Words Frequently Used in the World of Vintage Toys
MOC
Mint On Card
This means that the item is pristine on its original “card” packaging without sun damage, creases, or dents. Imagine this like a mint baseball card.
Punched vs Unpunched
The part where you’d hang it
If a card is unpunched, it means the hole for hanging it on a display was never poked out, which means that the graphic on the card can be viewed in it’s entirety.
Cased
Regarding the protective case
All of our turtles come in a sealed, UV protectant plastic case specifically made for the preservation of vintage toys.
10 Back
Designates a collection
The back of the card normally features additional figures within a series or collection. If there are 10 figures, it’s called a 10 back.
Softhead
The head itself
The head of the action figure is more pliable compared to the hard action figure body. You can squeeze the head.
In the original 1988 run, the very first run, Playmates went the route of the popular He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys and produced a few hundred Turtles with soft rubber heads, known as the “Soft Heads” to collectors.
Read more at The Outerhaven: Toys on a Tuesday: TMNT 1988 Series 1 – What are they worth now? https://www.theouterhaven.net/?p=148581
Variant
Something’s Different
A variant is a slight change from the original version of the toy. This could come as a coloring change, a change of costume or outfit, the materials used in making the toy, or just something as simple as an error getting into a batch of the mass-produced toy.