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Epilogue – Week of August 2nd


It’s weird to be back. I don’t really have a proper description of the feeling. The feeling I am trying to describe keeps sounding like a cliché. Slight confusion plays a part. Waking up confused from a deep sleep could be slightly accurate description. More accurately, and painfully honestly, it feels clichéd to declare anything.

Maybe I’m back.

Maybe I’m not.

I thought I was back before and disappeared for 107 days.

Even if I can’t describe coming back to my site, I have been passively watching M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting through Instagram. It has left me with four thoughts:

1. The Golden Age of custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures has come to an end. The vast majority of custom figures (figures built using M.U.S.C.L.E. pieces) have become the worst kind of combinations – jam one thing into another. Mt. Dew and M.U.S.C.L.E. or Thundercats and M.U.S.C.L.E. or any recognizable brand and M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.

2. Original, creative, and independent mini-figures have sprung out of the deceased Golden Age of custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. It is overwhelming to me. I literally don’t even know where to dive in or what is available. This strikes me as a bit of a shortcoming, but it’s one of the better problems to have.

3. “Exclusives” are dumb. I understand the appeal they create. I understand the business case. But I think most creators (and collectors) would be better served using the major manufacturing model of “exclusive.” Simply slap the “exclusive” label on, but make more than enough to go around. Sell until nobody buys it. Ultimately it sells more, and the people that care about exclusivity still have their “exclusively” marketed toy.

4. M.U.S.C.L.E. figures are the most disposable of emotion-inducing collectibles. They are the Beanie Babies of figures. Lots of people had them. Lots of people liked them. Lots of people still have them. But there is almost nobody that says, “I need more!” The group that “needs more” might be even smaller than I ever thought.

What do you guys think? Am I right? Wrong? Somewhere in the middle?

I haven’t been on eBay in forever. This last week is my return to eBay. Below is my reaction to it.

First things first. I’ve lost my cheat sheet. Damn it. Any Class A figures will need to punch me in the face, because I am powerless without my cheat sheet. Anyways, on to eBay…

– $65 opening bid for 78 figures isn’t welcoming to me.
– “…these original trash cans were almost always discarded once they were opened.” Does anyone believe that?
– I wouldn’t buy his set, but two Color lots starting at $0.99.
– 4-pack and 18 figures for $9.99. Hmm.
– Whoa. Awesome.
– Same, better, or worse?
– Or is this the best version?
– $20. No. No. No, sir.
– $17.99. Guess the item. (You’re wrong.)
– “May have slight residue from plastic breakdown.” What?!?!
– 123 figures. Guess the opening bid. (Again, you’re wrong.)
– Regardless of anything – I do like the picture.
– This lot makes me miss my cheat sheet.
– Good price, if they were Class A figures.
– $29 BIN. Guess. (Sorry. 0 for 3.)
– The seller wrote “Hand painted.” Are they not hand painted?
– Almost AOTW.

AOTW

There are two things that are always a struggle. The first is creating content for the site. The second is ending the Epilogue.

Before I get to the ending, I should give credit to my AOTW. He jumped out at me while I was writing Auction Watch #165. Nobody has been able to knock him from his pedestal.

So please offer hearty congratulations to retroactivefalloutbunker420 as our Asshole of the Week. He is a worthy titleholder after a long hiatus from AOTW.

Ok. The end.

This entry was posted on August 7, 2015, 6:00 am and is filed under UofM News. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  1. #1 by Godofon on August 7, 2015 - 2:23 pm

    I just started collecting flesh figures again (up to about 130) and my discovery of your blog has coincided with your return. I have to say that I am loving it. I think half of my amusement from collecting through ebay has been seeing all of the preposterous auctions for M.U.S.C.L.E. It’s astounding how many people think they can ask outlandish prices and somehow get them, and it’s great how you call them out here. Keep up the good work.

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