Latest news with #FunkoPop!
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Funko Pop! And The Rise Of Bitty Pop!: A Tiny Twist On A Pop Culture Giant
Funko Pops! are designed to be collectible, featuring a wide range of characters from popular ... More movies, TV shows, and franchises like Harry Potter, Disney, and Star Wars. Full disclosure: I've lost track of how many Funko Pop! figurines I currently own. My collection spans everything from I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, and The Golden Girls to animated classics like The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and Top Cat. Add in characters from DC and Marvel, plus more recent fan favorites like The Sopranos, The Office and Stranger Things, and… well, I could go on and on. And I am far from alone in my obsession. Of course, Funko Pops! are instantly recognizable: oversized heads, small bodies, and those signature large, round black eyes. Few collectibles have left as lasting a mark on pop culture as these beloved vinyl figures. With over 10,000 unique figures covering a vast range of genres - from TV and film to video games, anime, comics, sports, and music - Funko has cemented itself as a cornerstone of modern fandom. Being turned into a Funko Pop! isn't just a novelty; it's a badge of honor, signaling a character's cultural impact and devoted following. From Bobbleheads to Pop! What began in 1998 as a humble line of bobbleheads called Wacky Wobblers evolved into the now-iconic Funko Pop! brand. The transformation took off in 2010, when Funko unveiled its first line of Pop! figures - featuring DC Comics characters - at San Diego Comic-Con. Now, in a nostalgic nod to its origins, Funko is offering fans at this year's convention to a limited run of exclusive collectibles inspired by those early designs. Limited to just 2,010 pieces each, collectors can grab exclusive Pop! Batman, Pop! Robin, and Pop! Penguin figures - packaged in their original 2010 clamshell cases while supplies last. The brand has exploded in popularity, offering something for nearly every fandom under the sun. Plus, with 'Pop! Yourself," Funko lets fans personalize figures to resemble themselves, their friends, or loved ones — a feature that further fuels its mass appeal. Today, owning a Funko Pop! isn't just about collecting; it's about identity, nostalgia, and belonging. And for any event with 'Con' in the title, picking one up feels less like a choice and more like a rite of passage. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder So, what's driving the craze? The sheer range allows fans to connect with their favorite franchises and characters — tapping into deep nostalgia for childhood favorites and iconic pop culture moments. LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: Funko POP! figures are displayed during WonderCon 2016 at the Los ... More Angeles Convention Center on March 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) 'We don't just consume pop culture, we collect it, we savor it, and we dream of being a part of it. Funko lets us do it all in a way that is accepted, respected and very much coveted,' noted Mike Tankel, partner/optimist at the marketing and development firm To Be Continued. 'This is far more than a rite of passage, it's a modern family heirloom.' Who's Buying? Fans of all ages (this senior writer included!) have eagerly hopped aboard the speeding Pop! bandwagon. But Funko's success goes beyond nostalgia or trend-chasing. At its core is a rare, cross-generational appeal - particularly among what the company calls 'tweens' and 'kidults.' Tweens, caught in that in-between stage of childhood and adolescence, are naturally drawn to the playful, approachable mini format. Meanwhile, kidults - adults who unapologetically enjoy hobbies and interests traditionally labeled 'for kids' - see Funko Pops! as fun, expressive, and highly collectible pieces of pop culture. Whether displayed on a shelf, desk, or dashboard, these figures become a personal statement, a conversation starter, and a nostalgic nod all at once. It's a collectible that truly spans generations. And it continues to evolve. Enter Bitty Pop! Bitty Pop! Towns Beetlejuice and Dante's Inferno Room. Launched in March 2023, Bitty Pops! are micro-scale versions of Funko Pop! figures — standing just about one inch tall. Each four-pack includes three visible characters and one mystery figure, adding an element of surprise. The first wave featured beloved icons from Harry Potter, Disney Classics, Beetlejuice, and Star Wars. With the introduction of the Bittyverse, the line has expanded to include Bitty Pop! Towns, Rides, and Displays — setting the stage for a bite-sized collectible universe. Sitcom "The Office" is one of the many TV shows - and characters - now represented in the new Bitty ... More Pop! Funko line. 'We saw a clear opportunity to tap into a trend while offering something no one else could: a true micro-scale Pop! that still feels premium and displayable,' said Doug Oglesby, SVP of Product Strategy, Planning & Marketing. 'The idea came from our creative team as they explored how to bring the Funko aesthetic into the fast-growing micro collectibles space.' What's the secret to Bitty Pop!'s appeal? According to Oglesby, 'It's that thoughtful mix of familiarity, fandom, and fun. We took a form fans already love and gave them a new way to experience it — in a format that encourages collecting, trading, and imaginative play.' 'We knew we had the brand recognition, which gave us the opportunity to engage with new consumers and reach additional retail placements, including areas like the toy aisle through a new Funko product line,' he said. With the introduction of the Bittyverse, the line has expanded to include Bitty Pop! Towns, Rides, ... More and Displays So how does a character make it into the Bitty Pop! lineup? 'It's all about staying in tune with our fans and the pulse of pop culture,' noted Oglesby. 'At the same time, we rely on market insights, license performance, retail strategy, and how characters translate to the one-inch format.' What's next for the Bitty brand? 'We've already introduced new formats like Bitty Bots, Bitty Arcades, and Bitty Boxes. This summer, we're soft-launching Bitty City, which takes the idea of world-building to the next level,' said Oglesby. 'Further ahead, we're expanding into music with Bitty Stages and preparing Countdown Calendars for the holiday season. And in 2026, we'll roll out Bitty Sports, a targeted expansion into the world of athletics.' Funko is launching Bitty City this summer to build on its Bitty Pop! brand. Final Thoughts Funko Pop! revolutionized the world of collectibles, turning fandom into a fun, accessible, and deeply personal experience for people of all ages. Now, with Bitty Pop!, the brand is redefining small-scale collecting—making it even more playful, collectible, and immersive. Whether you're a seasoned collector, a casual fan or just starting your Pop! journey, one thing's for sure: there's always another figure to add, another fandom to celebrate, and another shelf waiting to be filled. Just don't ask me how many I own - I've lost count a long time ago!
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GameStop Dipping Its Toe Into Trading Card, Collectibles Market
In 1994, baseball pitcher Bill Lee told filmmaker Ken Burns about his baseball card collection as part of Burns' sprawling documentary. 'I could take all my Mickey Mantle and other Yankees, Moose Skowron, and I could put them on my bike, and I could ride down the hill and make me sound like I was going faster,' Spaceman recounted. That sound it made? 'There's goes $5,200, $5,200 burning down the highway.' These days, if publicly traded retailer GameStop has its way, the young Bill Lees of today won't be sticking cards on their bicycle spokes; instead, they'll be riding down to their local GameStop, getting them graded by PSA and trading them in. The retailer, better known for selling new and used video games and for meme stock celebrity during the pandemic, announced last week during its annual meeting that it is expanding its collectibles business. More from Rare Honus Wagner Card Hits Auction, Early Bids Pass $3.2 Million What Fans Are Betting on During the NBA Finals Weak Club World Cup, U.S. Consumer Worry May Extend Vivid's Slump 'The trading card market—whether it's sports, Pokémon or collectibles—is aligned with our heritage. It fits our trade and model, it appeals to our core customer base and it's deeply embedded in physical retail,' CEO Ryan Cohen said in prepared remarks at the meeting. 'Unlike software it's tactile. Unlike hardware, it has high margin potential. It's a logical expansion.' It's hard to say what a greater emphasis on collectibles will look like for GameStop. Cohen didn't take questions at the annual meeting, and the company hasn't held calls public calls or investor presentations in 18 months, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Since last fall, GameStop has been a partner with PSA, the Steve Cohen-owned trading card grader, accepting cards at 1,360 of its 3,200 stores and shipping them to PSA for scoring. A recent visit to a typical GameStop—located in a strip mall storefront in Topsham, Maine—found plenty of collectibles that probably have a future in landfills instead of auction houses: mass produced Funko Pop! figurines, other movie and athlete action figures and a selection of t-shirts. There were no card-grading services or trading cards displayed. Still, one GameStop executive who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on collectibles said stores will start adding dedicated space for sports cards, trading card games and trade-and-play events for collectors to gather. The company probably will do more 'Power Packs' as well, which feature a surprise mix of cards, including one PSA-graded piece scoring 8 or higher. The company debuted them in April and they sold out opening weekend. GameStop is also adding PSA services to another 280 stores after taking its one millionth PSA grade order in early May, according to the executive. Collectibles, it seems, are the one bright spot in GameStop's business. 'GameStop's foray into the trading card business appears to be the only recent business venture to see modest success. We see no potential for a rebound in GameStop's core business,' Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said in a June 11 research note. Collectibles—broadly defined by the store as including cards, toys, apparel and homewares—saw a 55% jump in sales in the first quarter to $211.5 million. GameStop's other two business lines of hardware and software fell 30% to $520.9 million. Still, the chain isn't firmly focused on collectibles, with management seeming intent on recapturing its meme stock mojo. Its more recent business expansion: buying bitcoin. This spring, the company began amassing the digital currency, owning 4,710 as of the end of May, according to Pachter, who rates the stock 'underperform,' the equivalent of a sell rating. 'GameStop has consistently capitalized on the existence of 'greater fools' willing to pay more than twice its asset value for its shares—and so far, they've been correct.' But collectibles could be an avenue for the chain to reinvent itself, says Sam Holland, the chief operations officer at Culture Kicks, a social-media focused seller of collectible sneakers unaffiliated with GameStop. 'What I have found as a collector in general is that with cards you're either going to card shows or you're buying something off eBay,' he said on a phone call. The retail location aspect could provide the chain with a crucial edge: a place for collectors to meet up regularly. 'Fanatics has their clothing pop-ups, but nothing dedicated to cards, and CardVault by Tom Brady has [just] six locations.' Potentially a closer business tie-in with PSA or Fanatics could capitalize on having so many storefronts, said Holland, a possibility given the company now has about $8 billion in cash on hand after raising $2.25 billion in a debt offering last week. Still, for now it doesn't seem GameStop is using its cash heft to become a force in high-end cards. Its online appraisal system, in which collectors enter their PSA serial number and get a cash offer on their cards, rejected a number of pricey cards entered, including a 1987 Michael Jordan Fanatics Collect that is selling for $50,000, or any of the coveted Mickey Mantles that eluded Bill Lee's spokes. The company also wouldn't be a buyer of a Honus Wagner card that closed at auction Saturday. Ostensibly that's because the card, known as the Connecticut Wagner, is scored under 8 by PSA, the minimum condition GameStop considers. But it too would probably be too expensive for the video game chain. The latest Wagner to go to auction quickly gathered 27 bids that raised the price to $3.7 million on its first day of bidding on May 28. But enthusiasm, or perhaps just deep pockets, ran short. The card didn't meet its undisclosed reserve price and didn't sell, according to the Goldin website. 'Goldin is appreciative of the opportunity to offer such a historic card,' founder Ken Goldin said in an email. 'Our consignor had very high requirements in order to let it go, and unfortunately those requirements were not met despite bids that were placed by our clients that would have placed this as the highest priced PSA 1 ever sold.' Best of Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles in History The 100 Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World NFL Private Equity Ownership Rules: PE Can Now Own Stakes in Teams Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Investigation underway after body found near Canal Street Ferry terminal
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Detectives with the New Orleans Police Department are investigating after a body was recovered near the Canal Street Ferry terminal on Thursday, May 15. NOPD officials said they received a report of body being found in the water near the terminal around 3:21 p.m. New Orleans police release video of May 2 overdose response incident at Tchoupitoulas Walmart Police said the incident is currently being investigated as an unclassified death. Additional information was not provided. This is a developing story. Stay with WGNO as we learn of the same on Friday Funko Pop! figures of Caitlin Clark, other WNBA stars coming — how to get them Shreveport Fire invites public to tour fire stations and meet firefighters VIDEO: Historic plantation in Iberville Parish on fire, no injuries reported Investigation underway after body found near Canal Street Ferry terminal Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson, other WNBA stars get Funko treatment
Caitlin Clark captured fans' attention during her WNBA Rookie of the Year campaign. (Credit: Getty Images) Funko announced an agreement Wednesday with the WNBA to create Funko Pop! figures, beginning with four featuring A'ja Wilson, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart and Caitlin Clark. The brand has previously partnered with the NBA, including for an activation allowing fans to create vinyl figures of themselves using NBA logos during All-Star Weekend, as well as collectible figures of licensed players. Advertisement Funko's rise to the top of the collectible world has been swift, with revenue doubling from around $500 million in 2017 to more than $1 billion in 2024. Likewise, demand for all things WNBA has surged in the past couple of years, spear-headed by Clark but seen league-wide in viewership numbers — 22 regular-season games averaged more than 1 million viewers last year — as well as in the collectible markets. 'At Funko, we believe fandom has no boundaries, and we are incredibly excited about this relationship,' Funko CEO Cynthia Williams said in a statement. 'The recent rapid rise of the WNBA, the power of its players as engaging brand ambassadors, and its passionate fan base are a testament to the power of sports culture. "Bringing these trailblazing athletes to our Pop! lineup is not just about collectibles — it's about celebrating the energy, talent, and influence of women's basketball.' Advertisement PSA, the third-party authenticator largely known for grading cards, began grading Funko figures in 2023. Orders go on pre-sale May 14 ahead of the WNBA regular-season openers. Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.
Mid East Info
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
The Little Things joins JPEX Entertainment's first exhibition in Dubai - Middle East Business News and Information
JPEX Entertainment Exhibition is the Ultimate Japanese Experience celebrating Japanese Pop Culture and Pop Culture Dubai, UAE – April 27, 2025 –The Little Things, the Middle East's leading destination for anime and pop culture collectibles, is excited to announce their participation at the first ever JPEX Entertainment Exhibition, taking place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from April 25–27, 2025. Bringing the magic of Japan to the heart of Dubai,The Little Things will captivate fans with two immersive booths—including a dedicated Ichiban Kuji experience, the iconic Japanese lottery game where each ticket is a guaranteed win. Attendees will also enjoy a curated selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition collectibles. The Little Things participation is specially to celebrate the creativity, vibrancy, and spirit of Japanese pop culture. From colorful displays and energetic music to surprise giveaways, the experience invites fans into a playful and festive world that blends tradition with modern fandom. Visitors can get their hands on exclusive items such as: Funko Pop! figures including The Little Things Exclusive Funko Pops: Smoker and Luffy Gear Five, Iron Studios Event Exclusive Iron Spider-Man, Figurama Collectors Plawres Sanshiro Juohmaru, POP MART, Bandai Namco Products, Good Smile Company products, Blox Fruits merchandise, Killerbody Collectible Wearable Helmets. Commenting on the event, Hassan Tamimi, CEO of The Little Things, said: 'Our goal at JPEX is to go beyond selling collectibles, we're here to build real connections with the anime and pop culture community. This event gives us a powerful platform to strengthen our brand, engage with fans, and grow our digital presence in a way that's authentic, fun, and aligned with the Japanese culture we love.' In line with the brand ethos, The Little Things offers a creative booth experience that includes themed display, music, and activities designed to drive both excitement and community engagement. Whether you're shopping for rare finds or snapping selfies with cosplayers, the booth promises to be a central hub of the JPEX experience. About The Little Things: The Little Things stands as a vibrant cornerstone of pop-culture retail in the UAE and the Middle East. The store offers a unique selection of pop-culture merchandise that celebrates nostalgia and imagination. Staying true to its mantra, 'Unlock Worlds You've Never Seen,' The Little Things brings childhood fantasies to life, rekindling cherished memories for fans and collectors alike. With a reputation for exclusivity and variety, The Little Things ensures every customer finds something special to ignite their passion. Its deep connection with the community extends beyond products, hosting events, fostering creativity, and collaborating with local talents. Whether you're searching for rare finds or seeking to connect with fellow enthusiasts, The Little Things transforms shopping into an immersive journey of wonder and discovery. Website: Instagram: thelittlethingsme/ Facebook: thelittlethingsmee Tiktok: @thelittlethingsme
