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

By: Chad Perry

From the onset of the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. I made a very conscious decision to write the posts in third person. The third person style allowed me to separate myself, and tonally match textbooks and journal articles – keeping with the academic theme. My hope was that posts would not be seen as “Chad Perry’s” opinion; rather an encapsulation of factual and widely accepted M.U.S.C.L.E. information. Of course that’s not foolproof. History textbooks often depend largely on the perspective of the writers. A U.S. history textbook could sound very different if it was written by a Native American. Hopefully the decision to write in third person has been successful.

A good friend, and little rubber guy collector, once suggested that I add an editorial section to the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. until now it never seemed like a useful feature; almost too self indulgent. However Auction Watch #46 showed me that there would be times where it was appropriate.

The last few Auction Watches have documented the price of several Class A figures. And based on the data from those auctions a trend started to appear: only the most popular Class A figures could command a premium price.

As I searched for an interesting auction for Auction Watch #46 I came across this auction: 47 M.U.S.C.L.E. Action Figures. The ruined Dark Blue #153 initially caught my attention, but when I looked at the second picture I immediately recognized a figure I needed for my personal collection. I looked to find an equally interesting M.U.S.C.L.E. auction hoping that this auction might fly under the radar. But that didn’t seem right for me to do. I was conflicted.

On the one hand I wanted to bid on the figure. I told myself that’s the reason I shouldn’t post the auction. I wouldn’t be able to be objective about the final price. On the other hand I felt a responsibility to post the most interesting auction for M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors. I told myself, in the interest of UofM, I had to act in the most candid and truthful way. The website should help the greatest number of M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors and be interesting.

I decided that I had to act in the best interest of the website and M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors, but how would I post it? That’s when my good friend’s suggestion became a real solution.

Maybe an editorial is still too self indulgent. Maybe nobody cares. Maybe I cost myself a figure I need.

At the end of the day, I’m glad I’m posting this auction.

And as this editorial also serves as Auction Watch #46, I should also point out that, upon closer inspection, there are at least six Class A figures. Those six figures are not particularly popular sculpts – the Dark Blue #221 is likely the most popular. It seems unlikely that this auction will follow the low cost trend, mainly because “prospectors” will believe they have an opportunity to “invest” in several Class A figures.

Maybe I’m not so glad I’m posting this auction.

If other M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors would like to share their opinions, then please email the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.. Interesting, unique, and well-written pieces are much more likely to be posted. This could become an interesting part of the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.

Follow-Up: I lost the auction by $1. As frustrating as the loss feels, it feels even better to believe that the auction didn’t end with an utterly disgusting final price. I can say that my perspective regarding my top bid was that there were 41 Class C figures and 6 Class A figures. I believed that the 41 Class C figures were worth $0.75 each. The 5 Class A figures were worth about $6 each to me, and I was willing to pay $15 for the Salmon #108 that I needed. The winner bidder was willing to pay just a little bit more.