Pop Into Collecting
Growing up as the son of an active duty military member, there are a few experiences that are shared by almost all military brats. The first is the moniker ‘military brat'. Next up, going to military functions and being on your absolute best behavior. Then there was dealing with deployments and the Commissary; but one of the biggest shared experiences that shaped me was that of constantly moving around. Living in so many different places may sound like fun, but speaking as part of a family that would be told to pack up and move at nearly a moment’s notice, it was not.
I remember having a lot of easily replaceable essential items, but very few decorations or personal effects. Other than the usual batch of missing items that always seemed to disappear during any move, it just wasn’t easy for me to find branded items for my favorite things when I was a kid. Limited release collectibles were given to the largest stores in the biggest cities, but places like the PX and smaller town stores didn’t typically see any inventory of the rare or big ticket items. Looking back on it now, a portion of that reason was because some of those stores couldn’t guarantee sales on what was seen as niche items, so it would be a waste of money for them. I remember thinking “Wow, I really wish I could find a Power Rangers belt buckle,” or “Aw man, this special edition looks so cool! Too bad it’s $500 and I’m ten,” but the items were always seen as too big a gamble for a store’s budget.
Nowadays, while limited edition runs still go to larger stores where sales are more likely or are snapped up by collectors online, there is a trend that’s been on the rise since I entered adulthood: Funko Pops. These small, collectible figures are easy to find, inexpensive, and a quick way to start a collection or find a gift for someone who has interest in a franchise (Marvel, anyone?). However, some people don’t like the figures. Pops are light on details compared to some special edition statues or poseable figurines, and these people feel it brings down the quality of the collectibles; some going as far as to say that they feel ‘soulless’. From my perspective, they are a welcome addition to any hobbyist’s hoard of memorabilia.
Just like more detailed, expensive figures, some Pops are limited edition or harder to find than others (my own Gelatinous Cube Pop comes to mind for this), and as always the hunt is part of the fun. With this hobby, you don’t have to land a big score to enjoy yourself. Instead, you find yourself going to a few stores to see what you can find. Sometimes, you’ll see a Pop for a franchise you love but didn’t even know they made merchandise for, unearth one from a childhood favorite show, you could even end up looking at a random Pop and find your new favorite show because it caught your eye. All of this is easy to do because Pop’s' biggest advantage is that you can find them nearly anywhere. Wal-mart, Target, Mom and Pop shops, shopping malls, and conventions; each place carrying location-exclusive options. Now, Funko makes it even easier than it’s ever been to find those special missing pieces of your Pop collection by also making their figures available for online purchase. Available to both new collectors and old hands alike, Funko Pops made collecting toys more than something mocked in 90s movies; I dare say it made them mainstream. I, for one, will enjoy riding that stream for a little while longer.
Written by Turagah Stoneshaper
