M.U.S.C.L.E. 10-packs


This MUSCLE assortment came with 10 randomly packaged MUSCLEs in a plastic garbage can! As you can see, unlike other MUSCLE assortments, the can doesn't have any kind of cartoon other than the usual Muscleman logo. Like 4-packs, these Garbage Cans were at first offered with only pink MUSCLEs, but were later offered with all colored figures.


While the garbage can made a great accessory for carrying MUSCLEs, it was for the most part impossible to see through. You pretty much didn't know which MUSCLEs you were getting when you bought 10 packs. But there was an appeal to not knowing the can's contents... it was a great surprise finding out what cool figures you got when you opened the can! Nowadays, MUSCLE cans hold another surprise for collectors... it's one of the few places you can experience that MUSCLE-plasticy smell that you loved as a kid!

Universal Ruler Supreme found at Naochin's Kinnikuman site that the can for the MUSCLE ten pack had its origins in the Japanese Kinnikuman line. Apparently, Bandai offered a Clay Presser: a set of Kinkeshi molds that you could use to press your own Kinkeshi in clay. The garbage can was actually the container for the clay!

Above: Three views of a colored 10-pack, an all-pink pack, and an empty container.

10-pack Display Case

MUSCLE Garbage Cans were sold in the store in this cardboard display case. When the case is opened, the top flap is folded over to present the MUSCLE logo towards the front. As you can see, the display case could contain 24 MUSCLE Garbage Cans. (I use the case shown here to house my complete all-pink MUSCLE collection, so the MUSCLEs in the containers are not the original ones.)

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