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

It’s hard to believe this is the 100th Auction Watch. It felt like something special needed to take place. Originally the goal had been to feature a purple #153 and Dr. M.U.S.C.L.E.’s greatest experiment ever – featuring the infamous “Boat Paint” purple #153. That didn’t quite happen.

Instead some pieces from the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. archives will be cleared out. They may not be a purple #153, but hopefully some M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors will be able to add some items to their collections.

The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Flesh 4-Pack from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures, is a classic Flesh M.U.S.C.L.E. 4-pack. The 4-pack is an iconic M.U.S.C.L.E. collectible; maybe that is why so many sellers start auctions with high opening bids. It will be interesting to see the final price of a Flesh 4-Pack, in great condition, when the starting bid is $0.99.

The second auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Stickers for Custom Hot Wheels HiWay Hauler Truck – UofMUSCLE.com, will only speak to highly motivated collectors. The M.U.S.C.L.E. HiWay Hauler prototype is one of the rarest M.U.S.C.L.E. items. For most people the only way to add this piece to a collection is through a custom HiWay Hauler. The most difficult part of that customization is the logo. This auction takes care of that hurdle. The factor that may drive the final price of this auction higher – Hot Wheels customizers.

The third auction, Custom TGB M.U.S.C.L.E. figure #189 from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures, and fourth auction, Custom Luke Harris M.U.S.C.L.E. figure #201 from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures, are two great examples of custom M.U.S.C.L.E. from two great artists: (1) Marty Hansen (The GodBeast); and (2) Luke Harris (l.designs). Marty’s custom resin #189 is a translucent smoky gray color. It is easily one of the most attractive figures from the large lot of #189 that Marty originally cast. Luke’s custom painted #201 is a perfect example of the customization cliché, “You’ve got to see it in person!” This figure is probably best described as having charisma, because it demands that attention is paid to it.

The fifth auction, Alien Wrestler 4-Pack from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, is going to be most exciting for a small niche of M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors. It is a beautiful example of packaged counterfeit M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. Even better the package is in stunningly good condition, which is very unusual for these types of figures.

The sixth auction, Pack of Future Strength figures from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, will appeal to the same formerly mentioned small niche of collectors. However the condition of this package is as bad as it can be. The bubble is actually taped to the card insuring it stays on. This is how the packages were received a number of years ago. Most upsetting, the Future Strength card art is so beautifully awful.

The seventh auction, Huge Kinnikuman Sunshine Keshi from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, is just plain awesome. It is a huge keshi Sunshine figure standing six inches tall (or 1.5 units of Stoll [Editor’s Note: That was a joke for maybe three people.]). This figure was originally acquired because it was, quite simply, so large and so attractive. This figure will appeal to M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors, Kinnikuman collectors, and Sunshine fans. Frankly, this figure is so cool it should appeal to every toy collector.

The eighth auction, 3.5 inch Sunshine Keshi from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, is a smaller version of the seventh auction. It was purchased at the same time as the larger Sunshine for the exact same reasons. This version of the figure stands 3.5 inches tall – smaller than the previous figure but surprisingly taller than the average M.U.S.C.L.E. figure.

The ninth auction, Lot of Kinnikuman Keshi from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, is a lot of original Kinnikuman keshi figures. All of the figures are M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpts, which may deter some interest from harder-core M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors. The two glitter figures are likely to be the catalysts in the final price of this auction.

If the ninth auction did not appeal to hardcore M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors, then the 10th auction, Loose & Complete M.U.S.C.L.E. Battlin’ Belt from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures, will certainly appeal to them. It is for a loose and complete M.U.S.C.L.E. belt. In fact, this is the belt that was used for the History 200 – M.U.S.C.L.E. Battlin’ Belt section.

The 11th auction, 3 Hard MUSCLEMANIA figures from UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, is for a small lot of MUSCLEMANIA figures. These figures seem to have a small but loyal following of collectors. If a M.U.S.C.L.E. collector has never closely inspected a MUSCLEMANIA figure, then this is a great opportunity. These are three of the harder figures, which are the far superior to the stretchy versions of the figures. This lot will likely start a new collection or confirm a total disinterest.

The next three auctions are auctions that have one special buyer waiting:
1. Tag Team Match M.U.S.C.L.E. Video Game from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures
2. Bilingual M.U.S.C.L.E. 4-Pack Card from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures
3. Two Empty M.U.S.C.L.E. 10-Pack Cans from UofMUSCLE.com – muscle figures

It could be argued that none of these items are terribly collectible – but they all touch on specific aspects of M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting. The NES M.U.S.C.L.E. video game is most famous for being terrible, but it’s such an odd piece of M.U.S.C.L.E. history that many collectors like owning it. The bilingual 4-pack card has a sort of ephemeral quality. It should probably just be recycled, but it’s such a great relic to those that appreciate its uniqueness. And the 10-pack cans tend to end up in the hands of collectors looking for help storing their collections. As a display piece, and empty 10-pack can is a bit sad looking.

The last two auctions, (1) Rotofugi’s Exclusive Blue OMFG Figures – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures and (2) Kickstarter Exclusive Black OMFG Figures – M.U.S.C.L.E. muscle figures, are two sets that we originally going to be part of Art 300. However, it seemed impossible to objectively review any OMFG figures.

Auction Watch has been a fun and heavily trafficked part of the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. the last 1,023 days (or 2 years, 9 months, and 19 days). Auction Watch #100 may not have perfectly unfolded with the unveiling of a cleaned Purple #153, but it did provide a positive feeling for M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting [Editor’s Note: At least it did for this collector.]. It felt tangible that M.U.S.C.L.E. auctions are out there and always happening. They aren’t something that must be pounced on for fearing of missing it. Opportunities to add to a M.U.S.C.L.E. collection always come back around. And as long as collectors keep trafficking Auction Watch it will keep coming back around too.