Heroes in a Half Shell

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved reptiles and amphibians. So of course my favourite cartoon was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had all the toys and movies and just couldn't get enough of those green fighting machines. I was never good at getting rid of things as I got older and as a result I have a pretty sweet Ninja Turtle collection. I often go to Toy Shows with my husband and am always on the lookout for anything TMNT I can find. The last couple years have been especially good for Ninja Turtle fans because 2009 was there 25th anniversary (we were born in the same year - how cool is that!), which means there are loads of anniversary toys and collectibles hitting the market.

One thing that I am extremely excited about is 5 statues that Sideshow Collectibles are creating to come out this year from the TMNT line. The first to be released is of Donatello it is expected to come out sometime in the first quarter of this year. The picture I have shown here is actually the exclusive that you can only get through the sideshow site. What makes this exclusive unique is actually the purple headband that so many people use to identify each turtle. In fact originally when the turtles hit the scene in their first Comic book by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman they all wore red headbands and the major distinguishing thing between the turtles was their weapons. It wasn't until the hit children's cartoon aired in 1987 that each turtle sported a different colour. They did this because they thought children would have a easier time identifying each turtle if they had a colour associated with them but when most people think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles it is these ones they think of rather then the originals all in red.

The turtles have been re-vamped many times with new looks, new animation and new toys but my heart is mostly with the 1987 version that is most well known. My collection consists of mostly vintage action figures and collectibles. A lot of which I have had since I was young. I was even a Ninja Turtle for Halloween a couple times. The costume shown here is one my aunt made for me one year. It is very appropriate because my cousin use to call me "Raphael Rachael"

Unfortunately due to lack of space I am not able to have all my turtles out on display but here is a small part of my collection.

The villains of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles














Their leader The Shredder along with his right-hand men BeBop & Rocksteady


The Good Guys


Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael & Michaelangelo


Neca anniversary Turtles based on the Original Comic Series


Seasons of the 1987 Ninja Turtles Cartoon Series

This is just a small selection of my collection. I hope to one day have it all put on display. I also have a big collection of the Ninja Turtle Comics, a couple of them are signed and I even have a sketch in the back of one of them.

Notice the awesome stand I have for my Dvds. It is the Video Game stand for the new Turtles Game Smash-Up.