Has The Funko POP! Collecting Bubble Finally Popped? - Company Prepares To Send Over $30 Million In Unsold Inventory To Landfill

1 hour ago, A_Spidey_Fan said:

Still, for all this, it's disappointing that Funko thinks it's best for them to go to a landfill instead of just donating the unsold stock, or offering lower prices for discount stores.

right? i mean it makes sense when Jay said that if they sold or gave them away they would have to pay the license holder a percentage, but there should be a better way to unload these things

it reminds me of the food situation, once i was at Target cafe late and saw them throwing away 10 boxes of pizza hut pizza because they had been sitting there for a couple hours, and i asked them why they can't give it away to the poor/homeless or whatever, and they said they legally cannot do that. it's just terrible how things have to be wasted/thrown away instead of given away

5 hours ago, SleeplessKnight said:

It's Beanie Babies all over again. This was inevitable. I could have told you this the year these started hitting store shelves.

From what I can remember, unlike Ty Beanie Babies, Funko POP's was a about a good 10 years before it looks like it's really starting to loose stream, while Beanie Babies maybe was only about a year or 2 before people got sick and tired of them.

16 hours ago, RickytheRockstar said:

from the video that this image comes from all the boxes, that i could read, were of the Funko Harry Potter game, and those games don't sell well, so seeing this image isn't a big shock to me or a "they're ending" sign, i think it's just a product that didn't sell well

Can't rule that out as well. From what I see, I don't think there is a major demand for the Funko POP theme board games.

Still, for all this, it's disappointing that Funko thinks it's best for them to go to a landfill instead of just donating the unsold stock, or offering lower prices for discount stores. "Save The Planet" and all that jazz. Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't got the mainstream media and various types of orginizations on their rears on this. Maybe it just hasn't hit them yet, it's not a slow news day, or that Funko isn't seen as "1 of the Big Boys" like Hasbro and Mattel, regardless of how well they've sold product in the past compaired to them.

I just remember years ago when Hasbro made the announcement of Plastic Free Packaging, most media at least stated it, with some even praising it like no tomorrow. Meanwhile this, this might fly under the radar. Honestly, these POP's going to landfill to me are a more environmental concern than the plastic free packaging.

For those who love and legitimately collect POP's, I feel sorry if this gives you a bit of uncertiantly. Me, I never had any major issues with the fact that they existence. My issue is how popular they seem to really have gotten(Which I can see why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it), as when many stores decided to give POP's so much focus, that some smaller stores decided to only sell these in their toy areas and nothing else.

1 example in my city is a place call 401 Games. While their focus is always have been various types or games(Board, Table Top, Card, etc.), over a decade ago, they also sold a decent small variety of action figures and toys, mostly focused on collectors and some kids stuff. But sometime around or after 2015, they decide to pretty much more or less just have Funko POP's as the only toys they sell, and nothing else.

Having said all that, I'll admit that I've at least got 1 POP myself, which is the HERBIE The Robot for Fantastic 4, only because I think I can fudge it in as a different type/robot body for HERBIE(If they ever do a Franklain and Valeria Richards as a little kids for 6" Marvel Legends, this will be the Babysitting HERBIE that looks after them). And I have to be honest, I think the POP Keychains are really neat and work better in that format for me(Been tempted to get a Spider-man or 2 from time to time, but usually say no. If HERBIE appears in Keychain format, will admit, I'll get that at least).

And while it's too soon to say doom and gloom for Funko, I will take this time to say for any Scalpers(For the record, not decent Resellers who don't hoard all of them and don't do major jack-up on prices) who end up suffering from this down the road, well, got no sympathy for any of you.

It's Beanie Babies all over again. This was inevitable. I could have told you this the year these started hitting store shelves.

Wow, that's depressing. Just the idea that it's cheaper to trash something than to give it to kids or somebody who might genuinely like and appreciate it... I mean, at least recycle it, right?

Maybe someone will dig these up in twenty years and film it.

4 hours ago, Jaros said:

Is this a funko problem or a licensor problem I wonder?? By that I mean, how many of these are characters that keep getting pushed that NO ONE WANTS? Star Wars, Lightyear, Eternals, wakanda. Mostly Disney. They make these items with expectation Disney is going to make characters and stories that people are going to connect with and want.

from the video that this image comes from all the boxes, that i could read, were of the Funko Harry Potter game, and those games don't sell well, so seeing this image isn't a big shock to me or a "they're ending" sign, i think it's just a product that didn't sell well

4 hours ago, MagnaPrime said:

Someone is gonna find that landfill and go to town

I hope so! such an environmental catastrophe! that's all plastic RECYCLE! ????

Well, it's a start.

The market was definitely oversaturated with Pops. If a large percentage of the buyers were speculators, well see the comic book boom (and bust) of the 90s.

Someone is gonna find that landfill and go to town