Do you know why there wasn’t an Auction Watch this week? Because nothing struck me as special or collectively interesting. Sure there are a few decent auctions (as seen below) but there aren’t any standouts. Frankly, I found myself having a very overall negative perspective on the auctions. Sometimes it feels like, “What more can be said about ridiculous auctions?”
I didn’t like that. I know these types of auctions are pretty cyclical and cycles like this pass. I also know that moments like this also, occasionally, lead to cool stuff getting listed. But auctions like these just take the wind out of my sails: example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4, example 5, example 6, example 7, example 8, example 9, and last, but not least, example 10.
Rise of the Beasts. I’m sure that many other people felt a sting of frustration when they saw the campaign had been cancelled. I know that I did. It may upset some people so severally that they have completely divorced themselves from the project. I hope that’s not the case.
It is easy to assign blame or look back with 20/20 hindsight. The reality is that the project needed to be cancelled because the factory could not provide product. Again, it is easy to offer hypothetical alternatives to cancelling the funding of this project. However, cancelling the project was the safest and most prudent decision.
As the first contributor for exclusive figures I certainly appreciate that approach. I hope that in time other collectors will appreciate that decision as well – not agree, but understand and appreciate.
Hopefully Rise of the Beasts can overcome this stumble. Hopefully potential Rise of the Beasts collectors can forgive this stumble.
Around March 2011 it could be argued that M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors were entering the golden age of custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. One year later two events, the purchase of a lot of figures from Eric Nilla and Namu Niku and the stunning sale of Alec’s $108.50 custom “Compushine” figure, solidified my belief that we have already hit the Silver Age of custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. The quality, originality, and even materials used to create the figures are rocketing forward. The future of the M.U.S.C.L.E. community is not in the toys that started the community. The future is in the figures being created by the community.
Lastly, Luke Harris has a pretty awesome raffle set-up right now for his custom Scrap Sandayu set of figures. The tickets can be bought in three different packages: (1) 1 Raffle Ticket; (2) 30 Raffle Tickets; and (3) 100 Raffle Tickets. The last option feels like a pretty crazy lock to win the set. I can’t imagine a ton of those selling. Buying 100 tickets seems like getting the set for $40. Even if you don’t win with 100 tickets there are some pretty cool second and third place prizes. Second place is a custom painted M.U.S.C.L.E. figure and third place is a 35% off discount (bringing the custom Scrap Sandayu set down to $97.50.)
– I wish I liked Star Trek, because these ties are pretty cool.
– Admit it. You thought it was a Purple #153 – just for a second.
– You down with OOP? Yeah you know me.
– Interesting little M.U.S.C.L.E. lot.
– Really nice error figure lot of 6 figures.
– This seller is dreaming. You can get MUSCLEMANIA 4-packs for that price.
– Here’s a pile of figures. Don’t miss the close-up of the pile. Or my other shitty lots of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.
– “M.U.S.C.L.E Man Lot With A Rare Piece”
– 102 mixed figures.
– The auction is over, but I loved the price tags on these.
– This guy MUST be sitting on a huge stockpile of MUSCLEMANIA 4-packs.
– Nice color, but it is a custom – right?
– This lot of 97 looks pretty beat-up and dirty.
– Cheap lot of 33 mixed figures. I like it.
– “Rarest of All Men”
– $0.50 per figure opening bid. Ouch. Maybe the Army Ants help?
– $0.01 starting bid for 74 figures and only one bid? What am I missing?
– Good opening bid, ok lot, MUSCLEMANIA figure – and terrible shipping.
– Are the original or re-issues? I like the $1.99 starting bid either way.
– If you liked Ultimate MUSCLE, then you might like this.
I think I have a weakness for Arnold Schwarzenegger commentaries. They kill me. Hell, this is the second on that has been featured (here is the first).
