Rare Junk: TMHT Bath Kit

* Rare Junk is dedicated to those unintentional, yet completely outlandish discoveries - ultra-rare TMNT items that you’ve never seen listed on eBay or at your local toy show. No action figures, only bizarre merchandise that decades ago found its way into existence. *

There’s gold. And then there’s garbage. Which side does a 30-year old bath set belong?

This Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles bath set is the definition of rare junk. It’s a unique rarity that I’ve never seen beyond this one. It holds a special quality that keeps me in awe, but also begs the question "why do I have this?!" It shouldn’t still exist after all these years, but it here it is. And with the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles naming, that means it's straight from Europe. Imported rare junk!

My extensive collection houses lots of rare finds that fetch a pretty penny. I’m doubtful this is a money-maker. Despite its uncommon uniqueness, the market for vintage bath products isn’t as demanding as action figures and toys. Too bad! That seems like a fun, cutthroat collecting world I want to be a part of.

Look at this bodacious beauty! If anyone hated baths as a kid, this would flip your stance. The packaging screams playtime, not bath time. The art feels like a relative of the original 80s Ninja Turtles action figures from Playmates Toys. There are exploding sewer bricks, oddly drawn characters & even cheesy one-liners – all staples from that toy line. Anyone else getting the feels? One peek at this thing and it’ll send you straight back to your childhood.

NERD ALERT: anyone noticing the TWO Donatello’s? There’s our standard Donnie equipped with his usual purple mask and long bo staff. But, then there’s this bizzaro Donatello, wearing Leo’s usual blue mask and holding a miniature bo staff that kind of looks like a taut piece of rope.

Flipping the set around, the package features more designs that will get your nostalgic bones tingling. Again, this art seems directly lifted from those classic Turtles toys we all played with as kids.

Your childhood favorites are all here. Cute baby Turtles, mutating heroes, and the infamous half-nude Shredder (the villain we all loved, but really wished had a freaking shirt). For being something as silly as a bath set, the packaging is pure bliss. It’s could-be lame product masked in a toy-like, kids-gotta-have-it package. It would’ve hook me as a child, and has me hooked now as an adult.

And, friends. Seriously. The soap. Turtle shell soap.

Why is this not being made now? In infinite quantities? Turtle shell soap is the thing missing from all our lives. I never knew I wanted it, but now here I am, demanding more of it.