385 replies to this topic

[Jamesullivan]

I think you have the right idea, but your wording is a bit off.

Regulars- 1-233 + 234,235
Irregular- 236 and other hard to find figures, that have been located in packaging.
Rare- any non figure after 1-236 that is in bad condition, SHA with head detached, BHS with peg out, a Pretzel Man with broken apart limbs, or a missleman that has permanent discolorization.
Super Rare- any figure that is in mint condition that has never been located in M.U.S.C.L.E. packaging. Magnificant 11 would be classified as found in package well after the production era of the figures which was in the mid 1980s.
One of a Kind- Any figure that there is only 1 of in the world.

[Jamesullivan]

I was thinking with a new Drunken Master, other Dr. Bonbes, unconfirmed other SR sightings since last year. Which at this time last year if everyone remembers we had a SHA and a BHS Ebay uprising for the christmas season. Though they have quieted down much since then.
I am beginning to think SHA and BHS are just as available as the other M.U.S.C.L.E. figures that are listed as Possible Non-M.U.S.C.L.E. Sculpts. found here... Soupie's possible Non M.U.S.C.L.E. sculpt

The reason I came to this "THEORY" is from 2 factors.

1-BHS and SHA have been found numerous times.

2-previously thought super rares have began to show dupliocates(Dr. Bonbe, Drunken Master).

So I started do some pondering in the hopes of discovering a way to somehow conclude where these figures can be found. So bare with me as I go through my thought process for those of you who want to know how I got where I'm going

................most people who sell M.U.S.C.L.E.s do so because they want to make some side cash while getting rid of old toys that would make someone else happy rather than having them thrown out, like so many have been.*moment of silence please*. Well that means the people who saved their M.U.S.C.L.E.s for so many years are either toy fans or M.U.S.C.L.E. fans.........................

Breakdown of 2 types of possible sellers.

1-Toy fans who just save any toy they may have had since childhood. They know names of the toys, but many may have never even gone the lenghts to order the poster checklist to see how many actually exist.

2-M.U.S.C.L.E. fans who know every figure from the poster, and probably this love can go as far as remembering which figure they retrieved from Nestle Quick chocolate powder.

I continued to ponder some more

...................In all honestly their were probably only 1 out of 236 kids who were real die hard M.U.S.C.L.E. fans. The other 117 kids were toy fans, and the last 116 kids did not notice their disappearance when Mom tossed them because they were left on the floor. Perhaps their were 2 more that were not kids, but rather adult toy collectors, but hey those are rare and special people. Anyway Toy Fans would logically be the main supplier to new Ebay figures, that were never before owned nor seen by M.U.S.C.L.E. community. All that these fans know is what figures stand out from the other figures. SHA and BHS have parts and holes for pieces unlike any other figure from 1-233. Therefore they only neede to make an educational guess that they may have a figure worth keeping, and after many years sell them. Sometimes remembering their uniqueness, and sometimes forgetting. As for the other possible Super Rares, they may have been lost in the collection of 1-233. Since they were not aware of the checklist, there was never that slight bit of urgency to save the figure..........................................................

So in conclusion, the reason BHS and SHA were found so numerously is because they stood out to the common toy fan, therefore rather than dispose of the toys 20 years ago, they saved their toys. The reason DB and DM have been beginning to become numerous is because toy fans will sell their toys anyway, and despite some super rares going unnoticed and thrown into the garbage a score ago, there are still some that saved them and will sell them before they ever throw them out!

I am actually more sold on this idea that all super rares exist in the same numbers then not.

*Keep in mind whatever has been posted on EBAY and any other auction ever in the history of time up to now is probably only about 5% of the total M.U.S.C.L.E. figures released back in the 80s.
**Satan Cross despite not being on the poster and having a hole and never before seen back legs; is not used in my theory because I can remember his sculpt appearing in my childhood and how people who owned him would not trade him for a entire set of M.U.S.C.L.E.s. GRRRRR
***People who collect colored super rares still are uncool, those who collect flesh super rares or desire are cool IMHO.
****Like anybody else, I don't need to have super rares, but if I noticed one for sale as a regular figure, I'd surely buy it!

Edited by Jamesullivan, 29 September 2010 - 04:14 PM.

[Biffard]

That's interesting.

I too have pondered about how many duplicates of super rares are out there. I think that there are a lot more than we actually might think. I agree with your 5% of muscle go on ebay estimate and I would guess that as time goes on more rare and super rares will pop up from the two types sellers. I don't know if new sculpts will pop up, but for sure duplicates of sculpts that are already discovered will. Like you said there are quite a few BHS and SHA and with the recent discoveries of at least two DM, Dr. Bonbe, and even Dark emperor, there is no reason not to think more are out there in some basement or attic just waiting to stand in on of our collections!

[walker13.1]

I like the theories; however, I believe SRs are more rare than what you give them credit for. The last DM was spotted 7 years ago. There is only two Dark Emperors, and that one was found several years ago. Yes, there probably are more out there, but if they are more common like you say, many more would have been spotted. I tend to bend to the theory that the figures were meant to be grabbed off an assembly line, but not all made its way to a garbage can. A few found their way to packs, and a % of those eventually ended up in the trash because I think many people (like myself) had their parents either throw the toys away or sold at some yard sale because the kid wasn't playing with it any more. SC, BHS, and SHA might have been made more in abundance, so that is why we see more. To support this, there are several SC 4 packs out there, but zero SR 4 packs. Even if the Ebay theory of 5% is correct, many more SRs would have been spotted by now.

Edited by vette88, 30 September 2010 - 06:06 AM.

[Jamesullivan]

I wonder how much a loose peg or loose head would go for, but with no body.

I would say $50.00 or less. Call it a hunch!

[00Ice00]

I'm new to the forum and remember having these growing up. Don't know where these are now I only had a few from the Plastic Trash cans these came in. Remember my dad buying two of the cans for me when we were at an outlet here in Texas.

I can't believe that this one is so rare and reading about how much this one can go for.



I had two of them, one pink and one orange. I got both of them from those cans. Only reason I remember is because I bit off the little circle part and chocked on it a little. Think I had close to 14 of them.. Didn't play with them to much because I like larger figures. I do remember the ones I had though, Drew a lot when I was smaller and used these also to draw them.

Edited by 00Ice00, 14 November 2010 - 03:45 PM.

[walker13.1]

I'm new to the forum and remember having these growing up. Don't know where these are now I only had a few from the Plastic Trash cans these came in. Remember my dad buying two of the cans for me when we were at an outlet here in Texas.

I can't believe that this one is so rare and reading about how much this one can go for.



I had two of them, one pink and one orange. I got both of them from those cans. Only reason I remember is because I bit off the little circle part and chocked on it a little. Think I had close to 14 of them.. Didn't play with them to much because I like larger figures. I do remember the ones I had though, Drew a lot when I was smaller and used these also to draw them.

You had the Japanese version then, not the American. The American version only comes in flesh (pink), and is the more valueable. The last one up for auction was in December 09. Amercian MUSCLE has an identifiable smell and feels much different. Japanese is very soft/flexible.

Below is a good website created by General Veers:

http://www.uofmuscle.com/

Another good website created by Tortle:

http://nathansmuscleblog.blogspot.com/

Edited by vette88, 15 November 2010 - 09:36 AM.

[Biffard]

The last one up for auction was in December 09.

One actually sold on August 28, 2010 on ebay but without the peg.

(I removed the link because I forgot we can't post AF's auctions but you can find it in his feedback page)

Edited by Biffard, 15 November 2010 - 05:43 AM.

[walker13.1]

One actually sold on August 28, 2010 on ebay but without the peg.

(I removed the link because I forgot we can't post AF's auctions but you can find it in his feedback page)

Yup, you're right. I forgot about that. He sold the one he won in Dec 09. I also forget what it went for. You remember?

Edited by vette88, 15 November 2010 - 06:08 AM.

[00Ice00]

Thanks for the INfo Vette. I will check out these sites....