The urge to explain the absence of posts last week is rooted in SUS 2024 posts. I want to be able to answer the future question, “Why wasn’t anything posted five years ago.”
There are two very good reasons: (1) work; and (2) baseball. I had to get out to Tacoma. I actually left a baseball tournament on Sunday and went directly to the airport. My body thought it was 3:30am by the time I got to the hotel. I never fully rallied from that. I was too busy with work to post anything. I got back Thursday, but I was too exhausted to post.
Then, starting on Saturday, we had a baseball tournament. I won’t bore you with the details, but the kids were amazing and ended up winning the entire thing. It wasn’t until Tuesday night that I could get to the site.
Once I started digging in, there were two things that really jumped out: (1) the final price of the M.U.S.C.L.E. stickers; and (2) the $0.01 Healey listing from two weeks ago.
The final sale price was $11.50 and had two bidders. Very interesting. That’s probably the best measure of the custom-secondary market we’re going to get for some time. I said that the guy trying to sell a $60 version (and he has two) and a $40 version (again, with two) had absurdly high prices. This sale, and low number of bidders, validates that statement.
It also fuels my feeling that custom figures should never increase in value. This figure sold right around its original price. And I think that is because there is nothing that prohibits the artist from making more.
Two weeks ago I also mentioned that maybe it was time for new artists to start copying old artists. There weren’t any comments, but I’m very curious how people feel about that idea. The timeline isn’t much different than the original M.U.S.C.L.E. release to the first recast figures.
[poll id=”75″]
Two weeks ago, in the last Epilogue, we got our next AOTW winner. We need four new combatants and eBay was ready to provide them for us.
The AOTW #1 earned their spot for it $6.36 per-figure price. It is a dull lot of 11 Purple figures with a $69.99 BIN. for 11 Purple figures. Do you think greedy people like this seller are stupid, greedy, or both? I think there are certain combinations of both that deliver these absurd BIN’s.
The AOTW #2 almost didn’t make the list. I know the listing had been mentioned before, but it has never been a combatant. After 599 days (600 on Saturday) with it’s unchanging $19.99 BIN; this is an easy selection and top contender.
The AOTW #3, if I’m using my stupid/greedy formula, feels like it is more stupid than greedy. Only a stupid person would think cardboard and a detached bubble have some extra value. Those things are of no value, which means they are asking $25.99 for four Flesh figures. Wow.
Finally, we have the AOTW #4. This sis a simple one. This dummy has a faded Flesh figure with, basically, a $15 BIN.
Cast your vote and crown this week’s AOTW Fatal-Four Way winner. Here are the four combatants:
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Remember to cast your vote and crown this week’s AOTW Fatal-Four Way winner:
[poll id=”76″]
Since discovering that our ULTIMATE AOTW Battle of the Champions Fatal-Four Way Winner #1 is still trying to sell her empty box, I like to check in each week.
Fourteen weeks ago it had dropped down to $160. Thirteen weeks ago the price was $149. She sat firm for a period at $145. Eight weeks ago it dropped to $139 and soon after it dropped to $135. One week ago it hit the new low of $125.
It has taken 14 weeks to decrease almost 22%; which is about 1.6% per week. How many weeks until an empty box hits a sane price?
This is the level-of-asshole it takes to be an ULTIMATE champion.
Amazing. She’s one of the greats.
