Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to go into a collectibles shop and not see several shelves stacked with Funko Pops. They’ve swept the collecting community and have made a name for themselves in a big way.
They’re easily the most commonly found merch for plenty of franchises, and many collectors will have at least one or two Pops in their collection.
They’re the great equalizers that bond hardcore collectors and casual fans alike. But why have they become so popular? And are you missing a trick if you’ve not joined in on the hype? Read on to learn everything you need to know about these simple but effective collectible figures.
What are Funko Pops?
A Funko Pop (full name Funko Pop! Vinyl) is a collectible toy made by the American company Funko. They’re fully licensed figures that come in a wide range of franchises and can be bought in many places.
They’re easily recognizable by their distinct features, so even though there’s a vast number of them out there, they have defining characteristics. This means that even if you collect several different franchises, the Pops will still look great next to each other.
Probably the most noticeable feature, the eyes on a Funko Pop are slightly raised black circles. There are very few exceptions to this, although sometimes the design of a Pop will mean that black eyes won’t work. For example, Batman wears a black cowl, and so his eyes are white.
Other times they may be covered up by a helmet. However, for the majority of Funko Pops, the eyes are an immediate giveaway. There are also consistent proportions, with the head being considerably larger than the rest of the body.
The body and legs are nearly always thinner than the head, however, some famously heavyset characters such as Kingpin may be an exception to this.
They also come in uniform white boxes with a plastic display window in the front to see the character inside. The boxes will display a picture of the character, the name of the character, the name of the franchise, and the Pop’s unique number.
On the back, there will also be examples of other Funko Pops in the same franchise and series. Even within the same IP, Funko often runs more than one series of Pops, and so only the figures in the same series would be displayed on the box. This is a clever tactic that shows the buyer other potential figures they may be interested in and encourages them to collect them all.
Why Do People Collect Them?
It’s no mistake that Funko Pops have become as popular as they have. People want to collect them, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, they’re one of the most affordable ways to own officially licensed merch from your favorite fandoms.
Many merch items can cost more than a casual fan is willing to pay, whereas Funko Pops are usually around £10 each. This is much less of a financial commitment, making it an easy impulse purchase when you see one for a character that you like.
Because they cost so little, it’s also tempting to buy multiple figures, perhaps one every couple of months when you find one you want. They can add up fast without really hurting your pocket. They’re a really easy way to own merch for your favorite fandoms.
Another thing that makes them tempting is their compact size. Although you can get larger Pops, the standard size for them is around 4-5 inches tall, depending on the character. They’re not too wide, either. This means you can fit several of them on a shelf without having to dedicate too much room to them. Some collectors choose to leave them in their boxes (more on that later), in which case you can stack them to save space.
One more reason that can’t be ignored is simply the fact that they’re cute! They have a fun and unique design and give a softer edge to characters. Even villains look pretty adorable when they’re tiny and have big round eyes. The fact is, Funko Pops wouldn’t have sold nearly as well if fans didn’t genuinely like the design.
It’s an entertaining and enjoyable style, and it captures different aspects of the characters. And whilst the faces are purposefully cute and oversized, there’s often quite acute detail on the bodies. There will be ripples and lines in clothing to indicate thickness, and any props associated with the character will be recognizable. Funko works hard to create figures that encapsulate the essence of a character.
What Types of Funko Pops are There?
With thousands of different Funko Pops on the market and more constantly being released, you won’t be surprised to know that there’s a lot of variety available. Aside from the standard Pops, there are a whole bunch of variations that you can find within the product range.
Whether it’s a change in size, color, texture, or design, there are multiple ways that Funko has made the characters stand out. Some units include Pops other than just characters. For this section, I’m leaving out products such as pins or keyrings and focusing exclusively on the different kinds of Funko Pop figures.
You can also get limited-edition versions of Funko Pops, but again, I’m not including these as a separate section because that’s more about the specific figures rather than a standardized similarity across a range. There are no defining features that make Pops limited edition other than the literal fact that they’re limited.
These tend to be exclusive to specific places or events, such as San Diego Comic-Con or New York Comic-Con. Funko also often do deals with companies and will make exclusive Pops sold only through them. You see a lot of Target exclusives, and some fandom companies such as Loot Crate will have Pops that are unique to them.
Different Sizes Available
Technically there are more size options than the ones I’m going to cover here, but I’m focusing on the main ones. You do occasionally get specific characters that fit into a certain size group but are considerably bigger/ smaller.
For example, I own a standard-sized Vanellope Von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph, who’s much smaller than my other Pops due to the fact that she’s a child. However, most figures within a size group will be roughly the same height and width for the most part.
I’m also not including Mini Funko Pops in this section because even though they do exist as a range, their proportions and features are different from that of the standard Pops, which makes them feel like a different product.
So, the vast majority of Funko Pops are the regular-sized ones. These are 4-5 inches tall (usually on the shorter side of that scale) and come in boxes that are 6.25 inches tall. If you’ve ever seen a Funko Pop in a shop or someone’s home, it was almost certainly this size.
The next size up is known as Super. These figures are around six inches tall, and they tend to only be used for large characters. As such, they don’t always have a particularly skinny body, as the super-sized Pops are used for characters like Hagrid or The Hulk, who are renowned for their thickness.
They still maintain the usual features like the round black eyes, though. The same is true of the next size up, the Jumbo Pops. These stand at ten inches tall, and again are usually for particularly big characters. An example of a jumbo-sized Pop is The Thing from Fantastic Four.
Finally, the largest size is Mega. These are a whopping eighteen inches tall and so command pride of place in a collection. Unlike super-sized and jumbo-sized, the mega-sized ones aren’t designed with large characters in mind. Instead, they’re for characters who are franchise-defining and very popular. So in the Mega range, you have characters like Harry Potter and Pikachu.
- Super-sized Recommendation: Marvel What If…? Supreme Dr. Strange
- Jumbo-sized Recommendation: Funko Pop! Heroes #159 Superman
- Mega-sized Recommendation: Guardians of the Galaxy Dancing Groot
Colour Variants
Usually, Pops will be colored to match the character, but some ranges include color variants for specific characters. These are targeted predominantly to collectors, who may already have the standard figure for their favorite character.
This way, they can buy multiple versions of the same figure, and have it look different. One way they do this is by making the Pop entirely one metallic color, even the eyes. Typically, these are either gold or silver, but they may be other colors too. For example, they made a variant of Regina from Once Upon a Time where she was entirely a metallic purple.
In 2020, Funko announced a new range of color variants called Black Light. These were designed to be as bright and eye-catching as possible and used vibrant colors instead of the regular ones. The most popular franchise in the Black Light collection is Marvel, with several different figures available.
Another very eye-catching variant is Chrome. These pops are coated in a single-colored layer of chrome paint, which makes them very reflective. Even though the figures are still plastic, the chrome gives them an elegant shimmer, and they’re superb as collector’s pieces.
You can also get other color variants such as sepia-toned, black and white, and invisible Pops, but these are usually for a handful of specific figures rather than being a full range.
- Sepia-toned Recommendation: DC Bombshells Supergirl
- Black and White Recommendation: Black and White Harley Quinn DC Heroes
- Metallic Recommendation: Pikachu Silver Metallic Exclusive
- Black Light Recommendation: Marvel Black Light Captain America
- Chrome Recommendation: Marvel Loki Gold Chrome
Non-Standard Funko Pops
Aside from size and color variants, there are several other types of Pops that Funko makes. These will have specific textures or properties that differ from the standard Funko Pops.
An example of this is the Flocked range. These figures don’t have the usual sleek finish to them and instead are coated with a soft and fuzzy texture. Whilst these are nice to the touch, they also pick up dust very easily, so if you decide to buy a Flocked Funko Pop, that’s something to be cautious of.
There are also a couple of ranges of Bobblehead Funko Pops, where instead of the head is secured to the body like usual, it’s loaded on a spring. When you tap them, these gently bob their heads (hence the name).
You can get some Funko Pops which are Glow in the Dark versions. These look normal enough in terms of their color schemes but turn the lights off, and you’ll see them glow!
As with any glow-in-the-dark item, these work by collecting light and storing it, and so they’ll lose their effectiveness if kept somewhere dark and secluded. If you want to keep them shining brightly, make sure they’re exposed to plenty of light during the day. Funko also created a Diamond/ Glitter range.
These have a special glitter coating, giving your figure that extra level of sparkle. One example of this type is Princess Jasmine from the Aladdin range.
- Flocked Recommendation: Pokémon Flocked Bulbasaur
- Bobblehead Recommendation: The Mandalorian Boba Fett
- Glow in the Dark Recommendation: Glow in the Dark Super Saiyan Goku
- Diamond/ Glitter Recommendation: Lilo & Stitch Stitch
Inanimate Objects
Even though Funko Pops is known for the figures, they do have a few ranges that include inanimate objects alongside the characters. They have a series called Funko Pop Moments, which depicts famous scenes from franchises, and multiple characters will be fixed to a base.
This way, it looks like they’re acting out the scene, but you still have that familiar Pop style. Alongside the characters, there will be props and settings to give it more realism, such as a wrestling ring with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock facing off.
Another range that includes an object with the figures is Funko Pop Town, where there will be a famous building associated with the franchise. You can get Hagrid’s Hut from Harry Potter with a figure of Fang next to it, or if you enjoy Disney, there’s a delightful set with Mickey Mouse next to Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
If you prefer vehicles to buildings, then you should check out the Funko Pop Ride series. This has iconic rides that characters have taken. This is usually a vehicle of some sort, such as a train or car, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, there’s one figure which features Harry, Ron, and Hermione riding the dragon out of Gringotts, as seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
- Ride Recommendation: Smokey & the Bandit Trans Am
- Town Recommendation: Walt Disney 50th Anniversary Castle & Mickey
- Moments Recommendation: Stranger Things Eleven Vs Demogorgon
Chase Funko Pops
These are so named because collectors have to chase them, in a way. They’re not easy to find, and so it’s a challenge, or a chase, to collect them.
The Chase Funko Pops are rare variants of figures which are sold alongside the regular versions. They have the same RRP (although they’ll go for considerably more when resold), but there will be some difference between the Chase variant and the standard figure. Sometimes this will be something subtle such as an extra detail being included on the figure’s clothing, but other times it will be something extremely obvious such as an entirely new color scheme.
Not every figure will have a Chase variant. However, there’s a pretty large number of Chase Funko Pops available, so chances are that you’ll find at least one for a franchise that you enjoy. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, you can identify Chase variants by the gold sticker attached to the front of the box.
If you’re ever shopping for Funko Pops, that’s something to keep an eye out for, although chances are that another collector will have beaten you to it.
- Chase Recommendation: Black and White Crash Bandicoot
Which Franchises are There Funko Pops For?
A significant part of the appeal of Funko Pops is that they have such a vast catalog of official licenses. They have toy rights to hundreds of various IPs, meaning that almost anything you’re a fan of is likely to have a Pop series for it.
Funko also has a mascot called Freddy Funko, and they’ll sometimes release special Pops of him dressed as particular characters. They’re constantly acquiring new licenses, and as they’ve been at it for over a decade, it amounts to a serious range of figures. Let’s look at just some of the franchises available.
TV
With the advent of streaming, the obsessive popularity of TV shows has grown exponentially. Instead of being limited to what’s showing on a channel, viewers these days can use services like Netflix to scroll through thousands of titles.
This means that old shows are gaining new fans every day, and new shows can be exposed to a greater number of potential watchers. Many viewers will grow attached to their favorite shows and may well want to own merch. Funko offers Pops for many characters in several different shows.
In fact, with the more popular shows, they’ll even run several series of Pops, meaning you can get multiple of the same characters. For example, I own two Jaime Lannisters from Game of Thrones because one is him in his Kingsguard uniform, and one is him with his golden hand.
Movies
As well as TV shows, Funko has Pops for a variety of movies, often big blockbuster titles. They have a huge range in popular franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and DC, as well as cult classics like Pulp Fiction and Ghostbusters. There’s also a competitive market among collectors for Funko Pops from horror movies.
As movies are often more accessible to the general public than specific TV shows, Funko Pops, based on popular film characters, are often the best-selling ones. This is particularly true for multi-million dollar franchises such as Disney or Harry Potter.
These can also be a great starting point for collectors, as they can be easier to find in shops. Even supermarkets will often stock a few movie-based Funko Pops.
Gaming
Video games were once the domain of only a niche handful of the population, but these days they’re mainstream. It’s common for most homes to have at least one gaming console, and games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty are household names.
Fortunately, Funko is well aware of how well-loved video games are, and they have a wide range of Pops available. Most larger gaming franchises will have at least one series of Pops out. Some games get special attention and have a considerable number of figures available.
There are Pop characters for a whole bunch of the Fortnite skins that exist, making them excellent gifts for children (or adults) who love the battle royale game. There are also plenty of Pokémon Pops available, including Pikachu, Charizard, and Eevee.
Music, Sports, and Other Public Figures
As music is an area where fans can get obsessive over wanting merch, Pop has capitalized on this with their Rocks range. Although the scope isn’t quite as broad as with other forms of media, they do have Pop figures available for several music artists.
These include the KPop sensation BTS and Queen’s Freddie Mercury. Speaking of Queen, they also have a range of public figures, including Her Royal Highness. She comes with an adorable pet corgi, and honestly, I love that this exists.
Other public figures include talk show host Conan O’Brien and even deceased people like Albert Einstein. There’s also a Sports range where collectors can snag their favorite athletes from various sports such as basketball and tennis.
How to Begin Collecting Them
So, now that you know what Funko Pops are, how do you go about collecting them? The first thing you need to ask yourself is why you want to collect them. Is it just to have a handful of figures for your favorite characters, or do you intend to make it more of a hobby?
If it’s going to be a hobby, then you’ll need to set yourself some boundaries. You should know exactly where you’re going to put them so that they don’t end up just sitting as clutter somewhere after you’ve purchased them. It’s also important to consider this as it will allow you to get an idea of how many you can own.
If you only have space for around 10 or 20, then you’ll need to be very selective about which ones you buy. If you could feasibly own 100 or more, then you’re a lot freer to make impulse purchases as space is less of a commodity.
A good place to start is by deciding whether you want to specialize in just one category or whether you want to have as varied a collection as possible. You may want to showcase all of your fandoms a little bit or just one fandom in a more prominent way.
Think of your favorite shows, games, and movies, and make a list. Now, look down that list and decide which ones you would love to have merch of. If there’s one that stands out more than the others, choose that as your starting point. If you can’t decide, then that’s okay too!
Instead of narrowing down that initial list, maybe aim for one or two characters from each franchise. Your collection is YOUR collection, and so you can be as free or as picky about it as you like.
When you’re collecting, it’s essential to be aware of the budget. It’s very easy to get carried away when you want to buy something, so having a strict budget set out for yourself is vital. This will stop you from spending money that you can’t afford to lose. It’s okay to break slightly from it for a specific reason, but then you should account for that in future planning.
So, for example, you may find a particularly rare and expensive Pop that you want. If that happens, feel free to go ahead and buy it, but any excess money that it cost you should be taken out of the following month’s Pop budget. It may not even be a monthly budget; it may be more or less frequent depending on your personal financial situation.
The important thing is that collecting should be something positive, not something that leaves you with money troubles. Being conscious of this from the beginning is an integral part of starting with collecting anything, especially something as deceptively ‘cheap’ as Funko Pops.
How to Display Them
Once you’ve planned out how you’re going to start collecting, it’s time to find a way to display them! It’s worth noting that you don’t have to display all of them at once. Some collectors with limited space might alternate which Pops are on display and which are temporarily placed in storage (it’s what I do).
If you live with other people, you’ll probably be limited to displaying your Funko Pops in your room, but if you own your house or live alone, then you may have more rooms to choose from. Perhaps you’d prefer to spread them out and have a few in each room.
Other people may want all their Pops displayed in one place. If you have windowsills then you might consider placing your Pops there to adorn them. Maybe there’s a bookcase with an empty shelf that needs brightening up. Pretty much any flat surface will work.
You can even buy custom shelving specifically designed for Funko Pops, and you can attach those mini shelves to any wall to start a display. Regardless, there’s one massive decision that you need to consider, a huge debate within the collecting community… Boxed or unboxed?
There is absolutely no one correct answer to this, and there are ardent supporters of both sides. I’m firmly in Team Unboxed, but I can see the logic in leaving them boxed.
You don’t need to worry about any bias from me, I’ll give you some points to consider, and you can decide which works best for your collecting habits. Technically you don’t even have to be consistent with your choice, and if you’re a real anarchist, you could mix it up a bit.
Leave some in boxes, and take others out; it’s entirely up to you. Seeing as the pros for one will usually be in the cons for the other, I’m just going to make one pro list for each.
Boxed
- You can stack them easily for display purposes.
- They’ll have a much higher resale value if you choose to sell them.
- They’re easier to clean.
- It helps keep the figure in better condition.
Unboxed
- You get to see every detail of the figure without it being partially obscured.
- You can feel any texture differences, such as with the Flocked range.
- You can fit more of them next to each other on a surface.
- The figures look nicer in a room than packaging does.
How to Clean Them
Now, whether or not you’ve kept them in a box will affect the cleaning process, but either way, it’s not that hard. If they’re in their box, you should be fine just using a dusting cloth with no product on it. There are no grooves or anything for the dust to build up in, and so it should all be resting lightly on the surface.
If they’re unboxed, it is important to avoid using hand sanitizer or any other alcohol-based cleaner. This will erode the paint and risk rubbing off some of the finer details. One good way to do it is to get a microfibre cloth and dip it in warm, soapy water.
Rub that gently over the surface of the Funko Pop, then wipe it again with just water. You can also dip the Pops into the water as they are waterproof, but that will take longer to dry. An exception to this is if you’ve got a Flocked Pop.
In this case, it’s strongly recommended to keep them in their box as otherwise, the dust will gather easily. If you do choose to have them unboxed, you can try using canned air to clean off the dust, but just be aware that they’ll probably still get quite dirty over time.
Funko Pops are very durable, so you don’t need to clean them frequently. You can just wipe them as often as you dust the rest of your room and only give them an extra cleaning now and again.
Buying and Selling Them
If you have no intention of ever selling them, then only the first subheading will apply to you, but everyone will need to know where to buy them.
However, it may be worth reading the other sections anyway, as reselling Funko Pops can be surprisingly profitable if you know what you’re doing. Most Funko Pops don’t change in value, although some of them sell so many copies that they lose money when reselling.
As such, when collecting you should have the mindset of only buying ones that you like, as chances are they won’t go up much in price. However, you do get the occasional Pop which will absolutely soar, and some can end up being worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Where to Buy Them
Due to their popularity, it’s fortunately relatively straightforward to buy Funko Pops. Numerous online retailers stock them, with Funko themselves unsurprisingly being the first stop. However, if you’re looking for a particular figure, then you may need to widen your net.
Thankfully, Google exists for our benefit, and if you search for the exact title of the figure you’re looking for and then go to the ‘Shopping’ tab, you should be able to find it. If you can’t find it online, then chances are it’s discontinued, which means you’ve got some hunting to do.
You can try searching on eBay and just frequently checking until you find it. It’s also possible that a comic shop would have it, and if you’re a collector, then it’s worth stopping in any comic shops you see, just in case.
How to Value Them
Now, as with any item, a Funko Pop is only worth what someone else is willing to pay. This is even true of the rare figures. Just because a pop identical to yours sold for a certain price, it doesn’t mean that yours necessarily will. It’s all about who’s buying.
Having said that, you can use recent sales as a good marker of the kind of price range you can expect. When looking to value a Pop, it’s imperative you only look at completed sales. Some sellers will list Pops at ridiculously high prices, but don’t get excited because that doesn’t in any way represent the value of that figure.
For example, I was looking at prices for a figure I own, and a third-party seller on Amazon had my Jaime Lannister Pop for over £100. But when I checked the same figure on eBay, it was listed for £25 and wasn’t even selling.
So, to check the actual price, go on eBay, search the completed listings, and select ‘sold’ so you only see the items that got bids. Look at the average selling price, and that should give you a good idea of the value. It’s also worth considering your preferences.
What’s the minimum amount of money you would be happy with for that Pop? If your minimum is slightly higher than the average selling price, that’s still your minimum, and that’s probably the value that you should list for. Otherwise, you can always wait for the market to get better, but be aware that you always risk it going down instead of up.
Where to Sell Them
Okay, you’ve decided that it’s time to part ways with one of your Funko Pops. Once you’re done reminiscing about the happy times you spent with it, it’s time to get serious about how to make money from it. If you’ve read the previous subheading, then you’ll have a price in mind for it.
Now, you could just list it on eBay and be done with it; that’s a perfectly valid strategy. However, you may be able to optimize your selling experience even more.
If you’re selling a particularly rare Pop figure, it’s worth going into a few collectors forums and advertising that you have this available. That way, you can generate interest and hopefully direct more people towards your listing. Serious collectors may not always be checking eBay for your specific Pop, but they’re much more likely to be checking a forum that they frequent.
You might also decide to just look directly for a buyer from a forum or Facebook group instead of going through eBay. When you sell, it’s also important to take clear pictures that show off the condition of the Funko Pop.
A detailed description helps, as buyers will see exactly what they’re purchasing. As with any second-hand product you sell, it’s essential, to be honest about any defects that your Funko Pop might have.
What Are the Alternatives to Funko Pops?
Now, if you’re looking to collect figures, you need to be aware that Funko Pops aren’t the only direction you can go.
There are several other types of collectible character figures, and each one will have fans who prefer it. Although Funko Pops are undeniably the favorites, they won’t necessarily be for everyone, so it’s good to be aware of the alternatives. Some people may even like to mix and match their collections and have their favorite characters in several figure formats.
Nendoroids
Created by the Japanese Good Smile Company, Nendoroids are probably the biggest competitor for Funko Pops. With an adorable chibi style, many would argue they’re cuter than Funko Pops, although less stylized. Like Pops, they also have a larger head in comparison to the body size, but this is much less prominent with Nendoroids.
They’re high-quality figures, and fans love the detailing of their favorite characters. However, they lack the range of Funko, as Nendoroids are primarily created for anime, manga, and video game characters. Therefore, a lot of popular TV and movie franchises aren’t accounted for by them.
Titan Vinyls
Doing the opposite of what Funko Pops do, Titan Vinyls have the head as the skinniest point of the figure and make them wider at the bottom. However, they do this whilst still leaving the head oversized in terms of height, making for rather unnatural proportions.
I won’t lie, I find them very disconcerting to look at for this reason. They also lack the stylized definition of Funko Pops, and the characters are often less detailed. However, they’re also more affordable and only cost about £8 each. Titan does have several official licenses with a range of franchises, but they still don’t come anywhere close to the variety that Funko offers.
Tubbz
Now, these are truly unique ways to collect your favorite characters. The first time I saw one, I was delighted at their cute simplicity, and it took all my willpower not to purchase it immediately. Why? They’re cosplaying ducks! Tubbz has taken the nostalgic concept of a rubber duck and applied it to fandom franchises.
They now have figures for several popular TV, movie, and gaming IPs, and the ducks are surprisingly detailed. They even come packaged in a small plastic bathtub, hence the name of the brand. I think there’s something so clever about taking the essence of a character and applying it to a completely different animal in a recognizable way.
Honestly, the only reason I don’t collect these myself is that I already collect Funko Pops, and my wallet would hate me if I started a new obsession on top of that.
Action Figures
I won’t limit these to a brand, as there are hundreds of brands of action figures out there. But for this category, I’m just referring to your standard, run-of-the-mill, normally-proportioned action figure.
Now, this category has the unfortunate connotation of being a children’s toy, and whilst Funko Pops are generally accepted as being a collector’s item for adults, action figures tend to be associated with kids. This means that if you have a shelf full of action figures, you risk facing judgment for your hobby.
It’s cruel, and it’s wrong, but it’s the world we live in. Hopefully, in the future, people will be more accepting of collecting. With action figures, you can find the officially licensed brand for your favorite franchise, but the quality is likely to vary considerably.
You can get wonderfully detailed and well-made figures, but you can also get cheap plastic ones that snap at the slightest touch. As such, if you’re buying action figures, you should do your due diligence. It’s also wise to keep these boxed, as often the figures won’t be free-standing, as opposed to Funko Pops.
Find the coolest action figures by readings these guides below:
- Best FNAF Action Figures Guide – A Blood-Curling Crew
- Nezuko Action Figure Guide For Demon Slayer Fans
- Best Mandalorian Action Figures Guide for Collectors
- A Beginner’s Ultimate Guide to Action Figures in 2022
FAQs
Question: When Was Funko Pops First Released?
Answer: They originated in 2010 under the name Funko Force 2.0 before being changed to ‘Pop!’ and marketed as such. Before this, Funko had been making bobblehead figures called Wacky Wobblers, but Pops soon became their most popular product line.
Question: What’s the Most Money a Funko Pop Has Ever Sold For?
Answer: Believe it or not, particularly rare Pops can sell for thousands of dollars. There are some serious collectors out there who will pay huge sums of money for the rarest ones. Back in 2016/ 2017, the glow-in-the-dark Clockwork Orange Pop was incredibly sought after, and one sold on eBay for a whopping $13,400!
Question: Are Funko Pops Environmentally Friendly?
Answer: Unfortunately, as with many toy and collectible companies, Funko Pops are pretty bad for the environment. They’re made of PVC, a type of plastic that is particularly harmful. They also contain a lot of plastic in the packaging, which some might deem unnecessary. However, the products themselves are high quality and unlikely to break or be thrown away, so they probably won’t end up in landfill sites, especially with the fact they’re usually resold when they’re no longer wanted.
Conclusion
As you can see, the world of Funko Pops is a busy one. There are thousands of figures available, which makes it a really exciting item to collect. The community is active and (for the most part) friendly, and you’re likely to find other collectors to share your hobby with.
The range of Funko Pops available is so impressive, and it means you’ll be able to find fun merch for your favorite franchises. There’s also the potential for healthy profits if you decide to get involved with buying and selling. Whatever your reasons for getting involved with Funko Pops, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope this guide helps you. Happy collecting!
Find the coolest funko pops by readings these guides below:
- A Guide to the Best Supernatural Funko Pops for Die-Hard Fans
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- Best Batman Funko Pop Guide
- Best Funko Pop Mystery Box Services
- Nendoroid vs Funko Pops
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