Is a variant of a variant a sign of the end?

Let’s review the TMNT punk Leonardo and punk Raphael ( white and red ) two pack by NECA

[reiddutchess]

This two pack is the most shameless move they have pulled yet 😂

[greenmagicdragon]

People just entering in on this line would be so overwhelmed right now with the crazy number of releases they have.

Not to mention the fact it would be one of the most expensive lines to complete even at standard retail prices let alone secondary market prices.

I’m still all in on this NECA TMNT Toon line but part of me kinda wishes it would come to an end and another part of me is happy to keep going along for the ride.

People out there are saying we’ve already have enough deep cuts and variants but if people keep buying them NECA is gonna keep making ‘em.

Hatter Nation 🎩

[georgepasymowski]

😊I'm turtled out. Even the tmnt wrestling figures aren't selling well. I may get the xmas 4 pack but it's got less accessories compared to the musical mutagen ones. Great review as always.

[joeguido]

They need to continue the cartoon line via what they did w the upcoming Panda dude where they take a character that was a previous playmates toy and toon it. Hothead, walkabout, Monty Moose, Snake Tail, Merdude, etc. and we are also still owed a Tempestra

[gonzalogca]

I was a completionist at the beginning but I really got tired after a while. I have no idea what characters they can show at NYCC to renew my interest.
Me personally, I'm just waiting for the Shredder 2.0 and the giant Krang to call it quits.

[dominicparen]

the end was right after the Turtle VAN

[casperscorner]

This is a calm time right now. Arron mentioned the other day that we are far from the end with the toon line. There are even deeper cuts we are going to start seeing soon. We still need that last ronin toon figure. I'm not giving up on that.

[Endo-Skeleton]

Clothing them with jackets ironically make them look more naked! Just out there free balling it. 😂

[thecurmudgeon]

They still have a lot to milk with this line. They still haven't released the cheapskates and other vehicles like the Blimp and Turtlecycle. They still have other characters to go like Tempestra and Creepy Eddie. Also they can just rerelease certain figures as singular ultimates with added accessories...specifically Casey Jones, Shredder, Baxter Stockman, etc.

[christophersloss]

To answer your question, the market is becoming saturated. If you flood the market, people will not feel the need to go out and buy. They will just wait because there will be a two-pack, a variant, or a rerelease.

It also removes the rarity and "cool" factor and market value. Everyone hates to admit it, but the secondary market is essential to keeping interest. I don't want to buy a $60 figure if I can only sell it for 10 if I ever need/want to sell it.

[jraymondsmith]

Been waiting on these for a while, so I was pumped. Plus, winner molds I figure it just helps them cover the cost.

[frobafett]

Things are headed in the Neca TMNT universe to the year 2012

[nickb]

I think many have checked out of this line for a few reasons:

Many years of milking by NECA and prices are only going up.

Economy is not the greatest.

Deep dives from here on out.

I bought the wrestling 4 pack, brand new off eBay for $120 shipped a couple weeks after it was released. My preorder and paying retail days are over. I have 95% of everything released so far.

I called it when NECA charged $250 for the sewer scenes, they effectively drive a ton of their completionists out of the game. It waterfalls hard once you don't want to/can't get everything for a decent price and I think we are witnessing the effects of price gouging.

Also, the resell market is pretty bad for these figures save for a couple pieces. It's only going to get worse over the next 20-30 years, until we die. I would bet the TMNT market has peaked already, with all of us 40-somethings moving out of our reckless spending years. The next gen of fans is smaller than us OG fans.

[PEHfinale]

The original 4-pack should have made the jackets removable and included alternate arms (like the business suit Casey Jones did) so that people who bought all four brothers could choose how to display Leo and Raph.

If they HAD to do it this way, they could have at least given variant Raph and Leo some unique expressions (like Mikey's toothy grin in the 4-pack) so people who bought both sets would end up with four distinct expressions. As it is, this release feels very underwhelming to me.

[RetroTube]

What I wanna see with NECA, and they can reuse the molds and save money that way, but give me the four Turtles in their toy colors. Or give me Shredder without the cell-shading, give him some shiny metallic paint. And I know they did that pinball version, but that had a purple shirt instead of grey.

[joeguido]

I called playmates, Jim said it’s cool I checked

[tedmatthews]

Collected everything on from the first 8 pack set from SDCC until this year. Due to the prices on the sewer lair and also releasing characters that were never in the show, I have basically quit the line. The endless turtle repacks (toon, promo art, disquise, punk, etc.) have not helped either.

[ozzy]

Stuff like this is cool but also why I stopped collecting the cartoon line there just seems to be no end to the characters with all the variants they can do

[truerc]

Paying full price and seeing big discounts later certainly discourages future retail purchases. Maybe NECA needs to reduce production runs or stick with popular stuff. Who knows?

[thefont]

It’s an enormous line. I have most of it. We’re all running out of space! What else could they possibly make that we are looking for? I can only think Tempestra. I know there are some figures from the later seasons they are still out there.

So, we will see. It’s been a hell of a run. I’m glad everything exists.