When were the original Playmates Ninja Turtles figures made?
Playmates Toys made the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures from 1988 to 1997. Wikipedia’s history of the line puts the total at around 400 figures and dozens of vehicles and playsets, with staff artists at Mirage Studios, the comic’s publisher, working on the concept designs. The first figures had at least seven points of articulation, and the same account reports that about US$1.1 billion of Turtles toys were sold in four years.
The toys and the cartoon grew up together. The first animated series began as a five-part miniseries in 1987, became a regular syndicated show on October 1, 1988, and ran until 1996; the vintage figure line ended the following year. The Turtles themselves were created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in a 1984 Mirage Studios comic, and the franchise was sold to Viacom in 2009. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a trademark of Viacom International Inc.
When collectors say “vintage Turtles”, they mean that 1988 to 1997 Playmates run. Toy graders draw a similar line: the Collectible Grading Authority files standard-size figures made before 2000 in its Vintage category.
What came out each year? The vintage line, wave by wave
The line started with 10 figures and grew quickly, adding costume sub-lines, gimmicks and movie tie-ins. This summary follows Wikipedia’s year-by-year account of the original line.
| Year | What was new |
|---|---|
| 1988 | First series of 10: the four Turtles, Splinter, April O'Neil, Shredder, Bebop, Rocksteady and a Foot Soldier, each with a signature weapon and a bio card on the card back. Vehicles included the Turtle Blimp, Turtle Trooper, Cheapskate and Foot Knucklehead. |
| 1989 | Ten new figures (five allies and five enemies), more vehicles, the first playset and Retromutagen Ooze. |
| 1990–1991 | Themed sub-lines multiply: Storage Shell Turtles, Sewer Samurai, Undercover, Sewer Surfer and Space Cadet versions, plus Mutant Military, Rock 'n Rollin' and Sewer Sports All-Stars. |
| 1992–1993 | Wacky Wild West, Cave Turtles, Turtle Trolls, Universal Monsters crossovers, Toon Turtles (1992) and figures from the second movie in a softer, more rubbery plastic. |
| 1994 | Samurai figures from the third movie and the Mini Mutants sub-line. |
| 1995 | The Adventurers (Deep Sea, Arctic and Safari versions) and figures based on Jim Lee's designs. |
| 1997 | Mutant Masters, with anime-inspired armor, the last of the original line. |
The takeaway for buyers: the same four Turtles were sold in dozens of versions, so “a Leonardo” could be almost anything. Identify the exact version, year and packaging before you compare prices.
Carded (MOC) or loose: what's the difference?
A carded figure is still sealed in its clear plastic bubble on the printed card it was sold on; a carded figure in top condition is called MOC, for mint on card. A loose figure is out of its package and is judged on its own: paint wear, loose joints, breaks, and whether every accessory is there.
Carded and loose versions of the same figure are different items with different buyers, so never price one from the other’s sales. A carded figure is judged on three parts at once. Collector Archive Services, a toy grader, makes that explicit with separate subgrades for the card back (C), the bubble or blister (B) and the figure (F), and says it never averages them to get the overall grade: in its own example, a C80 card held the grade down even though the bubble and figure scored 90.
What to check on a carded figure
- The card: creases, bent or soft corners, edge wear, tears, price stickers, and whether the bio card on the back is still there and uncut.
- The bubble: dents, cracks or yellowing, and that it’s sealed to the card all the way around. A bubble that has been lifted and reglued is a reason to walk away.
- The figure: that the figure and weapons inside are the right ones for that card. Compare with other sealed examples of the same figure on the same card back.
How do you tell if a loose vintage figure is complete?
Each vintage figure shipped with its signature weapon, plus the bio card printed on its card back. A loose figure that still has every piece it came with is described as complete, and weapons are small and easy to lose, so completeness is where loose prices split.
- Find what came in the package. Photos of the same figure still sealed on its card show exactly which weapons it came with, and fan references such as TMNTPedia list every figure released from 1988 to 1997.
- Match each piece. Shape and color both matter, so compare every weapon with those photos, not just the count.
- Ask about reproductions. Ask the seller whether any weapons are reproductions or came from a different figure, and get the answer in writing.
- Check the figure. Look for paint wear on the raised details, loose joints and cracks.
What are card-back variations and bio cards?
Vintage cards carried a bio card on the back, a character profile that kids could cut out and collect, and early cards also printed an illustrated origin story. According to Wikipedia, the origin stories were phased out during the fourth series. Sellers often call the bio cards file cards, and cut-out file cards and loose card backs are sold on their own. A card with its bio card still attached is the complete package.
Card backs also changed as the line grew, and collectors track the variations by number. The first 1988 cards are known as 10-backs, matching the 10 figures of that first wave; Collector Archive Services, for example, catalogues each first-series carded figure as a “10 Back”. When you compare prices for a sealed figure, match the card back as well as the figure: two sealed Leonardos on different backs aren’t the same item.
How are vintage Ninja Turtles figures graded?
Action figures are graded by toy graders rather than card graders. Two you’ll see on vintage Turtles listings are AFA and Collector Archive Services (CAS).
AFA (Action Figure Authority) operates under the Collectible Grading Authority (CGA), which says it grades virtually all packaged toys and select loose figures. AFA grades on two equivalent scales, and customers choose which appears on the label. The Standard scale runs from 10 to 100 and the Unified scale from 1.0 to 10; AFA says both “reflect the same grade”.
| AFA Standard (10–100) | AFA Unified (1.0–10) |
|---|---|
| 100 | 10 |
| 95+ | 9.9 |
| 85 | 9.2 |
Labels on carded figures can also carry subgrades for the card, bubble and figure, written like C80 B90 F90, which tells you where the weak point is. A grade is still one company’s opinion of condition, so read the label’s description as closely as the number: it should name the exact figure, year and card you’re paying for.
Reissue or original? Playmates reissues, NECA and Super7
Plenty of Ninja Turtles figures have been made since the vintage run ended, and some are designed to look vintage. The ones to know:
| Release | What it is | How to tell it from vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Playmates 25th anniversary reissue (2009) | The 1988 first series plus Slash and the Party Wagon, re-released in January 2009 on cards with vintage art | Each carded figure came with a DVD of a 1987 cartoon episode |
| Playmates Classic TMNT (current) | Playmates' classic-styled range, including 4-inch comic book Turtles, Movie Star versions and Storage Shell figures | Sold new today; check the branding and copyright date on the package |
| Playmates lines for later shows | New figures for the 2003 animated series, the 2012 Nickelodeon series and the 2014 film | Character designs from those shows, not the 1987 cartoon |
| NECA | Collector figures in 7-inch and 1/4 scale, based on the 1987 cartoon, the Mirage comics, The Last Ronin and the Archie comics; its first Mirage comic figures came out in 2008 | 7-inch scale or larger, in modern collector packaging |
| Super7 ULTIMATES! | 7-inch figures sold in numbered waves, covering versions including the classic cartoon and the 2003 animated series | Modern collector packaging, with interchangeable heads and hands |
The 2009 reissue is the one to watch, because it uses vintage card art. If a sealed first-series figure comes with a DVD, it’s a 2009 reissue. Modern collector lines are worth collecting in their own right; price them against their own sold listings, never against vintage ones.
What do MOC, loose complete and the other toy terms mean?
Vintage toy listings use a shorthand of their own. These are the terms you’ll meet most often when buying Ninja Turtles figures:
- MOC (mint on card): sealed on its original card and bubble, with both in top condition.
- Carded: still sealed on its card, in any condition.
- Loose: out of the package. Loose complete means it still has every weapon and accessory it came with.
- Card back and 10-back: the printed back of the card; 10-backs are the first 1988 series cards.
- Bubble or blister: the clear plastic shell holding the figure against the card.
- Bio card or file card: the character profile printed on the card back, made to be cut out.
- AFA 85, C80 B90 F90: a toy grade and its subgrades for card, bubble and figure.
- Reissue: a later re-release, such as Playmates’ 2009 run of the 1988 first series.
Our collector glossary defines these alongside the Pokémon and Funko terms, each on its own linkable line.
What drives the value of vintage Ninja Turtles figures?
Four things decide what a vintage figure is worth:
- Packaging. Whether it’s still sealed on its card, which card back it’s on, and whether the bio card is uncut.
- Condition. For carded figures, the card, bubble and figure each count; for loose ones, paint wear, joints and breaks. An AFA or CAS grade puts a number on it.
- Completeness. Every original weapon and accessory, correct in shape and color.
- The exact figure. Some characters and versions are wanted by more collectors than others, and a 1988 first-wave figure is a different item from its 2009 reissue.
Prices move, so we don’t print them here. Look up sold listings for the exact figure, card back and grade, and ignore asking prices. Our free price check tool is built for Pokémon cards, but the method is the same for a figure: identify it exactly, then read what buyers actually paid.
Buying or selling Ninja Turtles collectibles with us
We sell Ninja Turtles collectibles alongside Pokémon cards: browse the Ninja Turtles aisle.
Selling vintage Turtles? Text photos of the front and back of the card, or of a loose figure from every side with its accessories, to (760) 453-6389 and ask whether we’re buying. Any offer we make is based on recent sold listings for the exact figure and packaging, in cash or trade credit. Collect Funko too? Our Funko Pop collecting guide covers chases, exclusives and vaulted figures.