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]

Originally Posted by 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

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 .

[Archon_Turtle]

Originally Posted by J 1982

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]

Originally Posted by Archon_Turtle

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]

Originally Posted by CrazyCowboyDion

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[CudleyCowlick]

Originally Posted by J 1982

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

BLIMP II


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]

Originally Posted by CrazyCowboyDion

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]

Originally Posted by J 1982

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.