UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures from Mattel

The Class A auctions from last week have ended. What did you think of the final prices?

I had mentioned that the last documented Dark Blue #92, on this site, sold for $6.49 and that this one would probably sell for more. It did. It sold for $27.89.

The Dark Blue #114 figure had recently sold, in a lot with a Class A Dark Blue #97 figure, sold for $20.50. This time the single figure sold for $17.

Previously, there had never been a Purple #123 figure featured in the Auction Watch. I was expecting this figure to be the highest priced of the four. I was wrong. It sold for $14.50.

Finally, there was the Salmon #165 figure. I was expecting it to sell for between $6.50 and $126.87. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.) I certainly didn’t expect it to sell for $357.77. It sold for $10.50.

Thank you to lint-speed for helping the M.U.S.C.L.E. community.

Let’s take a look at this week on eBay. We’re going to start with two posters. I think the opening bids are both too high. However, I can’t decide which poster is in better condition.

The first listing, VTG ORIG.1985 MATTEL TOY MUSCLE M.U.S.C.L.E MEN COLLECTOR POSTER, looks pretty good. However the one side is pretty damaged.

The second listing, M.U.S.C.L.E Muscle Men Vintage Poster Mattel 1980’s Toy Collector Rare, is also in pretty good condition. However it has less severe damage all around the poster. I can’t decide which poster is in, objectively, better condition. Which poster do you think is in better condition?

[poll id=”32″]

The third listing, Vintage Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. Figure Lot of 31 figures. 80s Vintage toy., is a nice little lot of Flesh M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.

It has an opening bid of $4.99. Fair enough.

Oh yeah – there is also a Satan Cross figure.

I hope a collector can add this famous figure to their collection without overspending.

It can sound preachy, or maybe even elitist, because I already own a Satan Cross figure, but collectors should be patient. Look at how often Satan Cross has shown up. And that’s just the AW’s. It ignores the Epilogue sightings. I already know that logic rarely factors into a Satan Cross sale. The legend of the figure has squashed the truth.

But I still hope a collector gets to add their figure to their collection without overspending.

Speaking of overspending, the fourth auction, #153 PURPLE Claw Ultra Rare Kinnikuman M.U.S.C.L.E. Muscle Men Mattel, is just silly to me.

It has an opening bid of $500.

But the last #153 figure sold for $511.01!

Yes, but it was sold by algigli0. The winner suspiciously had minimum feedback. And sadly, algigli0, didn’t take me up on my offer to participate in eBay Entrepreneur Exchange. Shocking, right?

That last Purple #153 had an very strange ending. M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors have been cautious of the algigli0 shenanigans every since they learned algiglio0 was Alex Forbes.

Speaking of Alex and aligigli0, the fifth auction, MUSCLE MEN COLLECTION OF 10 M.U.S.C.L.E. FIGURES VINTAGE comes from this same source.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Why bother with the charade?”

Why pretend that you don’t know there are two Class A figures (Purple #15 and Red #135)?

I guess the why doesn’t matter. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

The real question is, “Why does anybody think the scams or behavior would change?”

I need the Red #135 figure, but I won’t be bidding. I figure the auction will be riddled with shenanigans. I would love to be wrong, but history suggests I won’t be wrong.

Much like the SC auction, I hope some collector scores these for a deal. I don’t think the seller would ever allow that to happen.