Remember those childhood toys that you dreamed about? Those illustrious pieces of plastic that you always wanted, but never got. Over time, that desire bubbled in your imagination. The simple toy transformed into your own personal Holy Grail.
Well, I have a lot of Holy Grails - all rooted in the TMNT universe. Decades of unfulfilled toy-collecting desire! Here are 10 Holy Grails I'm still searching for.
*These are based on personal interested, not rarities or worth.
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I love traveling. Exploring the globe on a thrill-seeking journey is unbeatable. The Adventurers Turtles combine the rush of odyssey and the fun of toys. I mean, com'on, each one comes with a wacky animal companion! The only figure from this line in my collection is Safari Michelangelo. I'd love to pack my bags and toss Deep Sea Diver Leonardo & Arctic Donatello in there too. Although these 3 figures are awesome enough, why isn't there a Raphael in this line?
Photo Credit: Martha0301
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There aren't enough female action figures in the TMNT universe. So when a kick ass character like Irma is put into plastic form, it's a must-have. But unfortunately, I don't have it! How can you resist an action figure with thick, dorky glasses and a sweater tied around her waist?! Now, that's ninja-style.
Photo Credit: Dallas Vintage Toys, Diary of a Dorkette
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It doesn't matter if you're a dog or a cat person, Scratch is an impressive figure. The felonious feline was released in short supply when TMNT's popularity was waning - now making him a hard-to-find and often expensive. I wanted this pussy cat back in 90s and still do today!
Photo Credit: Zack Cerda
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Having a birthday near Halloween, I've always loved the spooky season and scary movies. But, somehow I missed collecting the TMNT Universal Monsters line. One of the odd, yet awesome, toy crossovers combined the Heroes in a Halfshell with classic horror movie icons.
A second stab to the heart came when a 2nd series of figures was released - raising this line to a whopping 8 figures! Sadly, Creature of the Black Lagoon Leo was the only one who made it into my childhood collection (cue the bloodcurdling scream). However, there's a happy ending to this frightening tale. I recently grabbed ALL of these figures for a fair price. The horror is over!
Photo Credit: 16bit.com
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Weird, pointless, and the opposite of action-packed. Instead of ninja moves, these figures allow kids to play out their wildest farming scenarios. Let the imagination soar with your cowabunga crops! It's because of their strangeness that I've always wanted these harvesting heroes. Tractor-riding farmers pitted against the Foot Clan is an interesting battle!
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Everyone loves dinosaurs - especially kids. Shortly after Jurassic Park, TMNT cashed in on the tsunami-sized, dino-loving wave of popularity and released Cave/Dinosaur Turtles. The series featured our favorite characters equipped with their own dinosaur and donning a pre-historic look. I still desperately want these figures, so I can open my own Jurassic Park in The Sewer Den!
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These figures confused me as a kid...why did they look so funky? Eventually I learned the Supermutants figures were inspired by their Japanese anime cartoon counterpart. The foreign version of the TMNT show was wildly different from what we had in the States - which immediately piqued my childhood curiosity.
After my trip to Japan in my adult years, my desire to own ALL of these outlandish dudes has skyrocketed. Time to make The Sewer Den SUPER.
Photo Credit: TMNTtoys.com
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Shredder in action figure form has always been underwhelming. Some element is usually askew and derails it from being complete. Toon Shredder was the closest the figure ever came to perfection in the 80s & 90s. He never made it onto my toy shelf, and I still want his villainous plastic!
Photo Credit: TMNTtoys.com
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My absolute favorite Turtle toys come from the Movie Star line. These toys based on the 90s films have been my prized possessions since childhood. But missing from my collection are these colossally cool Giant Movie Star Turtles. This release saw the standard-sized figures mutate from 5 to 12 inches! I'm still dying to get these mammoths into The Sewer Den.
Photo Credit: TMNT-Collector, RadVintage.com
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The dude from Dimension X takes the cake - my #1 Holy Grail. I've wanted him for ages and the stars have never aligned to bring this beast into my collection. At 11" tall, he towers over other puny action figures and perfectly compliments the Technodrome play set.
The opportunities to purchase Krang's Android Body as an adult have been disheartening. I find myself stuck in two extremes.
1 The figure is missing pieces or slightly broken for a cheap price.
2. The figure is brand new, still in the original packaging, and has never been opened, with an absurd price tag.
One day, I will find that sweet middle ground and make him mine! Until then, it's daydreaming in the sewers.
Photo Credit: Dallas Vintage Toys, FOODFUNANDFASHION
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These 10 entries are like my TMNT bucket list. Before I leave this Earth, these Holy Grails will hopefully be part of my collection. Luckily, I have decades of flea market strolling, yard sale exploring, and eBay hunting to help cross each item off the list.
What's your Holy Grail?
Good list and one that is very similar to my own. I do have the Android Krang but by sheer luck. If another ever finds its way to me I will get in touch!
ReplyDeleteYou are a gentleman & a scholar!
DeleteInteresting. So is the Toon Shredder basically just a repaint of the first wave Shredder?
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, because I can remember seeing Scratch hanging on the pegs, but I had pretty much stopped buying TMNT by that point. If I knew then..
Off your list, a Movie Leo and a Krang Android body would be my two biggest grails. I'd go for the regular sized movie figure though. He was one of my favorites growing up.
If I ever spot one of them at a flea market, I'll swipe it for ya!
DeleteIn High School I bought all the Universal Monsters...then I got taken with the spirit of the season and donated them all to Toys For Tots. I can't morally say I regret it though I do wish I'd bought two sets. To this day I hope a kid got inspired to have a love of weird mash-ups
ReplyDeleteBeing a good person is more important than owning any of these figures. You did the awesome thing! But, I also totally feel your pain!
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