Under The Tree: 1994 Playmates TMNT Sewer Sports All-Stars – Slam Dunkin’ Don

Playmates issued their first line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures in 1988. That initial release consisted of the four turtles, Splinter, April, Shredder, Rocksteady, Bebop, and a Foot Soldier.

As TMNT mania grew, so did the toy line. Action figures began to take on various shapes, sizes, and themes. In 1991 Playmates introduced the Sewer Sports All-Stars sub-line of figures. Six figures made-up this sub-line – Slam Dunkin’ Don (basketball), Shell Slammin’ Mike (wrestling), Grand Slammin’ Raph (baseball), Shell Kickin’ Raph (soccer), Slap Shot Leo (hockey), and T.D. Tossin’ Leo (football).

Slam Dunkin’ Don has always received more attention. Mainly due to the fact he is wearing a jersey with the #23 on it. Everyone instantly connects that to Michael Jordan.

Over the years it was common for Playmates to reissue their figures. Subtle changes would be made from year to year. The Slam Dunkin’ Don from 1994 is considered a holy grail to many TMNT collectors. What makes this version so special? Its the color of his basketball jersey. For some reason the Slam Dunkin’ Don released by Playmates in 1994 is wearing a white jersey. Every release prior to and after 1994 has him wearing a red jersey. An unopened Slam Dunkin’ Don from 1994 can be worth thousands if in nice condition.

What’s in the package? Of course you receive the figure which features “amazing spring powered hoop shootin’ action”. Accessories include a turtle ball and garbage can rim.

The inclusion of a trading card is also a nice bonus.

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How To Spot A Fake Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248 Rookie Card

It might seem like a trivial card to counterfeit today, but at one time the Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248 rookie card was the king.  Back in the 1980s this card easily fetched over $100.  Many hobby veterans consider it to be the card that kicked-off the whole prospecting phenomenon.  With that type of attention and money being thrown around its no surprise that the counterfeiters came crawling.

Counterfeit Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248 rookies have been around almost as long as the real card itself.  If it weren’t for counterfeit versions of this card being made, the Upper Deck Company most likely wouldn’t exist.  Getting duped is what gave them the idea to print cards featuring holograms in order to make counterfeiting more difficult.

Don Mattingly has a very dedicated group of collectors.  His rookies may not be worth what they once were, but still are in demand.  An endless amount of counterfeits will always be floating around.

Here are some tips for spotting a counterfeit Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248 rookie card:

• Card Stock – Large quantities of counterfeits were printed on thin card stock.  Authentic examples have card stock which is much thicker.
• Gloss – Counterfeits tend to contain a lot more semi-gloss on the front.
• Print – Blurry, dot-matrix printing is a major red flag of a counterfeit.  Especially on the front where it says “DONRUSS ’84”.
• Coloring – A lighter-colored front/back is a telltale sign that the card is not genuine.  On an authentic example these areas will be darker.

One of the best things you can do is compare your Don Mattingly 1984 Donruss #248 rookie to other cards from that same set.  The card stock, gloss, photo, and text should all look similar.  I wouldn’t use cards depicting star players from 1984 though.  Even those are known to have been counterfeited despite not being rookies.  Use some nobody.

There has been a growing trend of counterfeit cards being sold as reprints.  Counterfeits and reprints are two completely different things.  Reprints originate from the card manufacturer.  Counterfeits are whipped-up in some losers card doctoring lab.  Its a wording loophole that helps them move their stash of counterfeits.  They’re hoping the people buying them don’t realize the difference.

Authentic front

Authentic back

Counterfeit front/back

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