Let’s start with my melted brain. I can’t believe ANYBODY paid ANYTHING for a website printout. (Should I have given my Venmo account? Some people seem excited to pay for it.) I’d add the other ones you can find on Facebook or LRG, but I’d probably become too rich. I don’t want wealth to change me.
I mentioned my silly final checklist in the last AW. The prior auction, and my mention, made me wonder if I still have my original checklist. To my complete and utter surprise (and then complete lack of surprise, because I’m a M.U.S.C.L.E. lunatic) I found my original checklist. I want to share it in a MMMM, because I could really reminisce about it.
But the reality of that sale is a huge bummer. It is evidence that even with all the M.U.S.C.L.E. resources, there is still prevalent ignorance. If it was truly effortless to find M.U.S.C.L.E. information, then that sale wouldn’t happen. I believe that sale is further evidence of toxic positivity.
The SC lot is just disappointing. No matter the price breakdown, it is a terrible price. My guess is that somebody is overly excited to add the SC and error figure to their collection. Why? Seriously?
I’m not doing another SC rant. No amount of logic is changing collector behavior. Fine. But if that sale led to this sale for $300, then take your red flags out of storage. We may need them.
Did the potential error drive the price higher? The most recent documented examples couldn’t command a premium and didn’t sell. And one of the best errors only sold for $19.85.
I’m sure I’m wrong. I’m sure new collectors, and collectors selling figures, will explain to me that the M.U.S.C.L.E. marketplace has changed. That’s the going price – or something like that. If that’s the case, then email me. I’d be happy to sell at “new marketplace” prices, which seem to be monstrously inflated.
I wanted to try something different this week. I thought it would be cool to see if there were any MISHKA M.U.S.C.L.E. sweatshirts on eBay. Nothing. I am genuinely surprised.
Maybe there was a cool MUSCLEMANIA listing or two? Wrong again.
I’m not seeing anything worthwhile.
So I’ll pick two listings that don’t make any sense to me. The first, Vintage M.U.S.C.L.E. MEN Toy Lot of 4 (2)Red and (2)Salmon/Flesh Mattel 1980s, is simply one of the strangest lots with an equally strange price.
There’s nothing to say, other than, “Will it sell?” I don’t think it will, but I am curious to see.
The second listing, Lot of 450+ Vintage Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. Muscle Men Figures Kinnikuman Keshi. It has a $1,400 BIN for “450+” (probably 453) figures. That’s about $3.11 per figure.
“Maybe there’s a SC or Class A in there or something.”
Absolutely not. Otherwise the figures would be spread out. The “Pile” is one of the oldest tricks in the book. The seller wants the buyer to think a hidden gem is in there, so the price will go higher (or be justified if already high). That’s not how you get top dollar for M.U.S.C.L.E. items. Simply show M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors what you have. They will go crazy on their own (if necessary).
It won’t sell, but I’m curious to watch the price drop.
