Collectibles have been a staple in the nerd community starting even before I was born, but not all of them have stood the test of time. From Hot Wheels to Beanie Babies, what makes a collectible successful and valuable, and why do some end up just becoming a fad?
I remember growing up Beanie Babies were all the rage, and everyone thought they were going to be rich off their collection. Searching far and wide for the newest release, people would line up early and wait for stores to open, just to see if they got lucky that day. They were everywhere! From stores to happy meals, it seemed like this was the biggest thing to hit the collecting community. But now where are all those Beanie Babies I collected as a kid, well I'm pretty sure they are in a plastic tub in my garage, covered in dust.
So who is to say that Funko Pops aren't the next Beanie Babies? Well it seems the people are, with all the thousand upon thousands of Funko Pops created, there is something for everyone. Funko was founded in 1998 by Mike Becker as low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys, and now has major licensing deals with Marvel, Disney, and most Major League Sports. They have gone from bobble heads to a variety of other products including backpacks, games, and now most recently joining the NFT market.
With such a large variety of their products, Funko is able to have something for everyone. Ranging from music and movie to anime and cartoons, the options are endless. This is what makes Funko so successful, being attractive to collectors of all sorts. Whether is the hardcore completionist who has to have the entire full set (that's me BTW) , to the casual shopper who is looking to add something to their office desk. Funko has it all, and they continue to add more daily, continuing to expand their reach.
Funko to me is far from a fad, they only seem to get bigger everyday. With the mass appeal of characters, teams, and products, Funko gains new customers daily, and creates more Funko Fanatics from the first Funko they buy. I can remember the first funko I bought because I loved the character to now owning over 600 Funko pops, one is NEVER enough, and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. So it's safe to say in my opinion, that Funko is not going the way of the Beanie Baby, ending up in a box in my garage.
By Nerdthusiast Content Writer
Brandon Gold @AGeekGod
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