1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trading cards are dedicated to the animated series that not only gave us one of the greatest theme songs of all-time but also played a huge role in the breakout popularity of the franchise. Released in two series, it includes memorable characters, lots of action and even some pizza.
Going beyond the basic set, there are also a couple of levels of additional cards for those looking to round out their TMNT trading card collections.
1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Checklist Details
The complete base set has 176 total cards — 88 for Series 1 and another 88 for Series 2. Put together, it’s one continuous checklist, though. All come from the cartoon that, put together, offer loose recaps of select episodes.
While the format is the same for both series, the designs are distinct. 1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series 1 cards have green fronts with a shell icon for the number. Backs have the show’s logo and a write-up inside a yellow box.
For Series 2, things switch to black borders and a pizza slice for the number placeholder. Backs also get a tweaked with the four lead heroes dotting the four corners.
Both sets have 11 additional stickers that are one per pack. Series 1 are based on character designs and have yellow backgrounds. Series 2 stickers are similar to base cards in that they use stills from the show. Borders are easy to identify thanks to their blue borders. Unlike the base set, numbering resets for each series’ stickers.
Collectors’ Edition Sets
Series 1 also has a Collectors’ Edition factory set. Not only do they packages all 88 cards and stickers together in a special box set, but there are some additional cards as well.
In fact, the 88-card base set is essentially a parallel of what’s found in packs. Collectors’ Edition cards are glossy and have brightly colored backs. While the content is the same, the cards themselves are different enough that they can be considered separate.
Factory sets also have 22 cards available nowhere else. These circle back to the original Mirage comics that started it all.
Coming out as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were becoming a phenomenon — also coinciding with a peak era of trading cards — there’s a significant amount of 1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles out there. Still, prices have risen as the franchise continues to be popular both with original fans and a new generation.
1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Checklist
Click on the links to shop for cards on eBay or to check current market values.
Set size: 176 cards
Cards per pack: Series 1 Wax – 6, Series 1 Cello – 12, Series 2 – 6
Packs per box: Series 1 Wax – 48, Series 1 Cello – 24, Series 2 – 48
Shop for 1989 Topps Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
176 cards. (Series 1 – #1-88, Series 2 – #89-176)
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Series 1
1 The Epic Begins
2 Crime City!
3 The Art of Crime
4 Get April O’Neil!
5 Mysterious Rescuer!
6 Monitoring the Turtles
7 A Special Wake-Up Call!
8 The Perfect Host
9 Pizza for Breakfast!
10 The Slice That Satisfies!
11 Splinter’s Crew
12 It Began in Japan …
13 Ninjas in Training
14 Framed by a Foe!
15 The Fateful Stumble
16 A Man and His Turtles
17 Metamorphosis
18 Humanoid Turtles!
19 Man-into-Ratman
20 Splinter’s Skill
21 Donatello!
22 Raphael!
23 Leonardo!
24 Michaelangelo!
25 The Shredder
26 The Master’s Plan
27 Ready for Action!
28 Underground Heroes!
29 The Ninjas Emerge
30 Turtles? No Way!!
31 Here’s Looking at You, Kid!
32 Our Kinda Town!
33 Ninja Pizza Coming Up!
34 April … Kidnapped!
35 The Shredder’s Evil Gang
36 Let’s Rock ‘n’ Roll!
37 High Flyin’ Hero!
38 Time To Fight, Dudes!
39 Clobbered!
40 Turtle Threat
41 Power of the Enemy
42 Zapped!
43 A Narrow Escape!
44 Tumble That Wall!
45 The Rescue of April
46 Trapped By Their Foe!
47 Making a Splash!
48 Water? No Prob!
49 Unsinkable April
50 Sword of Justice
51 Death-Defying Escape!
52 Turtles Triumphant
53 The Fearless Foursome
54 Rockabye Turtle!
55 Another Day, Another Battle!
56 Action-Packed Workout!
57 Hero in a Half-Shell
58 A Tasty Treat!
59 Err … Ahh … No Thanks!
60 Technodrome Terror
61 In Cahoots with Krang
62 Diabolical Duo!
63 What About My Story?!
64 Jive Turtles!
65 Sorry About That, April!
66 Madness at the Zoo!
67 New Mutant Henchmen
68 Up from the Depths
69 Rocksteady’s Revenge – shows Bebop, not Rocksteady
70 When Mutants Collide!
71 The Long Journey
72 Courage of the Master
73 Snagged By the Shredder!
74 Turtles to the Rescue!
75 Looks Like Another Trap!
76 Surrounded!
77 Danger on All Sides!
78 Mechanical Monsters
79 Turtle Power!
80 Roused and Riled!
81 His Best Foot Forward
82 Smashed to Smithereens!
83 The Assault Continues
84 A Mean Green Machine!
85 The Rage of Krang
86 Next Time, Turtles …!
87 Cowabunga! It’s Meal Time!
88 Savoring Their Reward
Series 2
89 Our Story Opens
90 Pulling the Switch
91 Usagi Yojimbo
92 Unbelievable!
93 The Tortoise and the Hare
94 Defeated By Donatello
95 A New Caper
96 Turtles Undercover
97 Hare Today, Gone Today
98 Rabbit About Town
99 Rabbit Transit
100 Welcome to the Hutch
101 Rabbit Rampage
102 Turtles to the Rescue
103 Studying the Screen
104 The Plot Heats Up!
105 Quakes and Shakes
106 Enter the Dragon
107 Flaming Fangs
108 The Dragon Master
109 A Possible Solution
110 A Magic Candle
111 An Old Flame
112 Defeating the Dragon
113 Usagi Triumphs
114 Praise from Shredder
115 A Monster Egg
116 Obento’s Thanks
117 A Hare Out of Place
118 A New Problem
119 Turtle-Robics
120 No Pain, No Fame
121 TV Time
122 Dig This
123 Worried Turtles
124 Return of the Fly
125 Buzzing Baxter
126 Fly Trap
127 Angry Krang
128 A Gift from a Fly
129 Follow the Fly
130 Heading for Their Hide-Out?
131 Back to the Sewer!
132 Gearing Up
133 Sewer Surfing
134 Without a Paddle
135 Sinister Surfers
136 Goons and Harpoons
137 Down Goes Donatello!
138 Taking the Plunge
139 The Last of the Turtles?
140 Donatello’s Discovery
141 Paddling Pals
142 A Shortcut
143 A Piece of the Rock
144 A Familiar Place
145 Home of the Fly
146 Man Into Fly
147 Fly vs. Turtles
148 Blam!
149 Ninja Gerbil!
150 A Reluctant Rodent
151 A Buzzing Boss
152 Saving Michaelangelo
153 Dancin’ Bebop
154 Will the Fly Flee?
155 Turtle and Gerbil
156 Getting Bugged
157 No Time To Lose!
158 Conquering the Computer
159 Not So Fast, Fly!
160 Who’s in the Suits?
161 Insect Aside
162 Down the Tube!
163 Chefs of the Future
164 Too Many Cooks
165 The Kitchen of Doom!
166 Chop Chop!
167 A Turtle Once More!
168 Speeding Turtles
169 A Shaky Situation
170 A Finale for the Fly?
171 The Missing Piece
172 Not Quite Shipshape
173 Bye Bye Fly!
174 Pretty Please
175 Back Home Again
176 Saved by Science!
Glossy Parallels
88 cards.
Series 1 only.
Included in Collectors’ Edition factory set.
Series 1 Stickers Checklist
11 cards.
1 per pack.
1 Raphael
2 Michaelangelo
3 Donatello
4 Leonardo
5 The Shredder
6 Splinter
7 Cowabunga!
8 Turtle Power!
9 Michaelangelo
10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
11 We’re Out to Battle the Forces of Evil… / …And to Get a Bigger Piece of the Pizza
Series 2 Stickers Checklist
11 cards.
1 per pack.
1 Krang
2 Raphael
3 Michaelangelo
4 Leonardo
5 Donatello
6 Michaelangelo / Donatello / Leonardo
7 Splinter
8 Bebop / Rocksteady
9 Donatello
10 Baxter Stockman
11 April O’Neil
Bonus Cards Checklist
22 cards.
Included in Collectors’ Edition factory sets.
A Yargh
B Battle For the Sewers
C Ambushed by the Shredder
D Trashing the Transmat
E Ninja Sunset
F Battle Above the Streets
G Mouser Attack
H Alien Encounter
I Possessed
J The Unmentionables
K Stone Sleep
L Leap Into Battle
M Leatherhead
N Day of the Dragon
O Dream Flight
P Battle in the Arena
Q Barroom Brawl
R Walk on the Wild Side
S Galactic Conflict
T Warrior Woman From Beyond the Stars
U Brothers Under the Shell
V Night of the White Ninja
