Are superhero Funko Pops the Beanie Babies of our generation? 4 4

[01TheDude]

7 hours ago, oldmilwaukee6er said:

This thread blew up quick... has anyone discussed how these are made from PVC and nonarchival?

My wife has several Funkos displayed in her office, incl a Sharknado that her students are always trying to buy.

A few of these, and other vinyl figures, the plastic begins to break down and they become tacky to the touch, as though the plastic releases liquid as it ages.  

 

I know all too well how plastic has a certain shelf life. I had some plastic cups that I hung on to from the mid 1990s from an event I helped put on as well as some commemorative MLB cups from the last days of Comiskey Park from 4 years earlier that were brittle and breaking down hard. Sold them on ebay explaining how fragile they were-- no problems.

But the bigger thing I sold and stand by selling them-- were the 1970s 7-11 slurpee cups I had. Now these were always stored with my comics and were in great shape. A bit of a bidding war erupted for the set and I ended up making around 80 dollars for the cups and a partially filled in checklist. I loved those cups-- but I knew time was not going to be on my side.

As far as how long Funko Pops might last -- hard to say. The Marvel cups are real thin plastic.

 

As far as how long Funko Pops might last -- hard to say. The Marvel cups are real thin plastic.

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by 01TheDude

[oldmilwaukee6er]

I got the Funko sweats... 

https://www.funkofunatic.com/viewtopic.php?t=67659

Paraphrasing from another website: Basically plasticizers have been added to PVC to soften it.  These compounds break down, offgas chemicals, and begin to cause the breakdown of the material over time. It appears "oily" to the touch and will begin to soften and yellow. 

[World Devourer]

13 hours ago, 01TheDude said:

I know all too well how plastic has a certain shelf life. I had some plastic cups that I hung on to from the mid 1990s from an event I helped put on as well as some commemorative MLB cups from the last days of Comiskey Park from 4 years earlier that were brittle and breaking down hard. Sold them on ebay explaining how fragile they were-- no problems.

But the bigger thing I sold and stand by selling them-- were the 1970s 7-11 slurpee cups I had. Now these were always stored with my comics and were in great shape. A bit of a bidding war erupted for the set and I ended up making around 80 dollars for the cups and a partially filled in checklist. I loved those cups-- but I knew time was not going to be on my side.

As far as how long Funko Pops might last -- hard to say. The Marvel cups are real thin plastic.

  Reveal hidden contents

As far as how long Funko Pops might last -- hard to say. The Marvel cups are real thin plastic.

 

Beautiful set.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-SUPER-HERO-CUP-CHECK-LIST-7-11-SLURPEE-CUPS-PROFESSIONALLY-MATTED-Eleven/111584850905?hash=item19faf9b3d9:g:MHMAAOSwxYxUyBUb

There are in fact 60 in all. 

 

[World Devourer]

Just by the by, while collectors aren't made of plastic, they too have a limited shelf life...

[MagnusX]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 11:47 PM, camera73 said:

Hey, blame Batman'66!

 

I still need the surfing Batman to have the set complete.
Not a priority, but on the list...

[Rezin1234]

On 6/24/2020 at 8:58 PM, camera73 said:

Those bastiches have taken SO much of my money and I'm still one of their most avid apologists:

It doesn't really work that way. I have pops that are still in the box that it was shipped in last year (2019) that are selling on feebay for $200+

Some of the older ones sell for that much...loose. This market is curently all over the place. I just started selling them in the past 6 mos and have learned some interesting lessons. Like, some of the exclusive video game-based pops that I thought would have staying power (Overwatch) rarely appreciate, while the Ernie and Bert pops that I bought on clearance in B&N are going for $30-40. And when everyone got their May Covid checks - people were willing to plunk down for BINs, like crazy. It is definitely a market with short-term legs. I don't want to still be selling five years from now. But then, I may not want to be holding the bag with comics 5-10 years from now either.

Obviously there is a market today and people can make money. My opinion is I don’t believe it will last. I explained the type of collectibles that seem to be popular down the road and I personally see pops not fitting my personal assessment. 
 

doesn’t mean it can’t. I’m def not infallible but more times than not things that are immediately viewed as collectibles rarely survive. 

[01TheDude]

8 hours ago, World Devourer said:

Beautiful set.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-SUPER-HERO-CUP-CHECK-LIST-7-11-SLURPEE-CUPS-PROFESSIONALLY-MATTED-Eleven/111584850905?hash=item19faf9b3d9:g:MHMAAOSwxYxUyBUb

There are in fact 60 in all. 

 

 

not in my collection. I had 23 of the 40 offered for that year.

I listed this on ebay over 5 years ago---- and in searching for more examples of the 7-11 tear sheet--- found this website that basically regurgitates the original auction offer on a website called worthpoint - pictures and everything.

here's the link:

01TheDude's copy of the Marvel cups offer on ebay

Edited June 26, 2020 by 01TheDude

[camera73]

On 6/25/2020 at 1:27 PM, Joosh said:

I own none, I don’t get it. I sold off most unopened action figures from 90’s because I just don’t appreciate them like I do my comic books. They also take up too much space.

the only toys I buy now are the ones that come with a comic; I take the book and sell the toy.

Sorry - I couldn't resist....but seriously:

1) I felt the same way about them before falling in love with the line (see my loooooong description at the beginning of the thread). I saw them in FYE and comic shops and mostly ignored them. But I didn't ignore them enough not to notice that the pops that I was shaking my head at are now selling in the triple digits.

2) Can't we all say "I don't get it" about 99% of the stuff that other people get excited about? And I'd guess the percentage of people who would say "I own none, I don’t get it" about comics would be greater than 99%. So it's all a matter of 'to each their own.'

But none of that answers the question about their comparison to beanie babies. I wrote about this earlier, but to non-comic collectors ' comics look and sound a lot like beanie babies.

Just sayin'

[Squeezy McSphincter]

On 6/23/2020 at 5:54 PM, Buzzetta said:

I heart my Bob Ross Funko Pop 

This is the one that I have.  Gift from the kids.  Just another thing no one needs.  Imagine dying and leaving nothing behind but Funko Pops. The idea should fill anyone with dread.

[World Devourer]

12 hours ago, camera73 said:

Sorry - I couldn't resist....but seriously:

1) I felt the same way about them before falling in love with the line (see my loooooong description at the beginning of the thread). I saw them in FYE and comic shops and mostly ignored them. But I didn't ignore them enough not to notice that the pops that I was shaking my head at are now selling in the triple digits.

2) Can't we all say "I don't get it" about 99% of the stuff that other people get excited about? And I'd guess the percentage of people who would say "I own none, I don’t get it" about comics would be greater than 99%. So it's all a matter of 'to each their own.'

But none of that answers the question about their comparison to beanie babies. I wrote about this earlier, but to non-comic collectors ' comics look and sound a lot like beanie babies.

Just sayin'

Heh. I wonder if anyone out there has been burgled, with the offender only taking some petty cash, jewelry, CDs etc and not touching comics, Funko Pops etc worth far more than their getaway car?

"Whew. They only got my wife's CDs and that ugly brooch her grandmother left her. They ignored my collection - thank God!"

[camera73]

1 hour ago, World Devourer said:

Heh. I wonder if anyone out there has been burgled, with the offender only taking some petty cash, jewelry, CDs etc and not touching comics, Funko Pops etc worth far more than their getaway car?

"Whew. They only got my wife's CDs and that ugly brooch her grandmother left her. They ignored my collection - thank God!"

Hah! Yes!

Right after Hurricane Irena, (September 2017) Atlanta had various periods of blackouts. My house lost power for a week. So, I stayed at my exGFs place and never went home. When I got back, the door was unlocked, which was fishy. I walked around the house and found a broken window in the back. So, I dialed 911, because I remembered hearing that the police should check that its safe before you go in. An hour-and-a-half later, two squad cars showed up and the cops did a walk through. It took them a while. When they came out, one of them said, "if you see that your boxes of toys had been gone through, it wasn't the robbers, we were looking at them."

I have an entire comic room and a mountain of Funko pops. I've grossed about $7000 in the last six mos. nust selling a small portion of my pop collection and definitely have over $50K in comics. The thieves took my Bluetooth speaker, a few small electronics and some food. ALL of my valuables were untouched (until the police showed up).

Three years later - I still approach my house with nerves, when I get home. It sucked but I'm extremely glad that nothing was taken, that couldn't be easily replaced. There are probably lots of stories out there, like this one. As an aside, I've had more comics stolen by porch pirates  than I lost in that burglary. There are many ways to get violated by someone messing with your home, without even seeing the transgressor.

 

[World Devourer]

1 hour ago, camera73 said:

As an aside, I've had more comics stolen by porch pirates  than I lost in that burglary. There are many ways to get violated by someone messing with your home, without even seeing the transgressor.

 

Sorry to hear that. I have a private mailbox at my local Post Office. There's no way anyone else is touching an expensive purchase until I'm ready to sell it.

[lighthouse]

The huge difference between Funkos and Beanies is the licensing.

Beanies only ever had value to people who wanted to collect Beanies (or wanted to sell to other Beanie collectors). Beyond that, you were limited to selling a Gobbles to folks who happened to collect turkeys (not exactly a huge market).

The licensing aspect is enormous. There are Elvis Presley collectors that will buy darn near anything that is a licensed Elvis collectible. They’re not going to suddenly stop wanting the 50s and 70s Elvis Funkos just because Funkos in general fade out of fashion. They don’t suddenly dump their Elvis Funkos because they decided Funkos are dumb. The same is true for Disney and LOTR and GOT and HP and DBZ and R&M and all the other licensed stuff.

The original post here was trying to compare superhero Funkos to Beanies, but superheroes are a small, small portion of Funko collecting. They may be the biggest overlap with these boards but I doubt they are 25% of what a Funko makes.

On Tuesday I had a collection of 130 Funkos dropped off at my shop, some superhero but over 2/3 was Disney. Many were common pieces, but a good chunk were $20-40 in the Funko app. The most expensive was $55 retail. I paid $650 for the collection on Friday afternoon. I spent three hours processing a chunk of them Saturday morning before we opened. By close of business Sunday I’d done $690 in sales from the collection.

Would I want to buy and hold one of the $7000 vaulted Dumbo figures? Not a chance. But do I think years from now, folks will still be willing to pay around $8-10 each for Pops of Pikachu, Hulk, Buffy, Legolas, Ariel, Negan, Goku, Pickle Rick, Goofy, or Hermione, even if the “fad” ends. Yeah. I do. And I doubt you’ll see those 50s or 70s Elvis Pops drop below $150 before the end of time.

Here’s a Beanie Baby of a turkey.

Here’s a Funko Pop of your favorite character ever. 

Quite a difference in appeal there.

[kav]

56 minutes ago, lighthouse said:

The huge difference between Funkos and Beanies is the licensing.

Beanies only ever had value to people who wanted to collect Beanies (or wanted to sell to other Beanie collectors). Beyond that, you were limited to selling a Gobbles to folks who happened to collect turkeys (not exactly a huge market).

The licensing aspect is enormous. There are Elvis Presley collectors that will buy darn near anything that is a licensed Elvis collectible. They’re not going to suddenly stop wanting the 50s and 70s Elvis Funkos just because Funkos in general fade out of fashion. They don’t suddenly dump their Elvis Funkos because they decided Funkos are dumb. The same is true for Disney and LOTR and GOT and HP and DBZ and R&M and all the other licensed stuff.

The original post here was trying to compare superhero Funkos to Beanies, but superheroes are a small, small portion of Funko collecting. They may be the biggest overlap with these boards but I doubt they are 25% of what a Funko makes.

On Tuesday I had a collection of 130 Funkos dropped off at my shop, some superhero but over 2/3 was Disney. Many were common pieces, but a good chunk were $20-40 in the Funko app. The most expensive was $55 retail. I paid $650 for the collection on Friday afternoon. I spent three hours processing a chunk of them Saturday morning before we opened. By close of business Sunday I’d done $690 in sales from the collection.

Would I want to buy and hold one of the $7000 vaulted Dumbo figures? Not a chance. But do I think years from now, folks will still be willing to pay around $8-10 each for Pops of Pikachu, Hulk, Buffy, Legolas, Ariel, Negan, Goku, Pickle Rick, Goofy, or Hermione, even if the “fad” ends. Yeah. I do. And I doubt you’ll see those 50s or 70s Elvis Pops drop below $150 before the end of time.

Here’s a Beanie Baby of a turkey.

Here’s a Funko Pop of your favorite character ever. 

Quite a difference in appeal there.

This is a cogent argument but if it was true Franklin Mint Elvis items etc would be worth money.   They are not.

[1950's war comics]

 

you mean my retirement nest egg that is sitting on these is going nowhere

 

[lighthouse]

21 minutes ago, kav said:

This is a cogent argument but if it was true Franklin Mint Elvis items etc would be worth money.   They are not.

Based on a quick eBay search, the Franklin Mint has done approximately 63,428 different Elvis collectibles with individual production runs limited to 25,000 each. 
Funko has made 2 Elvis items (4 total counting the chase variants for each). Though your point is taken. 
 

There’s a bigger question when it comes to Chinese counterfeits (eBay is full of them). But again that’s more an issue with $400 items, not the potential to resell a $10 Black Widow figure.

I have no dog in the fight. I don’t carry more than 2 months inventory in Funkos and I actively avoid buying pieces that guide over $60. I’ll buy and hold comics. Funkos not so much. But there’s a floor with Pops around $5, just as Beanies had a floor around $1.50. At a certain price, they’ll sell without regard to manufacturer. I can throw sealed junk MiniMates in a dump bin stickered at $5 and they move just fine because “hey this is from Predator!” It’s irrelevant to me what the original retail was. They still have a floor.

[kav]

1 minute ago, lighthouse said:

Based on a quick eBay search, the Franklin Mint has done approximately 63,428 different Elvis collectibles with individual production runs limited to 25,000 each. 
Funko has made 2 Elvis items (4 total counting the chase variants for each). Though your point is taken. 
 

There’s a bigger question when it comes to Chinese counterfeits (eBay is full of them). But again that’s more an issue with $400 items, not the potential to resell a $10 Black Widow figure.

I have no dog in the fight. I don’t carry more than 2 months inventory in Funkos and I actively avoid buying pieces that guide over $60. I’ll buy and hold comics. Funkos not so much. But there’s a floor with Pops around $5, just as Beanies had a floor around $1.50. At a certain price, they’ll sell without regard to manufacturer. I can throw sealed junk MiniMates in a dump bin stickered at $5 and they move just fine because “hey this is from Predator!” It’s irrelevant to me what the original retail was. They still have a floor.

If Funkos have legs it will be the first manufactured collectible in history that works.

[1950's war comics]

i wouldn't give a plugged nickel for one of them .....

[1950's war comics]

which one of the funko-babies is the most stupid ??

[camera73]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:30 AM, 01TheDude said:

now now--- let people enjoy what they like.

No need to be nasty about it.

Here's a question that I have, though. It is not coming from defensiveness or attempting to perpetuate a conflict...but I'm asking the community, honestly:

What is the problem that people have with Funko pops? When I saw them (see my narrative at the beginning of the thread) at comic shops from 2010 til 2014, they were background noise. I barely noticed that they were there and then once I got into them, I quickly learned to appreciate what the company was doing as they created fun likenesses of personalities and characters.

There are a lot of comics (and toys) out there, which have aesthetics that are not everyone's cup of tea. But I have rarely seen this much vitriol aimed at an entire segment of collecting - well, since the gimmick covers of the early 90s.

Edited July 5, 2020 by camera73