sideshow/neca etc.

[Endurs03]

How often are special releases made? I'd love to get these sets, over time, but where is the best place to watch for exclusive toys? I love these special editions but was not a collector's at the times

[Oculus Orbus]

The NECA line was never supposed to be a special release, they're just articulated figures made of plastic. They do look great (best TMNT toys ever in my opinion), but that's about it. To date, they're the only toys based on the original comics, and they've been becoming increasingly rare due in part to the fact that NECA stopped producing them after just one wave (with the exception of an April figure and a set of Mousers being released short after). The Turtles have been sold in different packages (clamshell, wich included bases and extra accesories, tube, and a 4 figures set). They also did a Black and White set of the Turtles, and there are a couple of exclusive sets released at New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic Con, containing the exact same figures plus the bases.

They were sold in a wide variety of shops when they first got released, and for a long while they were fairly easy to acquire and not too pricey, pretty much in the price range of regular action figures. Needless to say, the exclusive releases were harder to get.

There's plenty of bootlegs of those coming out these days on eBay, and apparently they're pretty hard to tell apart.

As for the Sideshow ones, they're polystone sculptures, and have been produced in smaller quantities, being around $250 each. They came out as regular edition, wich consisted of just the sculpture with red bandana, and exclusive edition, wich also included an extra coloured bandana. The latest release, Shredder, came with interchangeable heads. A Mouser was also produced for, I think, San Diego Comic Convention, but could also be acquired online. Some of them sold out pretty quickly, but some others you can still get at retailer price (Shredder is on sale right now at the Sideshow's website).

This things, however, do not happen too often. The best way to get them is to be informed so you can be ready when they get released. They're usually announced before they hit shops, so I'd say stay around here and you'll hear about it all first.

[Powder]

Yeah, in short, this is the best place. The second something is announced somebody makes a thread here, in this section about it.

[Endurs03]

Well thanks for all the information.

I want to pick up the NECA, the current price on Sideshow turtles is just too high. I don't really care for the shredder one.

Should I go ahead and grab the NECA sets for it's current price? Or do you think it may go down? I don't need in package. Loose would be fine with. I figure that'd be about $100-140. Depending of course.

[Powder]

They're only going to grow more expensive and rare with time. Strike when the iron's hot, I say.

[Filespit]

I'm really happy I bought the NECA set when they were first released, it seems they're almost impossible to find these days. I never bought the black and white ones though, but I'll try to get my hands on them in the future. It's a real shame NECA lost the license for TMNT, would've loved to see them produce more figures. Also, didn't they have like larger versions of the figures up for display at some event? Those I'd kill to get my hands on!

[DF619]

Originally Posted by Endurs03

Should I go ahead and grab the NECA sets for it's current price? Or do you think it may go down? I don't need in package. Loose would be fine with. I figure that'd be about $100-140. Depending of course.

As Powder said, you have to strike while the iron is hot.

You've got to be a little patient to find the NECA Turtles loose. No one on these forums had a loose set from so I ended up having to go to eBay.

I got "lucky" on eBay finding a complete set loose on eBay that came from the clamshell packaging (four Turtles, Mouser pack, and April O'Neil) and that came out to just under $190 shipped. I likely overpaid, but I'm happy to finally have a set of them all. The auction title was listed as "TMNT Neca Complete Set 2008" with neither "Ninja" or "Turtles" in the auction's title or description, so it definitely got a lot less views/watchers than it probably could've gotten.

I saw other complete loose sets of the clamshell Turtles go for $250 or more. This set of loose clamshell Turtles went for $334 shipped.

I would save searches of "NECA Turtles" and "NECA TMNT" on eBay so that you can be notified of newly listed items while also making a thread on the B/S/T section just in case someone on here has a set they're willing to let go of.

The bootlegs aren't bad figures from what I've seen, but they're bootlegs. If you want to avoid them, then I would also avoid any of the NECA figures that come from China as they are 99% likely to be bootlegs. If the price is pretty low and they're from China, they're probably bootlegs.

[Darth Knuckles]

Originally Posted by Oculus Orbus

A Mouser was also produced for, I think, San Diego Comic Convention, but could also be acquired online.

You think this, and you are correct. It was a stressful day that day for me because I couldn't go to San Diego and I was busy that day too. I waited all day until the time for pre-order came. I kept refreshing the page and it was finally time to pre-order. Three minutes after you were"permitted" to pre-order and it was already sold out! I was able to get one on eBay for a good price a few hours later.