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

When I was doing a pretty good job with the site (posting daily for months and months) I mentioned how I kept notes. One of the things I kept notes on was the $7600 lot of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. At the time, I assumed the buyer (Alexander Forbes – arforbes) was just once-again engaged in some silly shenanigans. I assumed it could not be something as intense as legitimate theft.

Time went by. I lost my notes.

Well, based on this LRG thread it sounds like legitimate theft was the truth. It sounds like Mr. Forbes ended up with the figures, but the seller appealed eBay’s refund to Alex and she won.

The story may serve as a cautionary tale to some; a confirmation of lascivious behavior to others.

For me it is a reminder that I should get back to keeping notes.

– This is THE auction for #153 fans this week.
– Oof. $169.99 – guess the item.
– For a poster in that condition the BIN seems high. Would have loved to see this as an auction.
– This lot will not sell at $99.95, but would do really well starting at $0.99.
– I am trying to be positive, but this fills me with rage intense-eye-rolls.
– Best offer – start at $0.99.
– I like to give CUTIEs a hard time, but $0.01 is worth highlighting.
– I honestly wonder the lowest offer he would take. $40?
– $15 – guess the item.
– The last time I wondered about a lot like this one it sold for $42.
– 38 Flesh figures.
– The figures look really nice in this picture.
– If the market wasn’t flooded, then this would be a strong AOTW contender.
– My favorite figure in this lot will probably be thrown away. Poor Big Daddy.
– I like this picture too.
– “Items show wear from normal play and age. Please see photos.” That’s being kind.
– The only thing I like about this auction is the price tags on the cards.
– “MuscleThings is sadly no longer making figures, becoming very rare to find for sale…” I feel like the seller originally wrote, “MuscleThings is sadly no longer making figures, because he is dead – becoming very rare to find for sale…” Then thought better of it and quickly hit delete. (I am not joking.)
– The auction isn’t bad. My, hands down, favorite part was the following sentence from the auction description, “LIKE THE ROCK EM SOCK EM ROBOT TOY BUT YOU PLAY FOR FIGURES KIND OF LIKE MARBLES.” What?!?!
– What made me laugh? The price. “Very Rare.” Or that it wasn’t just thrown away.
– Wha- Wha- What?!?!

AOTW is still Mr. newhobby905. It’s not even close. Does he deserve a Hall of Fame? Does AOTW become the NewHobby905 award? I’m open to ideas.

If you haven’t seen the $249.99 Green #153, then you have to see it. More importantly read the auction description:

As of when this was posted, there are no neon green claw figures available on ebay. All of these m.u.s.c.l.e. men are rare now. A lot are gone forever. Not very many listings in total for these figures. Even though there were tons made in the 80’s not many around now. I think its because they are small and got thrown out or lost. These claw figures are valuable and rare. They were rare in the beginning. I am not sure how rare the different colours are now. I know purple is more rare. I would say any coloured claw is rare now especially mint like this one. Anyone who says one colour of claw, is more common than an other, except purple and flesh coloured. Does not know what they are talking about, pure speculation. Like anyone really knows how many survived. I am sure if there were many you would see them often at low prices. Don’t miss out on this rare (mint) neon green claw. Not even a scratch, perfect for a collection.

I copied it so that I would always have access to a laugh. However, the original formatting really added something; some-intangible-something. Did it make it crazier – which made it funnier? I don’t know. Seriously, read the original description.

Above I bolded my favorite sentence. It is my favorite for many, many reasons. But I’ll share why I laughed when I read it. Find a quiet corner and read it aloud. If it doesn’t make you smile, we probably don’t find the same things funny.

Post-Christmas I sometimes share toys and games that were hits and misses in our household. I know that I am always looking for unapologetically honest feedback on toys and games for my kids. I recently started digging for info on those figure-based video games. Disney vs. Lego, which is better and why? (I think Lego will be better, but Disney will have all the characters. Ugh.)

Anyways, my oldest had a birthday recently. He got the game Wits and Wagers. His aunt picked it out for him because it had won lots of awards.

If you have kids, then board games can be a blessing and a curse. They may love the game, but it is super painful to play. If I get stuck in another Chutes and Ladders loop I might drive everyone into the lake.

I have to say Wits and Wagers is awesome! Everybody can play. My 5-year-old can answer questions and turn out to be right – even without the correct answer. I can’t recommend this game enough. If you need a gift for kids or for a housewarming, then this is it. We have played it dozens of times and it is still fun. I don’t think any of our other games have held up like this one. Seriously, buy it. You’ll actually have fun and be glad you listened to me.

Taking a hard 180-degree turn, on Tuesday afternoon I was taking a mental break. I took a look at some of the search terms that bring people to the website. Whenever I look there is usually something that makes me laugh. This time the term was “running boobs.”

I laughed because I literally imagined boobs, with little feet sticking out, running down the street.

Of course, I googled “running boobs.” Sadly, I couldn’t find what I imagined.

To the right was the closest I could find. Not as funny as what I imagined.

Once again I find myself looking for an ending. Should it end on running boobs? That doesn’t seem right.

Instead I’ll share something Jimmy showed me (thank you sir). If you haven’t seen it, then you guys will crack up when he finally breaks the glass.