UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures from Mattel

There has been a respite, of almost a year, since the last appearance of Satan Cross in Auction Watch. Of course, that does not mean Satan Cross has not readily appeared over last approximately 10 months. There have been nearly 25 recorded appearances of the figure and an untold number of unrecorded appearances.

So does this mean the price of this Non-Poster Gamma figure has finally come down to the run-of-the-mill price it deserves? Perhaps the following two auctions will provide some fresh insight.

The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E Men Muscle Rare Satan Cross Figure #236, comes from a seller (jmckinnon316) with an apparently perfect track record on eBay. The starting price is fair, the shipping is acceptable, the picture seems clear, and the auction description is simple and straightforward:

Vintage M.U.S.C.L.E Figure: Satan Cross #236
This is the rare Satan Cross MUSCLE Figure – he’s in flesh colour and in good condition – see photo
This guy was not shown on the original poster of 233 Figures but is generally accepted as one of the final three figures in the flesh set (along with the Ring Figures)

As a buyer, this is an ideal situation – which likely suggests a higher final price. The price is currently $10.75 and is likely to increase over the next few days. Based on the price history of Satan Cross and the appeal of this auction, the final price of this auction will be $48.50.

The second auction, 1980s toy lot MastersOTUniverse, M.A.S.K., M.U.S.C.L.E., is a bit different from the first auction. First, the auction contains more than a single Satan Cross figure. There are 10 additional M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, an opened 10-pack can, an incomplete Skeletor, and three MASK figures with their helmets. The only figures that may add value to the auction are the MASK figures. However, the value of these figures is unknown.

The second difference is that the seller (nannewatson) does not have the same perfect track record. Although it does not seem significant enough to scare off most bidders. Aside from those two differences the auction shares some similarities: the starting price is fair, the shipping is acceptable, the picture seems clear, and the auction description is simple and straightforward. It does appear that someone contacted the seller regarding the Satan Cross figure because the following excerpt was added to the auction description:

Please note this auction includes the M.U.S.C.L.E. figure SATAN CROSS. Yes, Satan Cross is a part of this auction. Bid early and often.

Because this second auction ends more than 12 hours before the first auction it is possible that bidders will focus their efforts on the lone Satan Cross figure. Purely guessing that each of the MASK figures are worth approximately three dollars each adds $12 to the final price of the auction. The final price of the auction will be $41.50.

Follow-Up: The first auction mysteriously ended. When the auction was posted there were already four bids. However, it ended without any bids. An email was sent to the seller for clarification, but was never returned.

The second auction sold for $22.50, which is $19 less than the predicted price of $41.50.