My TMNT secret santa didn't send me an extravagant or expensive gift. He didn't even send me anything to do with my favorite Turtle, Mikey if you're wondering. When I opened up my package marked from Raphael I tore into with gusto and vigor, I was less curious about the gift as to how well the redditor, whom ever he or she was, has got me from my description. I thought I had done an excellent bio of myself and my reddit posts are less about chasing gold and more about an expression of self. Through the carnage of shredded cardboard I glimpsed orange,'alright here comes some Michaelangelo paraphernalia,' I thought to myself. But after greedily extracting the orange T2 bag I stared, puzzled. A TMNT teapot, wow how did my secret santa know that tea was a well prized commodity in my household? My girlfriend treats tea like the cure for well... everything. Or perhaps pizza flavored tea, what with the marketing golaith that is Michael Bay and Nickelodeon why not TMNT flavored water. But no, nestled deep inside this orange T2 bag was a loose Raphael figure, not current or classic but from the 4Kids 2003 series. Worse on closer inspection it wasn't even a legitimate figure! You know the light up, repackaged figures you buy at the flea markets? Yeah that's what I got. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. This dude hadn't even tried, I mean as a kid and someone got you knockoff toys sucked, as an adult and amateur collector it was like a gut punch. Like a spoiled and petulant child I left what I selfishly thought as a consolation prize and went about my normal afternoon activities, a quick surf and preparing dinner all of which I had listed in my bio. It was later that night, after my girlfriend had inquired what was in the package that I found a small night. Scribbled was an apology that the gift was a day late, no worries at all, and an explanation that this toy while not a collectors first choice it was a kids first choice. It had been this dudes favorite Turtle toy growing up and in that moment the real gift occurred. I was taken back to a time where my favorite Turtle wasn't that chase piece still mint in its original packaging but a Michaelangelo whose left arm barely stayed on, was missing one nunchaku and also wore an Inspector Gadget trench coat cause a turtle needed a trench coat and Gadget go go go fuck yourself. This lad who goes by the name Raphael gave me the gift of childhood appreciation, and in my biography he saw or read that I was open enough to see past the hand me down, knock off toy and enjoy creating my own TMNT adventure with fear of lose of value or worse respect of collecting peers for having a dodgy opened figure as my centre piece. And I can once again say with confidence 'yeah that's a turtle toy and no its not a collectible it's just fun.' TL;DR I got a a knockoff toy, was disappointed but like all feel good movies realized it's not about the value but the fun, heart and soul that comes from a kids appreciation of a treasured toy