The opening bid of $5.99 isn’t great – but I’ll tell you why. The FLAF is the star of the lot. It’s a great color. And I can see a fair price being two or three dollars. But the other counterfeit figures aren’t very sexy. Those figures are worth pennies to me.
While the price isn’t great, it isn’t terrible either. If I wanted the FLAF, and wanted to expand my counterfeit collection, then it’s not terribly painful at $0.99 per figure.
Honestly, my biggest complaint comes from the final auction description sentence:
All of these items were discovered via separate garage sales, and have come together for this ONE TIME, MUSCLEMANIA SMASH FEST!
They aren’t MUSCLEMANIA figures?!?! How could they have a MUSCLEMANIA smash fest? At best, they could have a counterfeit confrontation.
It’s funny what can come out of an auction description. Sometimes the final sentence offers something that makes us smile. Sometimes a sentence is packed away in the auction description; hoping to be lost in the mix.
The second auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Figure SUPER RARE Spinning Head Ashuraman Muscle Men Figure Toy, is a very subtle shenanigan.
It’s the classic “You didn’t read the details” defense from sellers.
In the second to last sentence an incredibly critical detail is tucked away:
Authentic muscle men plastic with a custom head.
What are you complaining about? He told the truth!
I would argue he tried not to make the truth obvious. That is a specifically structured sentence.
I would argue, unless you’re trying to obscure the truth in some way, this is how you sell a headless SHA. You make the title, “Spinning Head Ashuraman Super-Rare M.U.S.C.L.E. – not original head!! NO RESERVE.”
Besides mentioning the head is NOT original head in the auction title, and making it obvious with the main auction picture, you make the second sentence of the auction description, “This figure does not have the original head…”
If you only mention it in the second to last sentence, then you may be trying to tuck the truth away.
Undoubtedly this shenanigan is very minor, but shenanigans are shenanigans. I have a much different impression when I look at how this SHA was sold compared to how this SHA is being sold.
One auction seemingly wants the seller to know the truth without any questions. One auction seemingly hopes a buyer fails to ask the right questions.
The third auction, M.U.S.C.L.E keshi red claw custom fodder repair maybe?, is also highlighted for its word choices.
Repair. Maybe.
I laughed when I saw the picture and read that title. That figure might be custom fodder, but he certainly isn’t being repaired.
Have I ever shared the story of my broken Purple #153 figure? I feel like I have, but I can’t find any evidence. Damn it. I need to find the picture to go along with the story.
At any rate, trust me – that figure isn’t being repaired.
The fourth auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. mystery partner look like custom rare Boba Fett mysterious ally htf, made me curious. What is the fair price to charge people as you learn a skill?
In my professional career my fee has gone up over the years. As I amass greater expertise my skills are more highly valued. That basic idea is true with almost any skill set. I don’t think there’s too much disagreement on that concept.
If that concept is true, then what is the fair price to charge people as you learn a skill?
The artist making these figures does not create, in my opinion, exemplary custom figures. I didn’t either, but I would always encourage people to try.
The Mysterious Partner with Boba Fett’s face has a BIN price of $19.95. The ManZilla 2 was $16 and I would argue it was one of the greatest custom figures ever. The M.U.S.C.L.E. C.A.R.S. was $30. As I look at all three figures, and their prices, one of them comes across as totally absurd – Mysterious Partner with Boba Fett’s face.
What would be a fair price? Two dollars or less.
#1 by Chad Perry on March 29, 2017 - 6:47 am
$305 for a headless SHA?!?!