remove the wording. Maybe a couple of figures made it out with no press, but I can't imagine its anything like the story people claim is the case.
Now its entirely possible someone will be able to provide a credible article that proves me wrong...not some fanboy website link, but some article published in 90-91 that has comments from playmates people specificly...and I hope someone does find such and article...because I do want to know the truth. But I doubt the validity of that story we have heard about press/no press aprils. Nothing against you, but I never bought into there being anything special about the orange aprils press/no press. I have never seen one sell for more than like $6 in the collector world.
Please try to prove me wrong. I'd like to figure this out because for years people have made a big deal about press/no press and I have maintained the story is just a "fan-made collectorism".
Not meant as a personal attack...feel free to debate me on this.
Yes, apperently I am a nerd with nothing better to do, which is bad because I am really not a nerd and I do honestly have better things to do...I am just now pre-occupied with this and can't get my work done.