Vintage Ninja Turtles Toys From the 1987 Cartoon

The 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon ran from December 1987 to 1996, and Playmates Toys sold its figures from summer 1988. Collectors look for the 1988 first wave, vehicles such as the Party Wagon, the 1990 Technodrome playset, and NECA’s and Super7’s 7-inch collector figures made since 2017 and 2019.

When did the 1987 Ninja Turtles cartoon air?

Fred Wolf Films produced the series. It opened with a five-part miniseries in the last days of December 1987, then aired in first-run syndication before moving to CBS Saturday mornings from 1990. The last episode aired on November 2, 1996, after 193 episodes in 10 seasons. By 1990 the show aired daily on more than 125 stations, and Turtles action figures, plush toys and cereal sold strongly around the world.

The show and the toys arrived together. Playmates Toys agreed to make figures only if there was a cartoon, and its first figures followed the miniseries in the summer of 1988. The 1990 live-action film and the later Turtles series had their own toys and sit outside this page. Our 1980s cartoon collectibles hub lists the other shows from the decade.

What was in the first Playmates TMNT wave?

Playmates released ten figures in 1988, along with five vehicles and some accessory packs. Between 1988 and 1997 the line grew to around 400 figures and dozens of vehicles and playsets, so it pays to know which year a piece belongs to.

Each figure came on a card with its own weapons. A loose figure with all of its weapons is a different buy from one with none, and a carded first-wave figure is the hardest to find in good shape.

Which TMNT vehicles and playsets matter most?

The 1988 vehicles included the Party Wagon, the Turtles’ van, and the inflatable Turtle Blimp. Playmates added the Sewer Playset in 1989 as the Turtles’ headquarters, and in 1990 the villains got their own base, the Technodrome, Shredder’s base from the cartoon.

Size counts on the big pieces. The Technodrome and the Sewer Playset take up shelf space, and a complete example is worth more than one missing its parts. For figures that came out years later with the same names, read the date and maker on the package.

What should you check on a TMNT lunch box?

Turtles merchandise sold widely in the late 1980s and early 1990s, from plush toys to breakfast cereal. If you are looking at a lunch box from those years, find the maker’s name and the date printed on the box, and check whether the matching drinks bottle is still with it. Our lunch box guide covers how to judge condition, spot reproductions and store one, and our Care Bears guide covers another 80s show with character lunch boxes.

Which newer TMNT figures look back at the 1987 era?

Two collector lines, both in 7-inch scale, revisit the original Turtles: one follows the cartoon, the other the classic toys.

• NECA: NECA’s figures are based on the classic animated series. The first was a boxed set of eight (the four Turtles, Shredder, Krang with his Bubble Walker and two Foot Soldiers), sold as a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive in 2017 in a vinyl carrying case limited to 5,000 sets. NECA then released the cartoon figures as Target-exclusive two-packs, with a second wave in November 2019.
• Super7: Super7’s Ultimates are 7-inch figures inspired by the classic action figures. Pre-orders for the first wave (Raphael, Splinter, a Foot Soldier and Baxter Stockman) opened in October 2019, with shipping planned for September 2020.

For a gift, a boxed NECA or Super7 figure is the easy choice. A complete Party Wagon or a carded 1988 figure suits a collector who knows the line.

What makes a vintage TMNT toy valuable?

Three things decide it: completeness, condition and packaging. A first-wave figure on an unopened card is a different item from the same figure loose, and a loose figure with every original weapon beats one with none. On a vehicle or playset, count the parts against a checklist for its year, since small launchers and missiles are the first pieces to go.

Paint wear on the shell and face, loose joints and sun-faded plastic all lower a loose figure. Ask whether any weapon or part is a later replacement, and expect the seller to say so in the listing. When a seller gives a year, check it against the line’s dates: Playmates figures start in 1988, the Sewer Playset in 1989 and the Technodrome in 1990, so an earlier date points to a mistake.

Where else can you go from here?

The Turtles reached toy shelves in 1988, when G.I. Joe and the Transformers were well established. For cross-title advice on reissues, knockoffs and storage, see our vintage action figure guide.