When I started this Auction Watch it felt like I was still stuck in last week. Thankfully there is always something interesting if you adjust your expectations.
The first auction, Vintage M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Rubber Wrestling Action Muscle Figures Lot and Ring, is a perfectly fine lot. It started at $9.99, which is fine. It has a decent amount of figures, a ring in playable condition, and an acceptable sprinkling of non-M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.
This type of auction used to be the norm. Today it is the notable exception. The silver lining is that it still exists. Even in my frustration, scrolling through single figure auctions or overpriced lots, there was still a solid auction.
It may seem like a stretch to find this silver lining. But that happens when things get bad.
The second auction (which will be done by the time this posts), Kinniku Man Dirty Challenger Super Famicom SNES JP USED, elicited another thought, “There is always something else to get a M.U.S.C.L.E. fix. Even if it isn’t a M.U.S.C.L.E. toy.”
The M.U.S.C.L.E. hobby is tiny. However it is part of a much larger Kinnikuman world. If collecting M.U.S.C.L.E. figures becomes a quixotical task, then the Kinnikuman world offers plenty of alternatives.
Personally I prefer to write and post to get my M.U.S.C.L.E. fix. I don’t need to waste money on figures anymore. But if I do need to buy something, then something like this provides me the same, or better, fix.
I felt pretty good after seeing those two auctions. The M.U.S.C.L.E. hobby may not die, but it will certainly start to look more and more different.
The final auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men #002 : Terri-Bull B – Salmon – Class B, is one of the auctions changing the hobby. I would argue changing it for the worse.
However, I would be a liar if I said I was not curious to watch it unfold.
This seller has several Class B auctions. Many of them have one bid. I would guess that many of those bids are from “prospectors” hoping to buy a figure that will someday be far more valuable. With free shipping and $0.99 starting bids on the Class B figures it will be too alluring for prospectors to resist.
However, there are two bids on this Salmon #2 figure. And Terri-Bull is a popular figure and this is a popular sculpt. I do not expect the price to be more than $10, but I will be curious to see if a small scale MRT plays out.
#1 by April Parrott on October 31, 2015 - 11:33 pm
I am the seller of the M.U.S.C.L.E. Men #002 : Terri-Bull B – Salmon. All of the figures I posted we’re about to be tossed away and or given to charity I can not believe it but with less than 24 hours to go this figure is up to $37 !! I am not a collector but just couldn’t bear to see these (and the other 150+) tossed out. I sold the others mostly class A’s for just over 100. Never thought any 1 figure would get this much interest.
#2 by chonk34 on November 6, 2015 - 12:10 am
I was the winner of the 1st auction posted here, with the ring and the assortment of figures. I had a few handfuls of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures when I was a kid and I was feeling a bit nostalgic about them when that auction popped up in my eBay feed. I don’t think I will go all-in on collecting M.U.S.C.L.E., but I’ll probably pick up more lots here and there. I have enjoyed looking at the posts here and on other M.U.S.C.L.E. blogs.