Earlier this year, Diamond Select announced their plans to release a classic TMNT Minimates toy series. These Minimates were going to be based on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon which ran from 1987-1996. Unfortunately, they have since decided not to go through with these plans, announcing the cancellation mere days before the toys were scheduled to ship. According to Diamond Select, there were not enough retail orders to go through with production.
Although this is definitely sad news, it’s not exactly surprising. While nostalgia for the original animated series has lead to a few successful crossovers for Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I’ve noticed that most older fans appear to have little interest in purchasing products based on the cartoon from their youth. As of late, companies like NECA have discovered that licensing the 90’s TMNT movies and video games are often far more profitable. If the fans aren’t rushing to stores to pick up TMNT toys based on the original animated series, why order that product in the first place?
Despite the popularity of this crossover episode, it would appear that toys based on the original animated series aren’t selling very well. Image Source: Nickelodeon.
Thankfully, this isn’t exactly a sign of things to come. Even though nostalgia for the original animated series may have waned, TMNT toys and merchandise still sell very well. With a new animated series on the way, it doesn’t look like our heroes in a half shell will be going away anytime soon. As if that weren’t convincing enough, we’re also getting a new brawler arcade game and prop replicas based on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie! With so many new products and a cartoon coming in 2018, it’s clear that this property is still incredibly strong.