Eastman & Laird's Ninja Turtles

[Thoth Amon]

I went to a flea market and I was looking through some Savage Sword and Epic magazines, and between them I found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. Nowhere in it does it say if it's a first printing, second printing, or anything. It's 1984 Mirage Studios. I've heard that the first printing was limited to 3000 copies. Is this true? Does anyone know anything about this? I have no idea how to tell if this is a first printing or not, and I was wondering if anyone out there could give me any information, or a link, how to tell what kind of copy this is.

Thanks for any information.

[Schmakt]

I went to a flea market and I was looking through some Savage Sword and Epic magazines, and between them I found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. Nowhere in it does it say if it's a first printing, second printing, or anything. It's 1984 Mirage Studios. I've heard that the first printing was limited to 3000 copies. Is this true? Does anyone know anything about this? I have no idea how to tell if this is a first printing or not, and I was wondering if anyone out there could give me any information, or a link, how to tell what kind of copy this is.

Thanks for any information.

That's so awesome! I've been watching ebay for a while to try to pick up one of those, but everything's been way out of my price range... $1000+ You're a lucky lucky man, and I'm EXTREMELY jealous!

Yes, it's 3000 copy print run... and, provided you don't have a fake, it's a first printing. The first printing is oversized and on cheap newsprint paper. (it's yellow-ish) If the interior pages are white, unfortunately, you've got a fake... if it's yellow newsprint type stuff, you've got the real thing. Both the 2nd and 3rd printings say that's what they are and subsequent printings had a different cover and were regular comic book size with additional material.

So, if it's oversized with the cover below and yellow newsprint pages with no printing notation, you've got yourself a first printing TMNT... and I'll give you twice what you paid at the flea market for it. ;)

http://www.ninjaturtles.com/comics/mirage/volume01/01/01cover.jpg

[Thoth Amon]

Thanks for the info…after I looked at the response to the post I decided to go to my local comic shop
And ask what they thought of the comic. I told them the story of how I paid one dollar for it and found
It at the local farmers market. We looked the book up in overstreet who doesn’t even give a set price
Because “prices vary widely “ due to the 3000 issue low printing. Everything this book has is correct
And it doesn’t have any printing markings…inside has ad for Gobbledygook like it should…newsprint
Type paper and no signs of the counterfeits that are out there. I think I have a great find on my hands.
Last year a 9.4 sold for $8300, a 9.2 for $2850, and a 6 sold for $1300. My copy is at least a strong 8…:D

[Schmakt]

Thanks for the info…after I looked at the response to the post I decided to go to my local comic shop
And ask what they thought of the comic. I told them the story of how I paid one dollar for it and found
It at the local farmers market. We looked the book up in overstreet who doesn’t even give a set price
Because “prices vary widely “ due to the 3000 issue low printing. Everything this book has is correct
And it doesn’t have any printing markings…inside has ad for Gobbledygook like it should…newsprint
Type paper and no signs of the counterfeits that are out there. I think I have a great find on my hands.
Last year a 9.4 sold for $8300, a 9.2 for $2850, and a 6 sold for $1300. My copy is at least a strong 8…:D

that's great news! well done :)
I'm only too aware of what the overstreet says...
recently, on ebay, a 9.2 CGC copy was up for about $3500 but did not sell... and there's currently an ungraded copy at a guesstimated 9.0 for $1400 that noone is bidding on...

Good luck with whatever you decide to do with that thing tho :) (Keep it! At least until the movie comes out...)

[ffritts]

if you want to sell it for major bucks get it graded... if not I will give $20 bucks for it. :D

[UltimateVenom]

To add to the necro-posting, if the TC still frequents the site just check the address in the front cover, it should be Dover, NH.

[Kirk G]

Just remember, it's only worth what a willing buyer will give you for it.
If you've never read it, sit down and flip through it. It's the charm of the story and the obvious tie in to Daredevil's origin that was the initial appeal.

That's why I bought my first copy as one of those 3000 for just $1.25:biggrin:

[UltimateVenom]

You know what amazes me once I thought about it: there are many Turtle books out there that had a way lower print run that 3000 and go for way less. I understand the significance of #1, but it's still a humourous little thought.

[CromagnonMan]

You know what amazes me once I thought about it: there are many Turtle books out there that had a way lower print run that 3000 and go for way less. I understand the significance of #1, but it's still a humourous little thought.

but ive heard a chunk of those 3000 1st prints were chucked or destroyed (quite a lot of them by the creators i heard), so theyres fewer than that about nowadays. it was just regarded as a cheap homemade comic at first i think, but i think it only took a little while before it was a sought after collectors item hence the 5 print runs, especially when major worldwide "turtle-mania" hit a few years later.

[GreatLakesAvengers]

if you want to sell it for major bucks get it graded... if not I will give $20 bucks for it. :D

I'm in at $21 :cool: