It seems some people just think £10,000 is too much to pay for a never-ending supply of nightmare fuel. We can say this with some confidence, because an ill-maintained and deteriorating costume from director Stuart Gillard’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III failed to sell at auction despite a healthy amount of publicity generated from the fact that it was horrifying to look at. Prop Store had estimated the value of the costume at between £10,000 and £15,000, and it was set to go to auction on Tuesday, October 1. Presently, the website for the auciton lists the Leonardo costume as unsold and the auction as closed.
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The costume is listed as the one worn by Mark Caso in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, a movie where some fans criticized the costumes for not being as good as its predecessors to begin with. As an actual piece of TMNT history, though, Prop Store likely assumed that it would sell if the price point was right.
Here’s how the site described the costume:
This costume includes a green turtle bodysuit consisting of foam latex cast elements over a spandex base, with dense-foam chest and shell elements, leather knee and elbow pads, and a leather sheath setup for Leonardo’s swords. The head included is a stunt version, also utilizing a foam latex skin over a spandex base, with cast resin teeth, high-quality eyes, a fabric bandana, internal helmet liner shell for the performer, and a zipper at the back to allow the piece to be closed. Both the body and head of the costume show substantial breakdown to the foam latex elements and require restoration. The body is currently filled with some stuffing and rests on an oversize clothing hangar — additional work is needed to make the piece stand. Dimensions (Head attached): 185.5 cm x 81.25 cm x 38 cm (73″ x 32″ x 15″)
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, when their friend April O’Neil (Paige Turco) was magically transported back in time to 17th century Japan, Leonardo and his fellow turtles followed in an attempt to rescue her.
Maybe they would have had more luck if they had included the Japanese wardrobe pictured on the movie’s poster!
In any event, keep your eye on this entry at Prop Store if you are still interested in seeing whether the costume will sell. All of the eyes on this item and its failure to launch will likely convince the seller that it’s worth another try if they ask for slightly less money.
