The ninhydrin reaction for amines has been around for a loooong time, so you are obviously doing something wrong.
Begin by *not* running the TLC. Take a used plate and press your thumb onto the silica near one edge. Then spray the plate with your ninhydrin reagent and heat the plate. You should see a purple thumbprint. If you do not, then either your reagent is too old, or it has been incorrectly prepared, or you are not heating enough.
If you *do* see your thumbprint, spot some of your standard solution on the plate, let it dry, and do the ninhydrin procedure. If you do not get a dark purple spot, then your standard is bad (too dilute, perhaps?).
If you do see a spot, then spot another plate and run the TLC.