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

The first auction, Vintage 1984 MUSCLEMANIA Figures SELECT MUSCLE Men LOT 7 PREDATES M.U.S.C.L.E., is both awesome and confusing. I feel compelled to address my confusion first. Why would the seller state, “Predates M.U.S.C.L.E.” in the auction title? Is that actually a selling point? Even if it is true, I still do not understand why a seller would state it in the title.

The awesomeness is much less confusing. This looks to be a lot of seven Firm MUSCLEMANIA figures – which are simply the best kind. Lots of things are debatable, but Firm versus Stretchy is not one of those things. That is what makes the opening bid so appealing.

I do a lot of complaining about price. An opening bid of $9.99 ($1.43 per figure) for these figures is not something I will ever complain about. Plus there are not any doubles and you get a nice mix of figures. This is a great lot of MUSCLEMANIA figures.

Sadly, everyone that likes MUSCLEMANIA already owns these figures. Maybe a new collector will be born with the purchase of this lot.

The second lot, VINTAGE M.U.S.C.L.E Men Wrestling Figure Muscle 83 Red Grape Green Flesh Mattel, is an awesome lot of 83 figures with a $0.99 opening bid.

The shipping is reasonable at $6.80, the pictures are numerous and large, and the figures appear to be in very good condition. I don’t have a single negative thing to say about this auction. I would argue this is a perfect eBay lot of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.

It will serve as an interesting counterpoint to the third auction – which was never my original intention. Originally I planned on simply highlighting this fantastic auction.

However, almost immediately after seeing the second auction, I saw the auction that would become the third auction spotlighted.

The third auction, M.U.S.C.L.E men lot m.u.s.c.l.e. muscle, really surprised me. My surprise is not necessarily negative. It is just pure surprise.

When M.U.S.C.L.E. lots start to get as large as 201 figures the price-per-figure often drops below the “norm.” This lot is starting exactly at the “norm” with a $0.50 per figure price.

If eBay was currently filled with only terrible single figure auctions (and sometimes it feels that way), then I would be a little less surprised. But with that absolutely fantastic second auction I just can’t imagine a bidder wanting this lot over the other one.

I also hope the winner of the third auction recycles all of those plastic baggies. I am always offended and disgusted by the amount of plastic baggies I have accumulated over the years.

Recycle!

Finally I want to point out some Class A auctions. You don’t have to look to hard to find Class A figures listed on eBay with utterly absurd prices. (Just in case you are curious.) That is why I was so impressed with Sugarpappy’s six Class A auctions. They aren’t even remotely crazy. In fact, they are probably perfect examples for selling a Class A figure.

If you disagree, then you’ve probably spouted one of the three high price explanations. Even worse, you don’t care about the bottleneck it creates.

I don’t expect any of these auctions to sell for more than $20. Most of these figures have remained unsold on eBay for less money. But Class A auctions are always interesting to watch. And when they start at $0.99 collectors have the opportunity to see what a figure might sell for and not what a seller imagines to be the value.

Thank you and good luck to the seller, sugarpappy, for doing something good for the M.U.S.C.L.E. community!