Swedish releases; Just made a discovery

[VisionsofJessica]

I recently got back to my hometown down south in Sweden, made sure to find some of my old photos from the 80's and 90's - the good old days

I found a photo from my 7th birthday in 1991. On the photo, I'm just opening the gift that was TMNT 1 for NES

In the background I could see a carded Don that I had previously opened. However, what I realized for the very first time was that written that large green font it said SKÖLDPADDOR, which means TURTLES.
A Swedish titled card

The toy itself wasn't that official Playmates one, but one looking more like bootlegs like Turtles Fighters. I still got that figure.

But! Then I had a retro flashback remembered that these figures were sold in major Swedish toys stores like Lekia/ Lekcenter (our version of Toys R US).

I remembered that some were sold carded like the one I got and some were sold in those see-through plastic bags that are more common with Mexican bootlegs.

Is there anyone here from Sweden who also remembered these SKÖLDPADDOR? And how could Lekia/ Lekcenter sell these unlicensed versions?

[Powder]

Not entirely relevant, but some big chain stores in the UK were selling bootleg NECA turtles a year or two ago. Sometimes these places get tricked (or maybe they just don't care).

[Mew]

Very cool! Can we see the image perhaps? I would like to see that bootleg TMNT.

[VisionsofJessica]

Give me like half an hour, and I'll post the pic right here.

Originally Posted by Powder

Not entirely relevant, but some big chain stores in the UK were selling bootleg NECA turtles a year or two ago. Sometimes these places get tricked (or maybe they just don't care).

Oh yes, it's relevant! I'm trying to solve this "mystery".
It's my Summer Quest

I once talked to a Swedish toy store manager about unlicensed action figures, mainly TMNT and MOTU.
He didn't know that much about it, but his theory was that Playmates themselves produced these "quick" prototype style turtles and shipped them to toy stores to check the market's interest. That is, before they produced and shipped the official versions. That couldn't be, could it?

[VisionsofJessica]

Here we go, so this was back in 1991:

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IMG_0793.jpg

[Mew]

Originally Posted by VisionsofJessica

Here we go, so this was back in 1991:

Attachment 10358

Attachment 10359

Very interesting. I think I can see Don, Krang, and another character on the card. (Splinter?)

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by Mew

Very interesting. I think I can see Don, Krang, and another character on the card. (Splinter?)

Huh? Yes, never noticed that before, thank you

When I started collecting Mighty Max two years later, I saved all the cards. I wish I had done the same with my TMNT. Then maybe I could know the manufacturer or company name...

[Mew]

Makes me wonder if they were by Playmates, just made on the cheap.

[Powder]

That's 100% bootleg, I'm absolutely certain of it.

The few international releases that you do see have pretty much the exact same packaging as US ones, but with different languages. What you've got there is one of many kinds of bootlegs, though it may have been of a perfectly acceptable quality.

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by Mew

Makes me wonder if they were by Playmates, just made on the cheap.

Eeh? So then maybe the toy store manager I mention above actually had a point, it's just that he seemed so oblivious when I spoke to him

Perhaps all the Turtle Fighters and other bootlegs used the same mold as Playmates' "cheaper prototypes"? If any such thing ever existed...

This could be true, since bootlegs by other companies always look more like SKÖLDPADDOR than Playmates' official releases from 1988. You know, without those little holes underneath their feet and more.

[Powder]

I HIGHLY doubt that.

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by Powder

I HIGHLY doubt that.

You're probably right.

I'll try and contact YAPON, the Swedish distributer of TMNT toys in Sweden back-in-da-days and see if they were behind SKÖLDPADDOR.

[thundermaster612]

Don m'boy's got a sunshine bandana just like the Threezero figures designed by Eastman. Also his head is pretty tall. But it is definitely a bootleg unless its some special figure made by a 3rd party company like we have now. But they didn't do that back then so definitely a shoefoot.

[LilithMV]

Oh yes, I remember those. I first saw them at Mickelsmäss. A friend bought them and a month later melted the poor things down. Their body and limbs were just thin hollow plastic.

Ah the memories. I still dream about going to the toy stores of the past and finding multiple large shelves with turtles, something that has since those days never happened again.

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by LilithMV

Oh yes, I remember those. I first saw them at Mickelsmäss. A friend bought them and a month later melted the poor things down. Their body and limbs were just thin hollow plastic.

Cool! Glad you posted

Do you remember whether they were sold on cards or in plastic bags? Do you by any chance remember if the title said TURTLES or SKÖLDPADDOR?


Haha Did you friend melt 'em down because they weren't the "real" TMNT or what?


Hum, var Mickelmäss nån sorts utomhusmarknad, eller? Var någonstans fanns Mickelmäss?

[thundermaster612]

Originally Posted by LilithMV

Oh yes, I remember those. I first saw them at Mickelsmäss. A friend bought them and a month later melted the poor things down. Their body and limbs were just thin hollow plastic.

Ah the memories. I still dream about going to the toy stores of the past and finding multiple large shelves with turtles, something that has since those days never happened again.

What? why did he melt them down? and how did he do it?

[LilithMV]

Originally Posted by VisionsofJessica

Cool! Glad you posted

Do you remember whether they were sold on cards or in plastic bags? Do you by any chance remember if the title said TURTLES or SKÖLDPADDOR?


Haha Did you friend melt 'em down because they weren't the "real" TMNT or what?


Hum, var Mickelmäss nån sorts utomhusmarknad, eller? Var någonstans fanns Mickelmäss?

In bags and on a card. I remember it said Sköldpaddor, though. But not on all. So I guess there were at least two different kinds of bootlegs.

Nah, she just liked to melt different toys.

Utomhusmarknad i Örsundsbro

Edit: @thundermaster612 Oops sorry, did not see your reply, even though it was just right below.

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by LilithMV

In bags and on a card. I remember it said Sköldpaddor, though. But not on all. So I guess there were at least two different kinds of bootlegs.

Thanks for the info, that's useful for my quest to find out where they came from

[VisionsofJessica]

Originally Posted by LilithMV

In bags and on a card. I remember it said Sköldpaddor, though. But not on all. So I guess there were at least two different kinds of bootlegs.

Nah, she just liked to melt different toys.

Utomhusmarknad i Örsundsbro

Edit: @thundermaster612 Oops sorry, did not see your reply, even though it was just right below.

We'll talk about those "Sköldpaddor" figs in our podcast soon, Pixelklubben 64, all in Swedish. It's on iTunes or right here.

[Prototype]

My fellow countrymen, as your new leader I would like to hear your verdict on the current nick-toyline's status.

Any of you've seen Mondo Gecko, Napoleon Bonafrog or the Dimension X/Space-variants (Fugitoid, April, Casey, the turtles, Triceratons, Dregg & Robug)?

Also, regarding the mix&match subline, any sightnings of the Mix&Match Robotic Foot Soldier?

All in all the anticipations for the new Bayturtle toys can't have been very great, I've only seen a minor collection in stores, usually just just a few basic figures on a few pegs.