A terrible end for a great running toy line.

[Jeff]

For those who don't know, Playmates toys were responsible for obtaining the toy license for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to create amazing toys that put the TMNT franchise through the roof since 1988. Sadly, Playmates toys have announced that they will be losing the toy license due to Viacom owning the TMNT license, despite doing nothing with them while the franchise is making millions from their recent Mutant Mayhem movie and products. By the end of this year, Playmates will no longer have the TMNT toy license.

 

[Stingy Perry Stingy Perry]

As long as Hasbro doesn’t get the toy rights I can sleep well at night. I don’t want them messing it up like the way they did with the Power Rangers toy line.

 

[HextarVigar]

 

[Jeff]

 

[bjork]

For those who don't know, Playmates toys were responsible for obtaining the toy license for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to create amazing toys that put the TMNT franchise through the roof since 1988.

This seems like rewriting history to me. The popularity of the show gave the toyline some legs, not the other way around. That said, Playmates not being involved any more doesn't mean you can't still get TMNT stuff? A very brief search at bigbadtoystore shows a total of 20 companies making figures (search limited to figures and not other merch) solely based on TMNT or something TMNT-adjacent (ie Mattel's He-Man/TMNT crossover figures).
I can't say I feel like it's the end of an era, because the toys will certainly exist. I also am fairly sure the last TMNT thing I would've had that someone spent money on, might've actually been 1988, so it's not a huge loss to me personally, though I do feel bad for anyone whose job is affected by this. However, I do not feel bad if it involves anyone who had a hand in making this doll that is supposed to be Sarah Michelle Gellar

 

[JPchicre]

I also do not care personally about toys or toy collecting, nor do i know enough about the situation to judge. But i hope for JEFF that the situation ends the best way possible. Maybe another toy company ,one smaller with a good track record, manages to take the license.

 

[Jeff]

I also do not care personally about toys or toy collecting, nor do i know enough about the situation to judge. But i hope for JEFF that the situation ends the best way possible. Maybe another toy company ,one smaller with a good track record, manages to take the license.

Thanks for that message. Hopefully in the future, a good toy company (Possibly Jakks Pacific) will pick up the license. May not be the best, but at least it's something to to market I suppose. Every cloud has a silver lining.

 

[bjork]

Thanks for that message. Hopefully in the future, a good toy company (Possibly Jakks Pacific) will pick up the license. May not be the best, but at least it's something to to market I suppose. Every cloud has a silver lining.

A bunch of other toy companies make TMNT toys currently. Do you have issue with all of those companies for some reason?

 

[Jeff]

A bunch of other toy companies make TMNT toys currently. Do you have issue with all of those companies for some reason?
View attachment 138953

Not really. I guess Playmates had a great toy lineup. I do get the NECA ones and Super7 whenever they get half priced.

 

[bjork]

Not really. I guess Playmates had a great toy lineup. I do get the NECA ones and Super7 whenever they get half priced.

I think what you guessed about Jakks is likely to happen, since they actually have price points that are friendly to the toy aisle at a target or whatever. Those Super 7 ones look pretty great, but yeah, kinda steep unless they're on sale.

 

[DjQuick2008]

i had this the purple fella is my favourite

 

[medisinn]

A bunch of other toy companies make TMNT toys currently. Do you have issue with all of those companies for some reason?
View attachment 138953

Damn, that is a lot of companies...although...does Funko really count in the toy category? I'd place it in the "abomination" category, but that's just me. I suppose it also depends on if you want to a figure for collection purposes, or want one to be taken out of the box to be posed or played with.

 

[bjork]

Damn, that is a lot of companies...although...does Funko really count in the toy category? I'd place it in the "abomination" category, but that's just me. I suppose it also depends on if you want to a figure for collection purposes, or want one to be taken out of the box to be posed or played with.

Gonna play devil's advocate here and guess that 90% of TMNT sales are to adults reliving their past, so way over half of all related figures and merch never leave their cardboard coffins.

 

[medisinn]

Gonna play devil's advocate here and guess that 90% of TMNT sales are to adults reliving their past, so way over half of all related figures and merch never leave their cardboard coffins.

You're likely correct. There are more recent movies, but they are just movies that make some money and get a game made off of them maybe, they're not part of a phenomenon like the Turtles were in the 90s. Even Magic the Gathering is getting a TMNT set soon specifically to pander to fans of the past. Today TMNT is just another franchise, unless they have skins in Fortnite I'm sure the visibility is limited to younger gamers.