2 Funko Pops

Funko Pops

Funko Pops, a cute pop vinyl collectible, began with an offer from Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers always worked with Funko, but the company wanted unique, fun bobbleheads that said Funko was different from the Wacky Wobblers. The first plush was created by Rob Schwartz and Sean Wilkinson, the concept of having a large head with a petite body that looked like a vinyl figure. Warner Brothers liked the idea, so Brian wanted to develop the concepts and push the proportions further. The first Pops that Funko created were Batman, Green Lantern, Joker, Riddler, and Penguin. The first debut for Funko Pops was at Comic-Con in 2010. There were mixed feelings for the Pops when they debuted; some of the old school funko collectors were not fans of them since it

Freddy Funko with Pop Sign #03 Funko Shop Exclusive

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Star-Lord #198

was something different from what they were collecting, like the Wacky Wobblers. That did not stop the Pops from growing in popularity.

Funko Pops expanded the range of target audiences, starting from collecting pop music for women and children. Since most of the collectors of Funko were adult males, this was the period when Funko was a collecting company and started to lead towards being a pop-cultural company. There was a large section of characters from different genres that were transformed into pop-friendly figures. The characters were from tv shows to movies, with a multicultural environment, it allowed for any collector to collect. The Funko pops were attracting various fans, especially those that wanted to contain memories of their Funko Pops characters. Pops were also becoming a community where any collector could sell and trade. Bryan mentioned in an interview, “It is not about selling items, it is about a sense of community” (Fun).

Different Types of Funko

There are many different types of Funko Pops, from regulars to exclusives with different variations. Funko pops always vary due to the popularity and demand of each pop. Pop values also depend on the pop’s condition, such as conditions scale from Mint to damage. The conditions of the box, to the Funko itself, are where the value of each pop is priced.

The beginning of the list of different types of Funko pops is the Commons. When collecting Funko pops, Commons is the first pops any collector would see at any retailer. Common pops are essentially the starting base to any Funko line if it was Disney, DC comics or anime, or any genre. Commons are not retailed to any specific retail store. This line of pops could be found at any local retail store. When involving their appearances, each Common pop’s mold is regular with no specialty, although due to its popularity, some Commons could be hard to find or go up in value. With Commons,

prices tend to be cheaper, ranging from $8.99 to $12.99. There are not only Commons for the regular 4’ inch pops: there are also Mini pops, Pop towns, Super pops the 6’ inch and 18’ inches. Commons are not only found in one size, but they are the beginning of collecting Funko pops.

Avengers Infinity War Bruce Banner #419 Batman 80th (1989) #275

Woody Woodpecker #487

Bullseye #118 2021 Targetcon Exclusive

What are exclusive pops?

The first of the chain of exclusive pops are retailer exclusives. Like Commons, exclusive pops are only available at a specific vendor or a significant special event like Fundays or physical conventions. Being exclusive pops tend to vary in limitation for exclusives being called limited edition or due to popular demand. Throughout the years, Funko has done many licenses for pops from partnerships with different retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Box Lunch, Hot Topic, GameStop, Target, Walmart, and many more.

Furthermore, even to third-party vendors like Chalice Collectibles and so many others! Each retailer brings to the fans different unique varieties with their exclusives. If the pop is exclusive to that company, then the exclusive pop can only be purchased and found at the company’s retailer stores. Some stores might only contain a limited quantity for each store. The complete pops with unique pose variations, and outfits as well including different size variations as well. Additionally, some might even glow in the dark or be metallic. Each exclusive pop comes with a unique sticker related to its brand, where the exclusive is shared.

Funko, as well, has its own exclusive Funko Pops. Funko exclusives are released every week, sometimes once or twice a week. They are usually released on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, on their own Funko website Funko.com. Like retail exclusives, these are limited quantities and can only be bought at their website, and each pop will contain their own Funko Shop exclusive stickers, which are usually called Exclusive pops. They are sold Online and at two Funko stores: the first one at the Funko HQ

Geoffrey as Batman #69 Toys R Us Canada Exclusive The Joker Gamer #295 GameStop Exclusive

Superman From Flashpoint #251 Hot Topic Exclusive

Santa Freddy Funko #87 Funko Shop Exclusive

Everett, Washington, and a recently opened store in Hollywood, California. Some of the exclusive Online stores can be sold at the two stores in these two locations. For the in-store exclusive pops, these pops are unique and different from those sold Online, which are more limited and harder to find and exclusive to the two locations. Funko also has its events called Fundays; usually, tickets are limited. At Fundays, you will find exclusive pops that are always high in value and limited in numbers which may be down from 5,000 to sometimes 100. These exclusives are only announced through Funko’s social media, so it is essential to follow and stay updated if seeking a Funko Exclusive pop.

The third in the Exclusive list, which is more difficult to find, is Convention Exclusives. These exclusives are challenging to collect! These Funko pops are only sold at conventions like San Diego, New York, Emerald City Comic cons, to name a few. Funko attends these conventions and displays these specialized

exclusives. To get in line for the Funko booth, it would require a ticket that is only won through a lottery system that Funko has for every convention they are attending. Within the Funko lottery, Funatics are randomly picked for entry to the Funko booth. Being a limited availability for access, and with pops, convention-only pops are very hard to get. It is not guaranteed that every fan will get everything they want within the booth entrance due to the limited quantity. Each convention that Funko attends has its convention stickers based on the characteristics and color scheme of the convention.

Suppose a collector cannot attend in person, no worries, because the shared exclusives are available! Shared exclusive pops are the same pops that are sold at the convention minus the convention-only pops. These shared exclusives can be bought at specific stores, like the exclusive’s pops sold at large party retailer brands such as Target, Walmart, and other stores. Each exclusively shared sticker will have its shared exclusive sticker, which is the same in every retail company. The Funko’s are based on TV and movies, but the shared sticker is based on seasonal conventions. There are summer, fall, and spring shared convention stickers. Not all of the Funko pops are found at the different retail companies. Some convention pops are shared for the Funko shop and could only be purchased at the Funko store. Just like the demand of the convention pops, these shared pops would carry the same popularity. They can be hot off the shelves and hard to get, but as I mentioned earlier, the shared stickers are for the fans who cannot make it to the convention and are still seeking to get themselves a pop without attending the actual convention.

Iron Man Stan Lee #656 Summer Convention Exclusive

Funko Pops

CHASE

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Star-Lord #198 Chase

What is a Chase?

A Chase pop is a rare variant of a single common Funko pop. A certain number of Common pops could have a Chase included. A Chase is comparable to finding a golden ticket from the chocolate factory and given only one out of a six chance of getting a chase pop either in-store or Online. The Chase can now be found through bundles from third-party vendors. The majority of them can be bought by any retail store that contains them. Each store only includes a limited amount of about one to three Chases, so collectors need to camp out or wait in line for the first three days. The Chase, with its small quantities, is harder to get. Many collectors have difficulty finding Chases; it is much more challenging and requires a lot of effort. The hunting usually starts with finding the Chase. The concept of finding these variants is challenging which is essentially where the name came from

Dwight Basketball #1103 Chalice Collectible Chase

Jack Torrance Frozen #456 Chase

Andy Stitzer Holding Steve Austin #1064 Chase Death Metal Wonder Woman #385 PX Glow Chase

“chasing” this variant pop. Chases also have their variants, the first one being a regular chase with a yellow circular sticker. The second one is a glow-in-the-dark chase, which is named a glow chase. These pops glow in the dark and have a sticker with the colors black and green.

Chases are not only variants of Commons. There can also be variants of exclusives, and the most popular are from Hot Topic chases. Different variants, there are not only variants in regular sizes. There can be movie moment chases, minis, pop rides chases, and soda chases, and many more. Lastly, there is a flocked chase, those are unique, and the chases are bestial pops that are fuzzy with texture—the sticker having a color scheme of pink and white. The Chase brings more fun when collecting Funko’s, and They are the needle in the haystack for Funko pops. It is all about the hunt, and whenever a chase is found, it is the best feeling in the world.

Funko Sizes

Large or Small, Funko has it all! The Pop vinyl is not the only pop size they have developed. There are many different varieties of sizes of Pops that can be overwhelming for a Funko Collector to have in their collection. Starting the different size varieties of Pops are the Pop minis, these minis are usually found for keychain’s purposes and displaying. These mini pops are sized two inches, like a regular pop vinyl six-inch pop. These minis are created with the same mold and art design. The smallest of the pops these minis are called by funko as “Pop! Keychains” or “Pocket POP Keychains” (Funko). Each mini-Pop includes a chain placed on top of each pop’s head, allowing any collector to place it on lanyards, wallets, and many more. Funko Keychain’s are fun and small, able to travel wherever the collector goes.

Batman Gamer and Pocket #293 GameStop Ex.

Pocket Pop! Keychains

Doc with Clock Tower #15 POP! Town

Second, on the list are the common four-inch size shown within most of the many lines of Funko pops. The common size pop viny l boxes can include a more extensive scale pop, and these pops sizes are between five to six inches that are still displayed in a four-inch box. These large-scale pops in a regular size box are referenced as “BIG-IN-BOX” (Funko). On special occasions, there can be different variants of common size pops with more add-on. Some pops can include rides or a town. Pops can be found riding a car or a unique creature or animal. The size of common pop is the same but based on the ride, and the overall pop can be changed. Most of these pop rides’ height is six inches, but the width varies based on character and ride; these pops are named “POP Ridez” (Funko). From rides to towns, these being the same concept but without the rides, they are locations. Movies to Tv Shows, there are special moments of the film or show or buildings that correlate to the character to create a fuller scene. The sizes of the Pop Vinyl are the regular four-inch, but the down varies sizes based on the special building, which sizes from seven inches to six. Mini towns with the pop vinyl, these sets are called “POP! TOWN!” (Funko). The movie moment pops can contain more than one pp vinyl but usually create a scene of a particular moment of either show or movie. These moments are called “POP! Moment” (Funko).

Moving a scale-up from pop Vinyl, these sets of pops are around the same size as the Pop Towns, but these sets are a larger scale pop vinyl. These sets are called “Super POP” or “Six Inch Pops” (Funko). These six-inch pops are usually focused on more prominent characters like Hulk, Thanos, and many more. Immense character’s details are visually more detailed, with different variants of the pops within the color or metallic and at times being able to glow in the dark. These figures can sometimes include a common size vinyl pop inside the six-inch pop, again based on the characters

and the different varieties. From six inches to ten inches, the ten-inch pops are the second largest size of Funko. Ten-inch pops do not mostly come with special poses or molds of the pops. The majority of the ten-inch pops are the same molds as the pop vinyl but in a ten-inch form. These ten inches require more room for either displaying in a box or out of the box. Even though the ten inches are usually the exact figures as the pop vinyl, there are unique ten-inch pops. They have varieties of glow-in-the-dark, metallic, and many more. These ten-inch Funko Pops are called “JUMBO” (Funko).

The largest Funko pop a Funatic can have in their collection is “Mega Pop!”(Funko). These mega pops are sized at eighteen inches; being a newer size for Funko, there are only a common variety of characters as a Mega Pop. These mega pops being at eighteen inches, would take up much space. Mega pops are enormous but can make any collector room pop! The limitation characters created range from Pikachu, dancing Groot, and the first eighteen-inch created was a Batman Mega Pop. These Mega Pops are based on the standard four-inch pop vinyl. The size of eighteen inches does increase the price. The large scale of the head is shown with the eighteen-inch, but Funko still managed to display regardless of its size.

From commons to different variants of Pops and sizes small and large. Funko provides all different types of sizes for any collector to buy and display in their collection. These pops are just the surface of what they have created. Funko also creates Pint-size heroes, Mystery minis, Action Figures, Mini-Moments. With their special series Vinyl Sodas, similar to Common Funko pops, these Vinyl sodas do contain a new figure but have the same concept in which each soda can contain their Chase that is either a different color variation or glow and metallic.

Hulks Common, six inch and Ten inch Funko Pops

Batman Gamestop Ex. and Batman eighteen Inch