It sold for WHAT?!?!
The figure sold for $1,051.01.
I believe it sold for that because of the seller. Of course the MRT played a part, but people were willing to bid higher because they trusted the seller. That’s why being open and honest is so important with M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting (and life in general). Not having to worry about shenanigans goes a long, long way.
I could never pay $1,051.01 for a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure. Any M.U.S.C.L.E. figure. It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not suggesting good or bad, but it’s like seeing something that doesn’t fit the programming. My mind is transported back to this, this, and this. I think my collecting is just at a different place. Not good. Not bad. Just different.
This week I want some help with an auction. The first auction, RARE Kinnikuman MUSULE FACTORY PROTOTYPE TEST SHOT SAMPLE HARD plastic FIGURE B, is a bit of a mystery to me. Is it really a test shot?
My first thought was that it was just a dirty version of something like this. I am always insanely suspicious of the “prototype/test shot” listings. I think the vast majority of the listings are more accurately scrap; garbage passed off as treasure.
If this is an authentic prototype figure, then can someone explain the appeal? I remember in my hardcore Star Wars collecting days seeing lots of prototypes and first shots. They never moved me. I could imagine why a crazed Boba Fett completionist would want one, but I never fully understood it.
I’m a man of analogies; here’s how I view prototypes. You loved the cake you had for your 8th birthday. You forced someone to bake that exact recipe every year for 10 years. Then, on the 11th year, you just wanted the Allspice. A big bowl of Allspice because you loved the cake so much. Does that sound crazy?
The final auction, M.u.s.c.l.e. Wrestlers Figures New In Box Mattel Unopened, has me asking more questions.
The opening bid is $48.99. Will anyone bid?
Just this week we saw the intensity of the #153 fandom. They are willing to spend money – lots of it. An auction, like this 4-pack with a Flesh #153 figure, probably more accurately defines the fandom. A Purple #153 is an outlier. We all know it will sell for a large dollar amount. But what about this item?
In the past we have seen a 4-pack with a Red #153 sell for $200. We have also seen two 4-packs, in similar condition, with #153 figures sell for $50.
I don’t think a #153 collector will be able to fight off the fear of missing out. But I don’t think we’re going to see a bidding war. We may see a few sheepish bids. Maybe. I would argue the 4-pack is already at the top of it’s price range – especially given the condition. If it was in better condition, then I could argue it being worth spending more money.
