Key Comic Breakdown Ep. 2: Mirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984) Review and Cost Discussion

Today we do an overview of the first appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via the original Mirage Studios comic book, discuss the CGC census information and determine what this book will cost you in multiple prints. We have a 2nd, two 3rd prints and 5th print in hand to look at as well.

[@rogerfleming1782]

Recently got a 9.6 fifth print. Slowly trying to get the first 62

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Yes sir! Nice pickup! That’s how I did it. Just a slow process and take ur time to find the right deals.

[@tylerbrown8357]

Awesome video! Have you added any more books to you collection since this video was shot? I’ve been picking up some original cgc graded tmnt books and I love seeing other peoples collections.

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Just the X-men adventures I grabbed at HeroesCon. Def wanna grab a few books I have on my want list though.

[@IzzyMarrie]

I actually lucked out finding a second print in okay condition (going to have it graded, but it looks-if I had to take a guess-between a 5 and a 5.5). It was in a 50 cent bin, and I gifted it to my loving boyfriend of 3 years. Now we're looking to have it framed after it's graded

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Oh that’s awesome!!! Great find there. A 2nd print in any condition for that price at this point is fantastic!!

[@IzzyMarrie]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews oh yea definitely! Although today we were able to get some great advice to consider before the grading. The back of the front cover says 2nd printing, although it turns out the ad in the very back is clearly the ad from the 1st printing. There doesn't seem to be a break between the front and back covers to indicate that different fronts and backs were put together, so if it were a restoration job, they did a great job. If it's a counterfeit, it's a dang good one. Another red flag is the size being smaller, however, size discrepancies are common among 500 issues of the 2nd printing due to being hand cut. However, the sizing for both width and length is off by about an inch comparatively. The paper is definitely newspaper, which is a great sign. There were also verified prints, one that literally popped up in Brunswick, Maine, and that is where we also got ours. So it could be a small chance of a different test print. We have two different people we're going to attempt to get more information from, but it isn't looking great unfortunately. That, and with the front cover being slightly more vivid on the colors than expected like the 2014 or 2018 history release which also was smaller, like ours, it's looking like it may be a different reprint. It's hard to tell because those two releases still from what we could find have the original 2nd printing date on them, but we weren't sure if they're supposed to include that ad from the original 1st print or if the 92% inside front cover line at the bottom of the inside front cover was something on the original 2nd printing.

[@ultrajayme]

I have #1 fifth print along with a handful of issues.

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Keep em safe and sound. No where to go but up on this original line.

[@ultrajayme]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews what's the value on #1 fifth printing if it's in VG condition? Very minimal wear on the spine

[@rodneyjones6358]

Nice collection! I've got #1,3,4,5,6,8,9,11 first prints, all solo series first prints, second prints of 2,3,4, how to draw TMNT, fugitoid. I only have 1 graded though and its my first print at a 9.4. I'm trying to work up the courage to crack it and have it pressed, because I believe it should be at least a 9.6.

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Wow! Nice collection!!!

[@vandenbrink1]

A 2nd print 8.0 just went for $2500 on ebay. I scored a 7.0 for $1950

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Wow!! I don’t remember exactly what I paid for mine but it was a small fraction of that price. A couple hundred bucks maybe.

[@jarredsmith4629]

I got a tmnt#1 color special error edition cgc ss 9.8 and a tmnt#4 2 print and one day i will get a tmnt#1 2 print if the prices dont keep going up cause i only collect rare and first apps cause those always seem ro hold there value.

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Real nice books!!! And I hear ya on the 2nd print. Bad time to buy right now but who knows if they will ever come back down, or continue to go up. The comic market is just going crazy right now!!

[@vandenbrink1]

Its really time for an 'R' rated TMNT movie

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

I’m just ready for a good tmnt movie of any rating. Haha.

[@tamiranimats9419]

Video name?

[@JamesTevlin]

I’d love more videos on your tmnt comic runs

[@SondicoDenann]

If only those books were still selling for those prices! LoL

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Haha. True that. Tmnt has just gotten outrageously priced in the last 6-8 months.

[@SondicoDenann]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews right.....glad I got mine years ago!

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

@@SondicoDenann same here brother!!! I couldn’t afford these now. I do believe at some point they will come back down some but prob not to the prices we paid.

[@SondicoDenann]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews The Turtles are pretty hot and have been for a while, I think the books will keep on going up! when I picked up a couple of ungraded second prints, I paid $200 each for them at the time, that seemed like crazy money back then! LoL

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

@@SondicoDenann very true!! I paid somewhere in that ballpark for my 2nd prints and a little less for all the 3rds.

[@mattheww.2807]

These have gone way up recently!

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Your so right. TMNT has gone nuts in the comic world! Very thankful I’m not trying to find one right now.

[@shittyjohncandy]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews I saw on ebay sold and completed some TMNT #1 second printing in the 7-9 graded (or even ungraded) go in the 2500-3200 range. I just dusted my 2nd printing off now after storage for 18 years and thinking of selling.

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

@@shittyjohncandy and I don’t really see that one going down anytime soon either. Prob still more upside there for the next couple decades.

[@MrFamousbulldogs]

nice collection those are on the rise at the moment

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

MrFamousbulldogs thx!!! Yea I noticed Comic Tom discussing the 2nd printing a few days ago!! TMNT is a super hot title everywhere really it seems right now. Comics, Toys, etc.

[@dogcades]

Great video! So many turtle fans!! I'm thinking of getting my 1st print slabbed, But I think I'd be lucky if It got a 5 grade. Does it affect the value if it gets pressed?

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

If u have a 1st print, it doesn’t even matter the grade, that’s a grail right there!!! Real nice!!!

[@michaelcabrera794]

I'm contemplating on selling majority of my Fans Toys third party transformers collection to afford myself a second print TMNT #1 CGC graded copy. Long term value, do you think the 2nd print TMNT #1 will be worth more than Fans Toys?

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

I would say a Tmnt #1 would always be a solid value to hold onto. I love Fans Toys though. That’s just gonna be a personal preference there. Being I’m a huge tmnt fan, I always lean toward grabbing tmnt stuff. I think they will always hold their value with peaks as Valleys as well.

[@michaelcabrera794]

@@ManCaveCollectibleReviews Thank you so much for your advice! I love Fans Toys too, but I'm at a point where I'm running out of space in my house and need to focus on certain niches only. Also, I'm worried as with all things 3rd party Transformers, most don't usually retain their value after the next best company comes up with superior engineering and products. I agree with you that TMNT will be a solid value because it is a finite resource and the demand is always going to be there. Is eBay the only best place to land copies from? Or are there other better avenues to visit to obtain TMNT #1?

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

@@michaelcabrera794 eBay auctions are prob ur best bet. The buy it nows sometimes run fairly high. But auctions are the “true” value deciders and tend to come in a little under most buy it now pricing. Good luck in ur search and lemme know the outcome!! Will be interesting to see how it works out.

[@longpham9214]

No first print!

[@mjl7391]

What are these worth?

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Matty G I honestly haven’t even checked recently. Since these books are in my “never sale” pile, I don’t pay attention to the value very much on them as they really only have value if u sell them. To me it’s more of a sentimental value. I do know they’ve been spiking some lately, but I don’t know that exact value or what exactly they are selling for at the moment.

[@mjl7391]

ManCave Collectibles I just sold a TMNT #1 3rd print (ungraded) for $1100.. does this seem reasonable to you?

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

That seems extremely reasonable to me!! I just pulled up my GoCollect App, which I recommend u check out if u haven’t when selling comics, and the fair market value for a 3rd print 9.8 slabbed is about $1600. So if yours was raw and you got $1100, I would say u did well!!

[@mjl7391]

ManCave Collectibles thank you for the response.. I probably could have gotten more but I don’t really collect comics.. I had them because I liked the TMNT when I was younger.. the book probably sat in storage for the last 20 years.. I didn’t even remember I had it until recently when I went looking for it.. thanks again..

[@ManCaveCollectibleReviews]

Matty G thanks for sharing that story!!! Totally understand on stuff in storage! I’ve found few gems in storage and attics myself over the years! Have a great day brother!!