I have attempted to take a more positive approach to M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting. I’ll never be Suzie Sunshine, but I think I’ve been pretty good. I point out this first auction not because of anger, but pure befuddlement. I am so stunned by this auction, that I need to share it. Maybe just to confirm I’m not dreaming.
The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. MEN LOT Kinnikuman VINTAGE Flesh Muscle #002 Terri-Bull B Salmon, renders me almost speechless. I don’t know where to start.
I guess I’ll start with the price tag. It is what I noticed first. The figure has a $29.99 opening bid (plus shipping). I guess a person could argue a Salmon, Class B #2 warrants that opening bid. But there is not sense in that argument.
The problem with the argument, in this case, is that the figure is NOT Salmon. It is a Flesh #2. If you believe that a Flesh #2 is worth $1, then the figure is roughly 187% overpriced.
But the price was not the only source of befuddlement. I may have been the most confused by the auction description:
ORIGINAL SMELLY RUBBER MEN, NOT REPRODUCTIONS! EXCELLENT CONDITION!
What?!?! I don’t know what to say. I can’t come up with the scenario where adding “smelly” makes any sense. If he was trying to suggest the figure had it’s original M.U.S.C.L.E. smell, then why not just say that?
I may be bordering on hyperbole, but this might be the oddest auction description I can remember.
The second auction, Kinnikuman Muscle Wrestler Toy Figure #195 Purple Color Sunshine Vintage, caught my eye because I must have #195 on the brain after this post.
I give most single figure auctions a lot of grief. I would argue that they deserve it. However there are probably a handful of figures that deserve the single figure auction privilege. I believe the #195 figure deserves this honor.
Even though the Purple #195 is a Class C figure I can see collectors wanting to add it to their collections. With a $0.99 opening bid it could even attract non-collectors intrigued by its uniqueness. The $5 shipping sucks, but it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker if I really loved the figure.
The third auction, Purple Colored Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. Muscle Men #195 Sunshine Top, was literally the next auction I noticed after the second auction. It washed away nearly all of the optimistic curiousity that had sprung from the previous auction.
The same Class C figure has an opening bid of $49.99 – about 192% more than the $0.99 opening bid.
My bewilderment continued when I looked at PhillyMadison’s other auctions. This seller was a known M.U.S.C.L.E. collector “back-in-the-day.” I am surprised to see him listing Class C figures with absurd opening bids.
Again, I’m not trying to blast all single figure auctions. I will go to my grave saying that 97% of single figure auctions are a total joke. Maybe that’s why I like seeing a interesting one.
The fourth auction, Buffaloman (A) – Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. Muscle Men 93 YSNT Purple, is one of the rare interesting auctions that feature a single figure.
The price of Class A auctions is always debatable. $9.99 with free shipping for a Class A Purple #93 Terri-Bull figure seems agreeable. The real reason I am interested in this auction is because of the Class A Terri-Bull factor.
A Purple #2 usually sells for a pretty decent price. I am curious how much another, less popular, version of Terri-Bull will sell for on eBay. I will be very curious to see this auction unfold.
#1 by Chris Krutsinger on January 28, 2016 - 1:13 am
I sold a purple class A 093 about 5 months back for 15 bucks to a fellow LRG member. I will be interested in what this goes for on eBay too.
#2 by Chad Perry on January 28, 2016 - 9:18 am
I think $15 is in the right neighborhood and quite fair for this figure.