Hello, and welcome to “What’s In The Bag?” With Ash! This is an article series through which we will explore and examine the wide and wondrous world of collectibles! Whether your interest lies in the realm of the one-of-a-kind, no-one-else-has-it-on-the-planet keepsake, or the dime-a-dozen but just as beloved knickknack, MyGeekology has got your back!
One of the positive things that came from the hellscape that was 2020 was a rejuvenated market for collectibles. Goods ranging from sports cards to comic books to Loungefly bags saw a drastic increase in consumer demand! The competition this demand created has led to an incredibly vibrant selection of goods no matter what your fandom or interest may be. While the world of collecting is wonderful, diverse, and robust, it is also oftentimes intimidating. Today we are going to break down a few key things to know for both novice and experienced collectors!
Some of the most visible collectibles on the market today are Funko Pops! These figurines decorate store shelves all over the world featuring characters from the expanse of global entertainment. Their pronounced head and tiny bodies create endearing visages of even the most frightening characters. We will use Funko Pops as a vehicle to work through the basics of navigating the collectible market today. In this article we will answer the questions:
- Why collect Funko Pops
- What Funko Pops will be worth money?
- Is it cool to collect Funko Pops?
Why collect Funko Pops?
The first question you have to ask yourself when approaching the wide world of collectibles is, “Why?” What is your point of interest in collectibles? Is it something that might source back to passion? Or is it something that veers more towards the realm of profit? Either way, there is definitely a place for you!
There are two large umbrellas of people in the collecting world: keepers and flippers. Of course, any one person can do both, but these two categories represent the major interests present in collecting.
– What Is A Keeper? Keepers lead with passion and like to pursue items that they are personally interested in! Their fandom often lives beside them in their lives.
– What Is A Flipper? Flippers recognize the financial opportunities the collectibles market provides and work to maximize their profit margin in a constantly shifting landscape.
What camp do you think you would fit in? Keepers? Flippers? Both? While you think that over let us answer our operative question. “Why collect Funko Pops?” The answers are simple. To the keepers, they are endearing representations of characters they love. To the flipper, it is a robust market that is growing with numerous opportunities, especially with particular pieces being intentionally limited by manufacturers.
What Funko Pops will be worth money?
One of the more controversial phenomena in Funko Pop collecting is the concept of manufactured limitation. This is an important concept to understand for both keepers and flippers. The idea behind manufactured limitation is intentionally creating a limited number of products to increase demand for those products. This creates complications for the keeper and opportunities for the flippers.
Essentially what this does is create a buying blitz. Both keepers and flippers will race to buy the product at its normal market price. The flippers that succeed in purchasing these limited Funko Pops will likely do so in bulk. This is strategic. When a flipper owns numerous amounts of limited stock, the market power shifts in their favor. Once there are no more Funko Pops of that particular character or line or series available at normal market price, the price-setting power shifts to the flippers as they hold the product now.
This forces keepers to buy at an essentially arbitrary resell price. The concept of “paying resell” has elicited groans of pain from those who have collected items like shoes and watches for decades. For example, the prized Dior Jordan 1 sneakers were sold for $2000 and $2200 (hi-top version), however, there were only 8000 made available. Today, to own the famed sneakers for yourself, you would have to fork over anywhere from $8,135 to $11,758 depending on your shoe size.
The world of Funko Pop collecting is far younger, so many people are being exposed to the price ballooning that happens as a direct result of manufactured limitation for the first time. It can be shocking. The resell prices present in the Funko Pop market are not nearly as extreme as those in the shoe or watch market, however, that does not mean the potential is not there in the future of the market.
Pay attention to what companies Funko is collaborating with. Some companies have a concept of a “vault.” For example, one of my more cherished Funko Pops is The Mummy #115 from the Universal Studios Monsters collaboration. These were made in limited quantities and then “vaulted.” Vaulting is a fancy way of saying that a product has ceased production. My wife purchased my figurine for me as a Christmas present at resell.
Is it cool to collect Funko Pops?
Whether it is cool to collect Funko Pops or not comes down to your definition of the word. Is it trendy to collect them? Absolutely! Is it a viable market for profit and growth? Yes! I would say, however, that the most important thing is how they make you feel. If these figurines elicit feelings of nostalgia or excitement, if it brings you joy to display them at home, or at your office, then that is pretty cool to me.
Thank you for coming on this journey as we explored the wonderful world of collecting! We hope you had fun and see you in the next feature of “What’s In The Bag?” With Ash! right here at MyGeekology!
