Introduction
(Gold Edition Dumbo, #50 DISNEY, courtesy of PopPriceGuide)
The toy you see above is called a Funko POP!. This Gold Edition Dumbo was released at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con and is the 50th edition Pop to be released under the Disney license. Only 48 units were made; making the golden pint sized pachyderm worth an estimated $3,490; according to the Pop Price Guide. I’ve even spotted one on Ebay selling for $10,000. Anyone looking for a fortune could easily find it within the world of collecting designer toys, or can they? In this post, I’ll examine Funko Inc to reveal what makes the company cool and whether it is worth the purchasing.
History of Funko Inc
Funko Inc, was founded in October 23, 1998 by Mike Becker at his home in Snohomish, Washington, and was best known for its licensed bobble head figurines. In 2005, CEO, Brian Mariotti acquired Funko Inc. Immediately expanding the roster of licenses in 2010, the first POPs! debuted at the San Diego Comic Con; showcasing DC Comics' favorites Batman, Batgirl, Green Lantern, and the Joker.
Collectors fell in love with the new line of POP! figures, and raked in a total of $20 million dollars worth of merchandise by 2012. Mariotti sold Funko Inc, to Fundamental Capital, LLC in 2013. By late 2015, ACON Investments, LLC, announced that they had acquired Funko from Fundamental Capital, LLC, and will maintain its current staff and head of company.
In 2017, Funko acquired British toy company, Underground Toys and its European Distributors. Then, in the same year, Funko opened its new headquarters, a 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) flagship store in downtown Everett on August 19, 2017. Finally, Funko listed in NASDAQ (FNKO) on November 2, 2017; suffering the worst opening day seen in the 21st century.
POPs! Collections
Over the years, Funko released nearly 14,000 different products in dozens of different toy lines. Let's go over some of them to get a good grasp on how impressionable the company has become on the next generation of collectors and hobbyists.
1. WACKY WOBBLERS
(Collection of Wacky Wobblers; courtesy of toyotter.com)
2. POP! Vinyl
(Deadpool, #113; courtesy of Platopopculture.com)
Figures modeled in a style similar to Japanese super deformed vinyl figures
3. POP! Rides
(Elastigirl on Elasticycle, #45; Courtesy of collectors.com)
Featuring the figure in a vehicle such as a car.4. POP! Deluxe
(Thanos with Throne, Marvel Studios, #331; courtesy of simplyfunko.com)
Where a character is seated on external set pieces, such as a throne, and occasionally a vehicle or creature5. POP! Movie and Comic Moments
(Hulkbuster vs Hulk, #394; Fall Convention Exclusive, courtesy of supportivepc.com)
Feature to posed POP! figures interacting with each other and on display bases in ways that replicate moments from different movies and comic books.6. FUNKO CEREAL
(Megaman / Cuphead & Mugman Cereal; Courtesy of polygon.com)
Including mini-POP! characters inside each box. Released June 2018.7. DORBZ
(Ren N Stimpy, 2 Pack; 2018 Summer Convention Exclusive, courtesy of fye.com)
A round smiling head and cylinder-esque body. Smaller than the normal POP! figure.8. Chase Variants
(Duck Dodgers, #127; Chase Metallic Varient; courtesy of needlessessentialsonline.com)
Product within a series that is a rare variation on the original mold. This variance can be as simple as a color change, or as complex as a totally new mold. Common variances include different molds or character poses, a flocked (fuzzy) finish, metallic paint, glitter, and translucence.9. Mystery Minis
(My Hero Academia Mystery Minis, Coutresy of comicbook.com)
Consists of a group of blind boxes that have a random character within, from a variety of series.
The Future of POP's!
Before you head out to your nearest Gamestop or Hot Topic to start collecting these little treasures, let us review some of the Pros and Cons of collecting POPs! Since I haven't been collecting for a long time, I referred to the My Figure Collection Forum to see what the community has to say about POPs!.
Here are some takeaways...
PROS:
1. The Nostalgia: Member Darkwing Duck? "I member", Member Gargoyles? "I member" oooooooo Member Tale Spin? I member!!!! I remember finding my first POP! It was regular Vegeta, #10. I bought it solely for history sake. In 1996, I started watching Dragon Ball. That was the time when America only aired the Emperor Piloff Saga. Then out of no where in 8th grade, Dragon Ball Z blasted in with Goku grown up, married to Chi Chi (which was nice), and with a kid!!!! (MIND STILL BLOWN). I can't begin to explain the level of geekdom I achieved back in my youth, or better yet, still achieve to this day. HAHA
2. Hunting: The thrill of the hunt is real. After you buy your first POP!, the desire to collect more grows, especially if you want to complete the set. The secret to the obsession is in the Funko's strategy to commandeer every license known to man. This strategy assures that, there will be a point when you find a POP! that resonates with your life. It's inevitable.
3. Community: The POPs! community is comprised of passionate collectors from around the world. If you have any questions or concerns, simply find a forum like My Figure Collection, and introduce yourself. You'll be making new friends faster than the next POP! release.
4. The Price: You can find POPs! on the street going anywhere from 5$ - $25 retail. Not a bad value for what they are. I've purchased my most valuable POPs at Gamestop for $9. Gamestop is an easy grab, but the best POPS I've found have been at Specialty Toy Stores and Hot Topic.
5. Quantity: There are plenty of POPs! in many variations to go around. While that may not be great for collectors who must have unique items; regular consumers will enjoy the ample supply. After all, not everyone can appreciate the thrill of the hunt!
6. Relevance: Since Funko is on a mission to own every license they can, you'll never find yourself saying why is this relevant. Just about every license has a place in hearts and shelves of people everywhere.
7. Finding Gems: Let's look at Funko Inc like we would Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. The chocolate factory pumps out hundreds upon hundreds of candy bars, hard candies and gums everyday. Not every product coming off the assembly line will make it in the hands of its owner in the same shape it left the factory. With that said, when you DO find that special piece, it makes it all the more special. We call those POPs! gems amount rocks. Cherish it and keep it safe, because that sucker is going to send one of your kids to school. HAHA
CONS:
1. Re-sellers: People who buy exclusive and chase items for the sole purpose of re-selling them at marked up prices. At face value, many of the POPs fetching high prices don't make sense. That is because Re-sellers thrive on the hype of new releases; causing some of the POPs! to reach unattainable prices.
2. Quality: Due to the volume of products that Funko release each year; not every POP! figure comes with the best paint job or great conditioned box. If you were thinking of reselling your POPs! eventually, this will cause many set backs.
3. Scammers: Fake POPs?!?! Yep, where ever there is high demand for a product, there will be scammers to take advantage. Many people have reported being duped by impersonators of valid store fronts, so stay vigilant. There is no worse feeling, then feeling like a sucker.
4. Erratic Releases: Funko has an interesting way of releasing its product. One moment, they flood the market with just about every concept they have in their bag. Then, all of a sudden, you won't hear about a release for a month or so. For some this isn't a problem, but for those people that run on a tight schedule, this can be really annoying. Inversely, there are some people in the community, that feel it would be helpful if there were announcements on vaulted POPs! Vaulted means that Funko has decided to discontinue production on whichever figure they choose. Some vaulted products skyrocket in value after being discontinued.
5. The Price: I know I said before that Price is a Pro, but there are two sides to this coin. Sure, you spend $9 here, $11 there; Gamestop sells POPs! for $13 now. Add that to an occasional $25 for a mystery box, and then about 6 pops later; you have a bill somewhere around $125 - $140 all in pops! Adds up quick, don't it?
6. Unenthusiatic Retailers: New York's Toy Tokyo is by far the best offering for Vinyl Figures that I've managed to find. The workers are all knowledgeable and have a real investment in the merchandise they carry. Stores like that are hard to come by period. I used to work at a specialty gift shop, which I won't name, that carried POPs! I was amazed by the sheer collection of the store, but couldn't believe no one else cared about the product. Needless to say, the lack of love for the job, translated into poor POP! sales from the boutique.
Buy or Avoid
Honestly, it is up to you. I feel like majority of people aren't going to being overrunning stores for POPS!, at least not yet. I feel like vinyl figures are in a space that has been cultivated for years by heavy weights like Futura, Bounty Hunter, KAWS and Takashi Murakami to name a few. These guys created Vinyl figures that are considered world class art. Funko POPs!, eh; could eventually be considered as fine art, I mean the potential is most certainly there. Only thing is, to achieve the high fashion appeal which the aforementioned creators accomplished, Funko will have to focus its product specifically for that purpose. Do I think they will reach that height, YES! I do. I actually have a lot of faith in Funko Inc. I might be the only one, but I'm ok with that.
Conclusion
As an investment, I believe that the value of various POPs! will be contingent on how creative the overall culture of the world moves forward. I believe that, when it comes to value, some items can be imbued with value depending on who's carrying it. When I collect vinyls, I'm after the aesthetic value, resonance from my childhood, and of course cultural significance. Afterall, many of these characters shaped the majority of our lives and personalities growing up. It would be almost negligent to self, not to revisit these moments.
[REFERENCES]
"Are Funko Pops Worth Collecting?"
