Why is Funko Pop Vinyl everywhere?

[palitoy]

I will admit, I don't really like it all that much, it's cute but i don't know anyone that collects them.

I'm used to seeing whole tables of them at toy shows and Cons (one of the reasons I don't go to Cons is that the dealers rooms have become kind of...generic) but now I see them at the drug store (Mine doesn't sell toys), Old Navy and even while grocery shopping.

Is this the new Beanie Baby?

[phil]

They seem to be taking over FYE stores.

[palitoy]

I was super bummed this summer to find that Toy Tokyo in NYC is becoming a Pop Vinyl boutique as well.

[Mr.Marion]

I was super bummed this summer to find that Toy Tokyo in NYC is becoming a Pop Vinyl boutique as well.

I'll play devil's advocate. They are cheap and have almost every popular license. We all love megos but if someone is a fan of Arrow you are not going to gift them a $400 Boxed Green Arrow but you could get them a $10 pop.
I love the Medicom Sofubi's but for $80 retail they are a tough sell and not for everybody same with $30 FTC.

[palitoy]

I'll play devil's advocate. They are cheap and have almost every popular license. We all love megos but if someone is a fan of Arrow you are not going to gift them a $400 Boxed Green Arrow but you could get them a $10 pop.

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.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I like them myself, and each member of our family has several, but I am surprised by how omnipresent they have become.

Chris

[johnnystorm]

I think the beanie baby analogy is correct, at least in that I see these in places that normally dont carry such things. Like Walmart, grocery stores, and drug stores. I'm not really into them, some characters intrigue me a little like the Universal Monsters and I recently saw some Rocky Horror ones. I have one only, a Joker themed Batman that came during a brief fling I had with Lootcrate. Do these increase in value like beanies did? Are there rare pieces...I know they do store exclusives.
I was in 2nd & Charles a couple months ago and a guy was in line ahead of me buying at least a dozen of them. Maybe a collector or maybe a speculator.

[LordMudd]

I prefer the reaction and with a smaller ego...er...head, they cost less in plastic to cast.


CCC.

[Hedji]

They must be popular with someone because the market penetration and range of product is pretty impressive. The aesthetic is not for me though.

[palitoy]

They must be popular with someone because the market penetration and range of product is pretty impressive. The aesthetic is not for me though.

Well, that and they have really aggressive distribution. I'm shocked they're not at my local gas station yet.

I guess my hang up is, I've never seen anyone buy one.

[PNGwynne]

I have a few, but not because I adore them..rather, they fit into interesting variations of a few characters I collect.

[The Toyroom]

I've been seriously thinking about starting a collection of these. Characters that are key to me...not really into franchise building

[Hedji]

My interests:
Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Star Trek, Classic and Neo-Classic Horror, Old School Superheroes, Batman 66.

They've made lots of characters from properties I love, but none have come home with me. This may sound weird, but I guess I'd cave if they ever did Creepshow characters. Not that I like Creepshow better than those other things, it's just... my unique thing.

[emeraldknight47]

I have several POPS at home. The price point to me is a good selling point because they make cool variations on characters and properties that I like and I don't feel as guilty dropping $7-10 bucks on a vinyl figure as I would dropping, let's say, $25-30 bucks on a 3.75 or 6 inch plastic figure. While I admit, POPS have become fairly omnipresent, they haven't penetrated every market yet (except, of course, for the STAR WARS themed ones)...

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

Funny this was brought up today as I was thinking the same thing in a great comic store in Honolulu called Gecko Books & Comics, but I also saw them at a calender, board game type of store the day before. My local comic store has a wall of them that seems to be growing. Very aggressive distribution. There seemed to be lots of Reaction figures around as well. I saw one Sheldon, and one Gorilla Soldier and that was it for reMego :/