What are Funko Pops? If you’re a fan of collecting pop culture merchandise, you’ve definitely heard of Funko Pop vinyl figures. Whether you love gaming or are a movie junkie, these collectibles will leave you nostalgic.

So, what is Funko POP, and why are they so popular? Here, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Funko POP figures, from the rarest Funko releases to how these bobble-headed heroes and heroines have secured their spot in the heart of pop culture.

What are Funko POPs?

Funko POPs are small figurines renowned for their exaggerated features, including giant bobbleheads and oversized eyes. They depict popular characters from a wide range of leading franchises and genres, including DC Comics, Marvel, and Disney, alongside pop culture idols in various styles, poses and outfits.

With connections to a multitude of genres, Funko has a POP for every age and interest, whether it be comic book heroes and villains or niche horror and anime Funkos.

At Toys for a Pound, we offer an incredible selection of official Funko POP figures, and we consistently update our stock to offer the most sought-after releases, including Funko POP keyrings, card games, and even limited edition Funkos! So, whether you’re searching for Marvel Funko characters to accompany your gaming desk or a Disney Funko to gift your friend, we’re confident you’ll find something for you.

About Funko POP: A Brief History

In the last few years, Funko has been one of the most underrated collectible manufacturers and is now known for its vinyl figures based on pop culture characters.

With the increasing numbers of collectors worldwide, Funko’s Pop vinyl figures have closed many licensing deals from the trendiest gaming properties, TV shows, films, anime, music, and sports.

At present, Funko Pops are the most famous product line of the company featuring adorable toy figurines secured in a display box.

Today, Funko POP figures are a worldwide phenomenon, but this was not always the case.

Toy collectors Mike Becker and Claudia Becker founded Funko in 1998, starting with a line of collectables named Wacky Wobblers.

Their first creation, The Big Boy Mascot bobblehead, saw 480 Wacky Wobblers produced. However, despite sales being a moderate success, Funko’s first figurine did not bring the popularity Becker hoped for.

But Funko’s luck was about to change.

In 2002, the Austin Powers bobbleheads were released, with Becker securing a licence for the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery sequel. Over 100,000 of these toys were created – and they were a hit – seeing Funko firmly, and famously, put on the map and launched directly into the hearts of the public.

Funko POP history

Funko was founded in 1998 by toy collector Mike Becker at his home in Snohomish, Washington. He started the business after failing to find an affordable coin bank of the Big Boy Restaurants mascot, instead licensing the rights to make his own coin banks from a Big Boy franchise in Michigan.

The coin banks failed to sell and the franchise filed for bankruptcy protection, but Funko remained in business after licensing the rights to bobbleheads for Austin Powers, which sold 80,000 units. After this, some of the first characters that Funko sold were the Grinch, Tony the Tiger, and Cheerios mascot, the honeybee.

In 2005, Becker sold Funko to its current Chief Creative Officer, Brian Mariotti, who moved its offices to Lynnwood, Washington, and significantly expanded the company’s licensed product lines. In 2011, Funko began selling their Pop! Vinyl line of figurines. By 2012, the company had sold more than $20 million worth of merchandise.

The company was sold to Fundamental Capital, a private equity firm, in 2013 to raise funds. ACON Investments, LLC announced in late 2015 that it had acquired Funko from Fundamental Capital, LLC, but would keep current staff and the head of company.

By 2016, it had outgrown its original headquarters in Everett and announced plans to move into a downtown building with more space and a retail store. Funko acquired British toymaker Underground Toys, also its European distributor, in early 2017.

Funko opened its new headquarters and 17,000-square-foot (1,600 m2) flagship store in downtown Everett on August 19, 2017. Funko was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange on November 2, 2017, but suffered the worst initial public offering of the 21st century, with shares falling by 40 percent and only raising $125 million.

In May 2019, Funko acquired the fashion accessories line, Loungefly.

The company opened its second storefront in November 2019, located in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It has 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of space and includes life-size statues and movie “sets”.

In June 2022, Funko acquired Mondo, a high-end pop culture company.

In March 2023, Funko announced that an excess of old inventory would be disposed of due to limited warehouse capacity.

Funko POP owners

In 2005, Funko was sold to current CEO Brian Mariotti. In 2010, Funko officially debuted their popular vinyl line at San Diego Comic Con, bringing into play a whole new side to Funko with iconic franchise characters.

The company has since grown from strength to strength, forming partnerships with some of the world’s biggest franchises, movies, and pop culture events!

Funko POP materials

Vinyl Funko’s are made of vinyl, a type of plastic. Vinyl chloride is used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (also known as PVC). Vinyl chloride, a petroleum-derived chemical is used to produce polyvinyl chloride (also known as PVC). Most popular figurines are made from Vinyl, theres a whole community behind Vinyl toys.

Vinyl is simply plastic. Plastic comes from petroleum. Vinyl has been around for a very long time. It’s not surprising that petroleum derivatives are a major part of many things that bring joy, happiness, and memories. From records to bobbleheads to Funko figurines, some our favourite things wouldn’t exist without petroleum.

What do Funko POPs do?

Like other collectables, you can enjoy your favourite Funko POP figures in several ways.

Some collectors like to display their POPs in their original packaging, preserving their condition in case they become more valuable. Meanwhile, others remove them from their boxes, creating vibrant displays of their favourite characters and recreating iconic scenes from throughout film history.

However you choose to display your Funkos, these charming figurines are guaranteed to add a fun pop of nostalgia to your environment and are a great way to showcase your hobbies and interests.

Why Funko Pop figures are so popular?

Funko Pops are first available in shops for many people before the internet took over. This begs the question: What makes these vinyl figures so popular? Funko Pops are loved for their affordability, nostalgia, longevity, and versatility. These vinyl figures have created a wonderful (and welcoming!) community that makes it easy to meet new people. People return to these figures because they feel connected.

Funko gained popularity by using nostalgia. It was simply a matter of Funko growing in popularity and rolling down the hill like an “avalanche” until they became the market leader. It wasn’t just Funko that made it so popular.

There are many choices, and many genres to choose from. This made it a very friendly and welcoming community. And the Funko Pop community is strong, collectors don’t mess around, the average collector has over 100 figures!

Funko Pop figures tend to go up in value, not all of them of course seeing that there’s a massive amount of toys out of there. But popular editions have gained quite the price appreciation since they’ve been released.

Funko Pop Growth Strategy is quite interesting to say the lease. Their growth strategy is to purchase as many licenses possible and continue expanding. This allows them to touch on every genre, industry and continue their massive footprint in the vinyl toy industry.

Let’s discuss your growth plan and why you should buy a Pop Funko now. All Funko Pops eventually get vaulted, as you all know. This creates a shortage in the limited edition funko pop figures and because of this they naturally rise in price when they are vaulted. Imagine if you bought a Funko Force 2.0 the first day. This toy would have been worth $2070.

Not cheap for a small vinyl toy huh? Funko Pop’s are a great investment. Similar to other fine art toys such as Bearbricks and Kaws figures, the community is there and the value tends to pass down.

Let’s look at the progress Funko has made over the years to further illustrate our point. The best way to do this is look at the growth in trend via Google Trends.

What are the different Funko brands or lines?

Funko has a variety of brands or product lines, including:

• Pop! Vinyl is Funko’s most popular brand of collectibles. The Pop! Vinyl line includes both bobbleheads and vinyl figures. There are also Pop!s with vehicles named Pop! Rides, and famous movie scenes in Pop! form called a Pop! Moment.
• 5 Star collectibles are somewhere between Pop!s and action figures. Each figure can be posed, and they all come with an animal companion or prop.
• Vynl is a line of collectible figures that all share a similar cartoony design aesthetic. Vynl figures always come in pairs.
• Hikari is Funko’s line of “Sofubi” Japanese soft vinyl figures. These limited edition figures are colorful and glittery.
• Rock Candy is Funko’s brand of 5″ vinyl figures. These figures all come in a cool power pose and feature a stylized aesthetic.
• Wacky Wobblers is Funko’s line of bobblehead figures. They were also the very first product line!
• Vinyl Idolz is a line of tall, stylized figures designed by Vinyl Sugar, which was a collaboration between Funko and UK studio A Very Large Evil Corporation. Funko would later acquire A Very Large Evil Corporation, which was then rebranded as Funko Animation Studios.
• Dorbz is Funko’s line of miniature collectibles. They are all designed to look happy and adorable, hence the name “dorbz”.
• Mystery Minis are a series of smaller blind-box vinyl figures that have a variety of characters to collect. However, you won’t know which one you’re getting until you open it, which makes finding the rare ones even more exciting!
• Vinyl Soda is a line of Funko figures that come in soda-like cans, and they all have limited runs of each figure.
• Signature Games are board games made by Funko. Their FunkoVerse strategy games have little Pop! figures included as collectible game pieces, but they also have other games based on pop culture.
• Pop! Pin is a collection of enamel pins made by Funko. They’re small pin versions of their popular Pop! Vinyl line.
• Pop! Keychain is a collection of miniature Pop! Vinyl figures made as cute little keychains.
• Funko Tee is Funko’s line of pop culture shirts. They’re typically either short or long-sleeve t-shirts for adults.
• Funko Plush is a line of adorable plush toys made by Funko. Some plush figures may have a similar style to the large-headed Funko Pop! vinyl collectibles.

How much are Funkos worth?

The average price of Funko Pop figures ranges from $13 to $60, while the iconic ones can cost around $170 or more. The rarest Pop can cost around $1,000 to $10,000, and some even reached $100,000 in value!

Nonetheless, the value of Pops goes up and down from time to time, so collecting the rarest design has a better potential for value increase in the long run.

How many Funko POPs are there?

There are approximately 8,366 Funko POP figures to date. However, the company is constantly expanding and releasing new models.

What are the most rare funko POPs?

If you’re considering starting your own Funko POP collection, knowing the most popular Funkos is a great place to start. Below, we’ve covered the 3 rarest Funkos in the world right now.

The Stan Lee Superhero Platinum Metallic Funko – £14,685.30

Regarded as the superhero of pop culture, it comes as no surprise that pop culture idol Stan Lee has his own line of POP figures.

Various versions of the comic book writer, producer and publisher are available, including gold and silver Stan Lee Funkos. However, the rarest Stan Lee Funkos are the uniquely painted metallic gold and platinum versions.

With only 10 platinum figures produced, this Funko POP could be the rarest model in existence!

The Freddy Funko as Venom POP – £15,501.15

Released in 2019, the Freddy Funko Venom POP figure was only available as a Comic-Con exclusive and as part of the 2019 Funko event, Funko Freaky Tiki Fridays.

Only 24 of these Funko POPs exist, securing the model’s rarity and status as a ‘Grail’ Funko for many collectors. Securing this Funko is no easy task – and the model has even been known to sell for up to £25,000 in recent years.

The Clockwork Orange POP – Over £20,000

In 2012, Funko sought to create a full line of Clockwork Orange POPs. However, due to a licensing complication, Clockwork Orange’s parent company threatened Funko with legal action, so Funko’s then-CEO, Mariotti, was ordered to destroy them.

Mariotti destroyed all but 24 of them, hand-signing and numbering each one. Of course, these models were never suitable for sale and were passed on to friends and Funko forum members.

Today, the Clockwork Orange POP figures, including the standard and glow-in-the-dark versions, are widely considered the most sought-after models ever made, and their value continues to grow every year!

Funko POP terms every collector should know

If you plan to start your own Funko POP collection, it’s important to understand the Funko language. Below, we’ve covered the most important Funko terminology to be aware of.

• EXC – EXC stands for exclusive and is often used to describe POPs that are made in limited runs, such as POPs released in batches at Comic Con events
• Vaulted – A term used to describe when an item’s production has ceased
• Custom – Custom POPs are POPs that have been repainted or remodelled
• Common – Standard POP models that are available to all customers
• Prototype – A Funko product that is still in pre-production
• New Mould – When a previously released Funko is revamped with a new mould, creating a new version. This can be a new outfit, pose, or feature the existing Funko model holding a different item!
• Chase – Chase POPs are rare versions of standard Funkos. As the term suggests, collectors ‘chase’ after these rare editions!
• L.E. – Limited Edition Funkos, released in limited runs
• OOB – Out Of the Box, Funko POPs removed from their original packaging.
•  Grail – Grail Funko’s are different to every collector, with the term being a personal phrase used to describe each collector’s most wanted Funko

Where to buy Funko Pop figures?

Funko Pop toys can now be purchased at 25,000 retailers worldwide, including Amazon, Walmart, Hot Topic, and, bizarrely, Foot Locker. The company’s net sales grew 33 percent to $686.1million in 2018, with figurines accounting 82 percent. In early August, the company’s Q2 earnings report was released. It stated that sales increased by 38 percent over last year. CEO Brian Mariotti called his company “recession-proof.”

The mass amount of retailers that hold Funko Pop figures nowadays is massive, continuing from the list above; Best Buy, Book stores, Toy-R-US and many more. Many local collectable shops also tend to hold them as well. Keep in mind, if you’re looking for to get a figure that is quite popular, you’re less likely to find it at the large retailers.

If you’re looking to purchase a figure which has been released already, obviously you won’t be able to get it from a retailer. You’ll have to look into other spots such as ebay or other various reseller sites.

Which Funko Pop to buy?

Start with what you love! There’s a Funko Pop toy out there for everyone. From TV talk hosts, to athletes, singers, marvel characters and much more! Don’t start off going for what you think will gain in value or what others seem to be buying. Buy what you’re attracted to, this is the same tip we give when starting a fine art collection. What brings you a feeling of nostalgia? Or what’s your favourite athlete or television show character?

It is a popular pastime to collect merch from your favourite TV shows, movies, and music. It’s fun and rewarding to build a collection. Quality merchandise is a great way of decorating your home with things you love.

Funko Pop Toys is a great place to start if you are looking for affordable collectibles. Funko Pop Figures can be used as desk models for serious businesspeople, or to guard a child’s nightstand. Or they can be kept in an unopened box by a hardcore collector.

How to get started with Funko POP?

Looking to start your own Funko collection? Start today with Toys for a Pound. We stock official Funko POPs at great-value prices, including limited edition Funko pop figures, so we’re confident we’ve got something for you!

If you need help figuring out where to start, choose a franchise you love and browse that collection’s figures. Funko has partnered with hundreds of brands, so whether you’re into comic books, movies, games, or pop culture, there’s guaranteed Funkos to suit your interests.

FAQS about What are Funko Pops

A few questions that many people ask about what is Funko Pop:

Why are Funko Pops rare?

Pop figures are rare since they are often produced in limited runs, like the flocked and Chase variant. Moreover, its rarity is due to some figures being only sold at certain locations, such as Hot Topic, and some are exclusive at New York and San Diego Comic-Con.

Some get them through a monthly subscription box, like the Marvel collector corps giving away a mystery box every two months.

What was the first Funko Pop?

The first ever Pop produced is the Big Boy Wacky Wobblers bobblehead. This is the company’s oldest product and a must-have for Funko fans who simply love collecting.

On the other hand, it was only produced with 480 units, so getting this product is challenging and may cost a lot.

What are Funko Pops?

Funko Pops is a must-have collection for everyone, featuring Popify versions of various characters from TV series, ads, movies, games, sports, books, comics, celebrities, and other well-known personalities.

Above is information about what is funko pop? that we have compiled. Hopefully, through the above content, you have a more detailed understanding of What are Funko Pops?. If you are interested in customer information, please read our latest articles!

Reference Source: toysforapound.com, toynk.com, owity.com