We keep getting closer and closer to, being caught up to, exactly five years ago. Since I missed the SUS last week, this one will be a little longer.
Things start with a 4-Pack Archive Update. I was about to say, “Geez, I wish more people cared about this.” Then I realized I don’t really care either. I haven’t been chasing undocumented color combinations. I should change that. Having a complete virtual archive of 4-Pack color combinations would be cool…to a fan of meaningless minutia, like me.
With that said, I loved seeing the perfect 4-pack again. I had forgotten about it.
The Perfect 4-Pack?
Next up was the Epilogue. Why did I stop using the “M.U.S.C.L.E. Ruse?” I like that term. The old lady from the Strangest Things bit still made me smile. I didn’t mind revisiting this Epilogue and that’s not always the case.
What strikes me about this SUS from five years ago is the absolute honesty. If you have ever wondered what it would be like if we had a beer together, then that post is an excellent example. It was certainly not the goal of that post, but coming back to it five years later I’m struck by the complete transparency.
But why did I use the Reaper gif?
MMMM #67 is one of my favorites. I have an endless supply of fascination when collectors question aspects of the hobby and their collection and don’t blindly love everything.
If I discovered M.U.S.C.L.E. today, then I wouldn’t care about the Quik figures. They really are nothing more than Flesh figures with white cardboard. And they’re no longer mysterious or obscure. If you had told me in 2002 that I could pick up a Quik #60 for $26, then I would have called you a liar and tried to instantly buy it.
My Quik figures still hold a special place in my collection, but they don’t hold the allure they once did.
The only thing worth mentioning about the #194 post is that I learned about Haniwa.
Oh boy. There is lots to revisit with this Epilogue. We’ve got to start with “justchilin.” (Who doesn’t have any other prizes currently for sale.) What an asshole and I don’t have anything to add to the original write-up. Although I did notice the use of “the M.U.S.C.L.E. Ruse” and I liked it.
Can you believe I lost the Ramenman with Dragon? It still makes me shake my head. Rereading that story brought back all the anxiety and all the relief. It’s still in a safe.
In the last SUS I created a second poll for Terry’s board game question. Turns out this Epilogue had the results. Surprise, surprise.
The bigger surprise is that the results are almost perfectly identical.
2016 Poll
2021 Poll
I was baring my soul five years ago. Truth bombs everywhere. It continued with the this SUS. The good news is that those figures are no longer in mailers. They are in plastic bags. 🙄
My prediction of the “bubble bursting” was especially interesting to revisit. Greedy sellers are as bad, or worse, than ever. The over-priced single figure was mostly reserved for eBay at that time. Today, we see greedy sellers on eBay AND trying to privately rip people off by charging $15 for a Flesh figure. Technology didn’t help us either. There might be more selling apps and platforms, but eBay is still the best overall bet for finding something good.
To my surprise, M.U.S.C.L.E. fans have made the biggest difference. Plenty of greedy sellers still list absurd prices and sit on them for 151 weeks without any signs of stopping. But more and more M.U.S.C.L.E. fans are starting auctions at $0.99 and I believe that makes a profoundly positive impact on our M.U.S.C.L.E. collecting community. Will it last? Will it get stronger? We’ll just have to find out in the 2026 SUS that revisits this post.
If I had to guess, then I would guess MMMM #68 was born out of writer’s block. Terry Sorry. Professor Terry picks a figure he doesn’t like, meanders all over the place, and then hopes someone wants to buy them.
I’ve been there. I’ve revisited them. And I think this is one.
My belief is that you need occasional clunkers. It usually means you’re trying to stretch yourself. You get the benefits of that effort down the road. Or you just had a bad day. And you even need those too. How else could you have a good day?
The #193 was added to the virtual figure guide. Nothing to add.
We end this SUS with AW #183. That’s it.
