Claw & Order: Scratch the Cat (1993) – The TMNT Jailhouse Feline Felon!

Hey, shell shockers and sewer stalkers! Pounce into RareToyHub, your mutant menagerie for neon plastic and carded chaos. Today, we're springing from the joint with the rarest of the rare – the Scratch the Cat Playmates (1993), a 5-inch prison-striped kitty with real claw action that turns TMNT into a cat-astrophe. If you're a Scratch scrapper, your whiskers are twitching. If you're not… sharpen the claws, because this jailbird is about to scratch up your shelf!

What Makes This Scratch THE Scratch?

The Scratch the Cat was a 1993 action figure from Playmates Toys' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line – a 5-inch anthropomorphic cat burglar with striped prison uniform, ball-joint claws, and a "Claw-Swipe" action feature. Released in the "Mutant Rapper" sub-series, this jailhouse rocker captures the wild '90s cartoon crossover in neon glory.

This Playmates original? Purr-fect pandemonium. Why the feline frenzy?

• Mint-on-Card (MOC) – Factory-sealed bubble, crisp card, no yellowing. All accessories bagged – ready to riot.
• 1993 Jailhouse Jam – Glow-in-dark eyes, real metal chain, "Scratch" file card bio. It's the cat that cracked the code.
• Rarity Alert – Short-run '93 wave; <2k MOC known. Survivors? Fewer than a nine-life escape.

The Anatomy of a Legend

Let's declaw this delinquent joint by joint:

Press the trigger, and you're the warden. Claws rake, eyes glow – one swipe? *Shrrk!* – mutant mayhem. It's not a common Turtle; it's your cell-block celebrity, one slash at a time.

Why Collectors Are Losing Their Nine Lives

Time to tally the tails (the treasure-kind – no bail bonds):

• Loose Played → $80–$200
• Near-Mint Loose (NML) → $400–$800 (minor claw wear? Still scratches strong)
• MOC 1993 Sealed? → $2,500–$5,000+ (Heritage hissed $4,800 in '24)

Why the Scratch stampede? Supply sprung by scarcity. '93 overstock dumped; cards creased, bubbles cracked. Plus, TMNT nostalgia boom? It's the mutant market meow-nia – values up 1200% as cats claw to cases.

Fun Facts to Drop at Your Next Sewer Soirée

1. One-Season Wonder – Appeared only in "Planet of the Turtleoids." Fun twist: Voiced by Townsend Coleman – no purr, all punch!
2. Claw Tech First – First TMNT fig with dual-action claws. Geek out: Glow plastic mix – pre-LED lunacy.
3. Auction Alley Cat – A MOC #AFA85 slashed $5,100 at Hake's; eBay NML hover $600+. TMNT Collector calls it "purr-fect prison punk"!
4. Rarer Than a Ninja Cat – <10k produced; <1k MOC. No reissues – this is pure '93 breakout!

Is This the Ultimate TMNT Underdog Grail?

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: YES, and here's why you'll trade your Splinter for it.

• Historical Hiss: 1993 mutant mash-up – last gasp of wild variants. No other feline fights like this.
• Investment Instinct: Obscure TMNT is shell-shocking gold. This one's the claw retirement – values up 1300% in a decade.
• Bragging Rights: "Got Scratch MOC, bubble pristine." *Shrrk! – the echo outclaws Usagi.

Final Thoughts: Hunt, Hold, or HODL?

If you own one?
→ UV-seal the card (sunlight yellows bubbles).
→ Display in acrylic cell, silica-packed.
→ Never pop the bubble. (Value vanishes.)

If you're hunting one?
→ Stalk "Scratch the Cat MOC" in '90s toy tombs.
→ Join TMNT Vaults (but AFA or bust – no resealed rip-offs).
→ Budget like a bounty: This isn't a fig. It's carded catnip.

RareToyHub Verdict: The Scratch the Cat (1993) isn't just the crown jewel of TMNT collecting – it's the claw that cracks the case. Spot one in the wild? Swipe quick. Snag, and it's sentenced to your shelf.

Now, sharpen your collection, mutant moggy masters.
By the slash of the Scratch… you have the cell block!