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

The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Toys, Muscle Men, Kinnikuman Class A #155, is for a Class A figure I’ve always liked.

You may have read that and thought, “Liked? That’s a bit underwhelming.”

Perhaps, but it is true. This was a figure I always liked as a child. As an adult I feel the same way. He’s just a figure I look at fondly. If I said that I loved this figure or that he was awesome, then it would have felt like extremely disingenuous hyperbole.

While I may like the figure; I certainly love the auction! lint-speed has been a role-model for effectively selling Class A figures. This time he has a fair opening bid of $10 and free shipping.

I’m very curious to see the final price for this auction. The last sale of a Purple #155, documented on this site, was a part of Auction Watch #161. However, I don’t think he was a factor – at all. I think the $425 final price was a result of the Purple #153. That’s why I’m very curious to watch this auction.

If I was forced to guess a final price, then my guess would be $50~$60. We’ll see.

The second auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Toys 1980s Toys Vintage Complete Set 233 + Extra Non-posters, is from the same seller. It is a complete Flesh set, plus the ring figures and a Satan Cross. It has a $400 BIN.

I know that I’ve wondered why people buy an entire set at once. Most of my thoughts about this issue have been shared in Epilogues; usually a few snarky sentences.

I started to wonder if I had talked about it in Auction Watches. I could only find one example of pointing out an entire set being sold. It came from Auction Watch #1 (June 2009). Can you believe that’s the last time I highlighted an entire set being sold?!?!

I can.

I’m not a complete moron. I can understand why someone might buy an entire set. But it just feels so wrong to me. It feels like going to a prostitute to lose your virginity. Then bragging about your cocksmith-ways and giving other guys shit for being virgins. (I hope that analogy landed. I fear it could land poorly.)

The third auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. #234 (Pink) Kinnikuman Wrestling Ring Muscle Men Action Figure, spared you from an already tired rant about single figure prices.

It seemed like there were lots of new terrible single figure listings. I was started to pull some links together. I guess to…state the obvious. I honestly don’t know. That’s why I was so happy to find this figure.

Oh sure, he has a stupid price. But he’s also an odd little warp. This figure struck me as an excellent example of the absolute absurdity and silliness of M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting.

Here we have a single figure. It could be a #141 or the Ring Figure. There’s no clear evidence either way. Regardless of the specificity of the figure, it is overpriced with a $7.99 BIN.

However he has a certain charm because he’s obviously a Warp. While that intrigues a segment of collectors, it makes him less attractive to most collectors. The seller has a potential buying audience, but has probably overpriced his figure. It gets even sillier because I believe a collector of Warped figures might pay $7.99, but not as an opening bid.

The seller has priced himself out of the general M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting population, and doesn’t understand the potential buyers he actually has with this item. I think this single figure serves as the perfect example of how silly and absolutely absurd M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting has become far too often.

What do you guys think?