December 2004 - COSTA MESA, CA � Playmates Toys have teamed with eBay Exclusives to offer collectors the chance to own one of a very limited edition statue of team leader Leonardo! Based on art from issue #1 of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book, this 9" tall cold cast statue includes Leonardo's signature katana blade weapons, and comes inside a box featuring an original drawing by Turtles creator Peter Laird alongside his autograph. A certificate of authenticity is also included. This incredibly sculpted and hand-painted statue of Leonardo is the first release in a series of four cold casts � each based on one of the four Turtles � that will take on eBay in a way only Ninja Turtles know how!

This signed version is strictly limited to only 100 pieces and is exclusively available on eBay now through December 9 at the "Buy It Now" fixed price of $150.

Also available now through December 2, is a one-of-a-kind gold plated version of the statue, which also comes with an original Peter Laird drawing and autograph. 100 percent of the proceeds of the auction for the gold-plated statue will be donated to the Wood Turtle Conservation project run by the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

The eBay item numbers for the "Buy It Now" auctions are:

5939173333 � Ending Thursday, December 2 at 5:04pm PST
5939169812 � Ending Thursday, December 9 at 4:52pm PST
5939173739 � Ending Thursday, December 9 at 5:06pm PST

The item number for the charity auction of the One-Of-A-Kind Gold Plated Statue is:

5937256376 � Ending Thursday, December 2 at 7:30pm PST

Happy Bidding!