Auction Watch #237 is over and something dawned on me. I need to stop picking auctions that are not going to sell. It is interesting, and maybe even funny, to point them out – but we already know the ending.
Besides the seller, is anybody surprised that these figures didn’t sell?
I know the collective answer is, “No.”
I reached out to the seller. I don’t assume he’ll want to chitchat for the eBay Entrepreneur Exchange, but I can dream.
This week I really wanted to focus on listings that were going to sell. I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find anything interesting. Thanks to some dumb luck those concerns were quickly erased.
The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Muscle Kinnikuman 1980s Mattel – 105 Buffaloman D, green, is the perfect transition from the unsold Class B figures. Here we have a Class B #105 with a starting bid of $2.99.
Recently the Green #105 showed up on my radar again. Obviously the $64.10 price tag is silly. But what would a Green #105 sell for?
I think this first auction will help us answer that question.
$2.99 for a single M.U.S.C.L.E. figure is high, but we have a popular character mixed with a, possibly, frenzy inducing label. I can imagine a Master Set Fool or a massive Terri-Bull fan purchasing the figure for $2.99. I believe the better question is, “Will this listing have more than one bid?”
I can’t wait to find out.
The second auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Vintage Action Figure Huge Assorted Lot (377 Pieces), is a large lot of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. We rarely see a large lot like this in modern M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting.
Even better, the opening bid isn’t completely insane. In fact, it is completely reasonable. The shipping is the preposterous part, but it won’t be a deal breaker.
The lot started at $19.99 and I can’t wait to see where it ends.
Conservatively (at $0.50 per figure) the lot could end around $188.50. More aggressively (at $0.75 per figure) the lot could end around $282.75. My instincts say this lot is going to get a few bidders overly excited.
Will the expensive shipping factor into any bids? I think it will and keep it under $1.00 per figure. My guess for the final price is $257.
The third auction, M.U.S.C.L.E Muscle Men Vintage Figure Lot. Original Mattel 1980’s WITH POSTER, is old-school rad.
As I start to close-in on two decades of M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting it is exceedingly rare that I get excited by an auction. This one did it.
It has a Flesh poster, Satan Cross, and 42 additional Flesh Figures. The starting bid of $19.99 might have been the most surprising part of the listing.
Again, I can’t wait to see the final price of this auction. I think $90 is a reasonable guess for the figures. How much are people going to spend on the poster?
It seems to be in pretty good condition. Unfortunately, it has been folded instead of rolled. In my experience, when buyers want to upgrade their poster they are willing to over spend. But is this an upgrade? Or a good starter poster?
The fourth auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Men Flesh Color Lot of 102 figures (rare #153 Claw) & Poster, has another poster. This time Satan Cross is missing but there are 102 Flesh figures.
The condition of the poster and $49.99 opening bid makes this lot interesting to me. The opening bid could be the final price for this unspectacular lot of 102 Flesh figures. But what about the poster?
Is it better than the previous poster? If I’m looking for a poster, then which lot should I pursue?
I don’t know the answers to those questions. There may not be a correct answer to those questions.
The SC poster lot will end first. If I needed a Flesh poster, then I guess I would make a run at that lot first. If I lost, then I would make a more embarrassing run at the SC-less poster lot.
The fifth auction, NEW 1985 Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E Battlin Belt Window Box Version Mint Muscle Men, might force me to upgrade my window box.
Also in last week’s Epilogue I mentioned that I wished the $100 opening bid, on nice window, was lower. I thought $75 might be the final price on a nice window box. That is what makes the $79.99 opening bid so tempting to me.
My pragmatic brain quickly eliminates the temptation. Why do I need to waste my money on that? Do I want to put up with the hassle of selling my other belt?
I like the stickers on my belt too. I like the story they tell. I know people are mixed on price tags, but I like them.
My last thought about this listing is that the $199.99 BIN is silly. Wrong. I have one more thought. This seller has another cool M.U.S.C.L.E.-related item.
The sixth auction, CANADIAN MATTEL M.U.S.C.L.E. MUSCLE MEN SEALED 4-PACK FIGURE LOT KINNIKUMAN, is that item.
The last two 4-packs of these figures have sold for $36 and $51. The $51 one surprised me. This listing is starting at $19.99.
I like the Lutteurs. I think they are a cool piece of M.U.S.C.L.E.-related history. $19.99 seems like a reasonable opening bid for this item.
The audience for this type of thing has to be exceedingly small. It needs to be a M.U.S.C.L.E. fan that likes Masquerading M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures and wants to spend money on it.
I’m more curious about the number of bidder than the final price.
