2025 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics Values

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics price guide for 2025

If you're fortunate enough to own first printings of TMNT comic books, then 2025 is a great year for you to sell!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in an independent comic book published by Mirage in 1984.

Unconfirmed rumors that only 2,500 copies of the first printing were created have led to this comic achieving legendary status. It's the #1 most valuable comic of the 1980s.

A second and third printing soon followed. Confusingly for collectors and owners, the first three printings appear identical from the outside.

The only way to identify the early printings is from their inside covers.

Issue #2 also went to a second printing with an identical outer cover.

By issue #3, second and subsequent printings had different covers, so they are much easier to identify.

There is a so-called "Laird's Photo" variant of #3, sold at a comic convention in 1985, which is more valuable than the regular issue.

TMNT Comic #4 also exists with the wrong artwork used on the second printing cover. This is highly sought-after by collectors.

If you have a collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic books, then get in touch. We will appraise your issues free of charge and pay cash for comic books.

WEAR GLOVES! If you have a copy of #1, it will pick up fingerprints like crazy, so it's a good idea to wear cotton gloves when you handle it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics #1-5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
1st Print (1984)

Lowest price $3,000

Average price $11,000

Recent 9.8 Sale $87,000

Record price $245,000 (plain), $290K (signed and sketched)

Not only the TMNT comic which launched an entire franchise, by far the most valuable comic book published in the 1980s. Most reports agree that 2,500 copies of the 1st print were created.

Briefly during the pandemic bubble period, this book flirted with $300K in CGC 9.8. Many copies have sketches and signatures from Eastman and Laird.

The recent sale of $87K for a 9.8 is not pocket change, but it does reflect how far the market has fallen for comic books.

2nd and 3rd prints have become valuable, as the 1st print is out of most people's reach.

The first printing has no indication inside the front cover about which printing it is, but you can tell by the ad for Gobbledygook #1 on the inside back cover.

The second and third prints are also valuable. They have the words "SECOND PRINTING" or "THIRD PRINTING" on the inside front cover and no ad for Gobbledygook #1 on the inside back cover.

TMNT #1
2nd Print

Lowest price $500

Average price $2,000

Record price $15,800

The poor man's first printing. See also the 3rd printing, which is the poor man's second printing...

TMNT #1
3rd Print

Lowest price $150

Average price $800

Recent 9.8 Sale $5,800

Record price $8,400

Expert collectors can identify the printings from various identifying marks on the outside covers. But by far the easiest way to tell them apart is by checking the inside covers.

TMNT #3
"Laird's Photo" variant

Lowest price $400

Average price $1,500

Recent 9.8 Sale $10,000

Record price $25,000

A rare variant cover which was only distributed at a comic convention.

Known as the Laird's Photo variant, because those words (and other elements of the design) are much brighter than the standard edition. See detail below.

TMNT Comics #4 2nd print error (1987)

Lowest price $150

Average price $500

Recent 9.8 Sale $2,880

Record price $4,000

The artwork on this error was intended for Tales of the TMNT #1. Once this misprint was noticed, Mirage recalled the printing. It's estimated that 1,000 copies exist of the error.

Values of the error have held up much better than most comic books.

Solo TMNT Comics and Other Valuable Editions

Turtlemania #1 (1986)
Silver Edition limited to 100 copies

Lowest price $1,000+

Average price $2,000

Record price $4,940

The silver edition has a gray cover and is numbered on the back. Seldom changes hands! The record sale was set in the pandemic, so be careful if you're buying one not to over-pay. 21 copies are certified, including a qualified CGC 9.6.

Raphael #1 (1985)
1st Casey Jones

Lowest price $50

Average price $200

Recent 9.8 Sale $2,900

Record price $6,100

This 1985 oversize comic book is created in exactly the same way as the other early TMNT issues and it closely resembles the style of the first four issues.

The first appearance of Casey Jones makes it by far the most valuable solo TMNT comic, but as you can see from the recent sale, this book has lost over 50 percent.

Leonardo #1 (1986)

Lowest price $15

Average price $75

Recent 9.8 Sale $455

Record price $1,000

The story from this solo issue continues in TMNT Comic #10. Otherwise, this is just another solo comic book. Recent sales in CGC 9.8 have a slight uptick, but still down over half since 2022.

TMNT Comic #28 (1990)

Lowest price $1

Average price $20

Recent 9.8 Sale $500

Record price $2,400

No book reflects the fall in values from speculation better than this one. Driven to over $2K in the pandemic, now sells for $500 in CGC 9.8.

More of Our Comic Book Articles

Comics and Collectibles Near ME is buying Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics