At $127.50 (as of writing) this auction isn’t a secret. I would argue secrets were never a good thing for the M.U.S.C.L.E. hobby.
That’s why that pang of guilt has always gone away quickly. Plus, I’ve always appreciated when people pointed out auctions to me.
I hope that’s the case with this auction.
The rest of the auctions caused me a new level of bewilderment.
The second auction, M.U.S.C.L.E Men Kinnikuman #19 out of 233 (lot of 5), seemed just plain stupid at first. Who wants a lot of five Flesh #19 figures?
I was compelled to read the auction description. What would someone say about this lot?
Once I had clicked on the auction I was even more stunned. The title may say “lot of 5,” but it was not a lot. It was a single figure listing, with five figures available – all of them priced at $25.
I couldn’t decide what was more surprising: (1) the deceit in listing in as a lot of five figures; or (2) the single figure price of $25 for utterly mundane $0.50 figures. They don’t even look to be in nice enough condition to suggest $0.75 per figure.
I…I don’t know what to say. Wow.
The third auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Action Figure #154 Annonaitosu Clear White Gum Ball Machine Rare, would be easy to attack for its price tag. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a single counterfeit figure sell for more than $10 (I honestly want to say $5, but I was trying to be nice). I would be open to anyone proving me wrong.
It’s not the silly price that made me select this auction. It’s the vending machine capsule.
My gut says that figure and that capsule do not belong together. Admittedly, I could be wrong. But something just feels off. The Flesh-like figures tended to be in capsules. That hard, brittle looking plastic tends to be carded or bagged.
What do you guys think?
What does the King of Counterfeit think?
If I was forced to make a guess, then here it is: The figure has three other figures for sale like this one. They came from a bag or card. He placed them next to some extra vending machine capsules and took the picture. What is your guess?
The fourth auction, Lot of 39 M.U.S.C.L.E. MEN Kinnikuman FLESH COLORED & DAMAGED Vtg 1985 Muscle, is absolute garbage. The seller isn’t trying to hide it either.
His auction description boldly starts with, “Damaged Lot of 39.” He also said, “These guys are all damaged. They are all whole and not structurally damaged, but all of them are either painted and/or very dirty.” The auction has four very clear pictures showing the condition of the figures. I appreciate his honestly. This level of honesty is the true “Super Rare” of M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting.
But the BIN price is $12. What is a fair price for garbage?
The seller has a “Make an Offer” button, but I still don’t know what would be a fair offer. I wouldn’t pay anything, because these figures would not serve any purpose for me. If I was a painter or a customizers, then maybe…jeez, I just don’t know. Anything more than $5 seems absurd for M.U.S.C.L.E. figures in this condition.
What would you pay?
The fifth auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Kinnikuman Four 4 Pack #153 The Claw Rare 1985 New WOW!!!, stopped me because of the price tag. The listing has a $649.95 BIN price.
The last, admittedly more beat-up, #153 4-pack sold for $29. The recent listing before that maybe sold offline? A nearly mint unpunched 4-pack, with a Salmon #153, sold for $138.38.
I think people overspend on the #153, but that’s cool.
With that said, I have to imagine even #153 collectors are laughing at this listing. Am I right?
