Why is Funko Pop Vinyl everywhere?

[Mr.Marion]

To be fair, that's a bit extreme, I wasn't intimating people HAVE to buy vintage toys, there is plenty of Arrow merchandise out there in $5-30 range.

And to my Toy Tokyo point, that was a cool store with unique newer toys from around the world, many of them in the $10-20 price range. It was a destination, now the basement is indistinguishable to any Mall Hot Topic.

No disrespect taken, but when was the last time a company had this many licenses and availability? Many franchises that have never had any toys before, did you ever think you would see a Breakfast Club line?


You know what Brat pack fans got for the prior 30 years, A pack of Cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said hey Smoke up, Johnny!

[palitoy]

Oh they have the top licenses that's for certain, not sure i would lead that argument with the Breakfast Club.

Getting overily stylized figures that are hard to place outside of the box doesn't wow me. That's just me but could you really figure out the 16 Candles figures or half of these with out the logo?

[The Toyroom]

I'd recognize Molly Ringwald anywhere...

[palitoy]

I'd recognize Molly Ringwald anywhere...

That's a given.

Jake?

[Hedji]

Great point... The minimalist aesthetic really does rely on packaging, doesn't it?

[palitoy]

Great point... The minimalist aesthetic really does rely on packaging, doesn't it?

It probably works with the licenses that make up the majority of sales though, Star Wars, Superheroes, Game of Thrones etc.

[Mr.Marion]

It probably works with the licenses that make up the majority of sales though, Star Wars, Superheroes, Game of Thrones etc.

Yeah regular people do present a challenge.
But besides CK how many people would know who the Alter Egos are unless you told the story behind them?
As far as pops being a bubble maybe for the high end ones or fad shows but I think the popular ones are pretty safe in the $10-15 range. The music ones are the ones that go up in value because they rarely get the figure treatment.

[Bruce Banner]

I've also been seeing these things appearing everywhere... in so many different kinds of stores... in overwhelming numbers.

[Nostalgiabuff]

yeah, Hot topic has a gazillion of these things.

[samurainoir]

but i don't know anyone that collects them.

Yes, you do. 8)

I've also started customizing them in the past year.

Although it is probably more accurate to say that I collect characters that have been made into Pops. I collect the Batman 66, Evil Dead, Bruce Lee, Spider-Man, and Doctor Who Pops, and I also own the Rocketeer and Freddy Kruger.

Why do I collect them? They "fit" nicely into my extensive collection of (mostly vinyl) Super-Deformed figures, which I've been accumulating since my visits to Asia as a kid. I know most folks our age in North America are baffled by the "Chibi" aesthetic, but I grew up with it. It was common in the asian magazines, comics and cartoons I would watch overseas. As asian pop culture influence has become more prominant amongst western youth, through video games, manga and anime in the past two decades or so, I am not surprised at the popularity of Pops or many other vinyl Chibi collectibles in the teens and twenty somethings demo, given their relatively low price point.

I also have no doubt that the bubble will likely burst on Pops eventually (you are already starting to hear the dealers at comic shows moan about it, as the market is obviously oversaturated... half the dealers at the last show had walls of them), but the "value" of them doesn't diminish that I have another Rocketeer figure for my Rocketeer collection or another couple of Ash figures for my Evil Dead collection, or another Tom Baker Doctor.

[ScottA]

The only places that seem to carry them here are TRU, Books-a-million, Target and Walmart (which doesn't offer a large selection by any means). I know Walgreens has some exclusives.

[4NDR01D]

I'll admit I have a real soft spot for the Disney ones. I mean come on, this is the cutest Mrs. Potts and Chip http://thatlittlebox.com/wp-content/...-funko-pop.png
And I think that if they had been the trend a few years back my wife would have bought a bazillion of them rather than the Disney Vinylmations that were out at the time.

[Mr.Marion]

I'm surprised Funko hasn't scratched the surface of Classic films yet. The good, the bad and the Ugly would look great in this style. I can already picture Tuco. I'm surprised John Wayne or Brando hasn't been done. The Rat Pack would be another one.

[Goblin19]

I'd buy old movie ones for sure. Give me a Bogie now, preferably with a Maltese Falcon.

[huedell]

That's a given.

Jake?

That's REAL? My goodness.