That means things need to swing back the other way, towards insanity, this week.
Bummer.
The first auction, M.U.S.C.L.E. Mattel Muscle Men Figures Sunshine Brick Stone Top Vintage Lot, would make all long-term M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors roll their eyes. The $29.99 BIN is obviously ridiculous.
The BIN made me curious. How much would it cost a new, uninformed collector to purchase each figure separately?
Which four figures would we need to buy on eBay? The Flesh version of the #15, #107, #195, and #221 figures.
I used the most basic search, “#___ muscle figure.” Obviously I inserted the number of each figure.
The #15 figure is going to cost me $19.95 (plus $3.99 shipping). The #107 figure is going to cost me $20 (plus $4.45 shipping) in a lot of nine figures. The #195 figure is going to cost me $17.99. The #221 figure I going to cost me $5.95 (plus $2.95 shipping).
That would be a total cost of $75.28. Holy shit.
This is why I started looking into getting MUSCLEDB.com up and running again. The hobby can’t have $2 worth of figures selling for 1,399% or 3,664% more than they are worth. (Don’t hold your breath, it won’t be up tomorrow. I am hoping it moves more quickly than Dr. M.U.S.C.L.E..)
The second auction, SCARCE ORIGINAL MUSCLEMANIA MEN Predates M.U.S.C.L.E. MEN FIGURES SEALED 4 PACK, left me feeling confused for a couple of reasons.
Let’s start with the auction title. Scarce? Dude.
This might be a little narcissistic, but did the seller intentionally sidestep using the word, “rare?” I feel like the seller wanted a synonym for rare.
The only reason I would be bold enough to suggest I influenced the seller is because of the auction description:
These wrestler bodybuilder monster men predate M.U.S.C.L.E. men and most likey were the prototype version before they were bought out and merged into the more commonly known collectible M.U.S.C.L.E. men. Here’s some info online:
http://blog.uofmuscle.com/course-catalog/anthropology/anthropology-200-musclemania/
They’re scarce hard to find. SEALED Old Stock. Some storage wear. Send offers. Thanks.
Am I an even worse writer than I thought?
Prototype? Merged into M.U.S.C.L.E.? Is the MUSCLEMANIA write-up really that difficult to understand? I’m praying that the seller’s reading comprehension is terrible. The thought that my writing is too confusing is a real bummer.
Finally, there is the $75 price tag. I wish that was true. I’d have a couple grand worth of MUSCLEMANIA 4-packs.
The third auction, VINTAGE CANFUL OF MONSTERS CAN FULL BANDAI ULTRAMAN KAIJU KESHI MUSCLES GODZILLA, is a weird piece of M.U.S.C.L.E. history.
This trash can is part of the 10-pack’s origin. I don’t imagine that most M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors would absolutely have to have it in their collection. It’s probably a pretty niche audience.
However, the auction is starting at $0.01. That’s going to bring in some M.U.S.C.L.E. people that think, “I wouldn’t mind it if I could get it for X.”
A yellow can (with no figures) sold for $1.04 about two years ago. I thought there was another example on the site, but I couldn’t find it.
We will wrap up with a listing I wish I could ignore. I didn’t like algigli0’s first appearance. I don’t like his second appearance either.
The fourth auction, MUSCLE MEN COLLECTION OF 14 M.U.S.C.L.E. FIGURES VINTAGE, is dumb. I’m not spending much time on it. Sadly, it doesn’t feel like it can be ignored either.
If I wanted a Purple #153, then I would just wait. I know there will be collectors hoping to score it for cheap. Hoping that other people will stay away. That won’t matter. It will get shilled up. It always does. It’s been the same story, again and again, for 15 years.
Maybe the seller will participate in an eBay Entrepreneur Exchange?
The seller may want to chat because, as stated in the auction description:
People are saying there is a super rare one in here…….the claw figure.
#1 by Lucas on March 12, 2018 - 5:19 am
I was surprised to see the Canful Of Monsters sold for $34.33.
I recently won an auction for a yellow can with only 7 figures for $10.00 plus shipping:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-M-U-S-C-L-E-Men-Vintage-80s-Mattel-MUSCLE-Wrestling-Figures-trash-can/253348531128?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
Perhaps it did not go as high because other collectors saw the can as half empty, while as an optimist I saw the can as half-Ful Of Monsters.
#2 by Theodore Mallison on April 6, 2018 - 1:11 pm
I’m getting back into collecting MUSCLE after finding all my old ones at my parents’. Pretty disappointed by how insane some of the prices are. Last weeksomebody paid like $500 for a sealed 4-pack because it had a Sunigator Shotai? Who has that kind of money to spend on MUSCLEs? What a drag!