Auction Watch #254


I was pretty frustrated with the M.U.S.C.L.E. offerings on eBay last week. Thankfully there was one listing worth watching. I wish I could hear the final price rationale from the winning bidder. Missing out on that information, with this auction, feels like watching a good movie on a plane only to land early and missing the dramatic ending.

I expected the final price to be higher, but $328 is much higher than I expected. My guess would have been a top price of around $250. If I also had to guess the buyer’s rationale, then it would be that they valued the two figures at about $135 each and each other figure at $1 per figure.

Two other things: (1) I hate the eBay makes suggestions when a listing has ended; and (2) Brian’s bad luck is continuing with this listing. He originally won this auction with a $77 BIN. Could the M.U.S.C.L.E. Gods please cut Brian some slack?

The first listing, Lot of 69 M.U.S.C.L.E Muscle Men Figures – FREE SHIPPING Rare Vintage Collectors, more appropriately fits into last week. But I had to share what I considered to be funny.

The low-hanging-fruit laughter came from the price tag. The 69 Flesh figures have a $199 BIN, which is $2.88 per figure. Hilarious.

The other laugh came from a less obvious source. This lot is coming from Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey. That made ma laugh – more accurately it made me audibly snicker.

Anybody know why? Did anybody else smile?

Just in case you don’t remember, here’s why Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey made me laugh. I don’t think this seller has anything to do with the previous shenanigans, but it was funny seeing Lanoka Harbor again.

Like the old bit from the Late Show with David Letterman, the UofM home offices should be located in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey.

The second listing, Kinnikuman 418 Kinkeshi Box Full Set Figures, might be the best listing of this set I have ever seen.

An opening bid of $100 is lowest I can remember seeing. I could be wrong, but it’s the lowest I can remember.

It’s probably low because the set doesn’t include the DVDs. But the MMMM #101 didn’t really spotlight the DVDs as a positive or negative for the set.

And, if you were going to sell the set, wouldn’t it be better to copy the DVDs and sell them? I know I’d rather have a digital copy of the shows instead of a physical copy. Maybe that isn’t possible.

I don’t care about the cartoon. I don’t care about the figures being opened. This set might be the first time I place bid on these figures.

The third auction, MUSCLE MEN figures lot, makes me wish sarcasm easily worked with the written word. I would jokingly talk about how there was nothing to see and the real gem of the auction was the $0.99 opening bid.

All of the sarcasm would make it obvious that I was ignoring the Satan Cross figure.

Instead, I will openly praise a great auction. It is starting at $0.99 and I think that’s going to help the seller. I wish there was a better picture of the SC figure, but you can tell it’s a real SC by the feet in one of the other pictures.

People can disagree with me, but I think $0.99 auctions are critical to keeping the M.U.S.C.L.E. hobby alive. There will always be “buyers,” but M.U.S.C.L.E. needs a community. That’s the only way collectors can help each other. The $0.99 listings are the trickle that keeps the M.U.S.C.L.E. river flowing.

The fourth auction, M.U.S.C.L.E Fugures Lot of 6 muscle vintage, is a sane Future Strength lot. I think there will be lots of counterfeit collectors that will be interested in a lot starting at $0.99.

I’m the most interested in the Bate-Man figure. I don’t have a good picture of the original figure. That’s not meant to suggest he’s rare or special. I just don’t have a good picture of him.

Future Strength prices have always felt a bit chaotic to me. We saw this crazy lot sell for $57.78, but most people wouldn’t spend more than $1 per figure. What does that mean for this lot?

I have no idea. If it sells for more that $5, then I will be surprised. If it sells for more than $10, then I’ll be bummed out.

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  1. #1 by Terry on June 13, 2018 - 6:07 am

    FYI the $328 listing had 3 Class A figures, you forgot about the #60LB which I guess is somewhat desirable. I still think this listing went for way more than it should of though

  2. #2 by Dfrazzer on June 26, 2018 - 7:26 am

    Maybe he comes from a planet with high gravity.

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