So POPular (Sorry….)

 

Guest post by Clecta @Spirit – check her collection out! @Spirit

ITS A TRAP!
Seriously if you collect things and you start down this super cute path, there is no return!
Funko pops are good value for money, fun! and highly HIGHLY addicting, I’m talking beer and cheeto levels of NEED MORE!

I have admired them all from the safety of my PC screen for a long time, I knew KNEW that once I started it would be a dangerous road
I came across an R2D2 in my local Game Stop, I was feeling rather “what the heck” that day, so I went ahead and bought him home, that was it, Hook..line..sinker.

I collect anything and everything Batman, the Batman Funko Pop’s are SO adorable and so many! I choose to display mine in the boxes, they stack and look very pleasing to the eye, I may then take them out of the boxes, but for now I have a very solid looking wall of pops in boxes.

I collect them because they are designed beautifully, affordable and sized as not to take up too much room ( until you have 30 of them, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon), PLUS because so many of us collect them, we have people to trade and buy from, it is all good for collectors.

Funko LLC sells over $30 million worth of Pop action figures a year,probably because there is a Pop for everyone, from movies to sports stars and everything in between, if it’s a pop culture icon it’s a Pop. They are non-offensive and kid-friendly ( mostly, there’s a few blood-spattered ones and zombies) so it’s a great hobby for me and my son to enjoy together

For collectors there’s the added hook of “Exclusive” and “limited” pops, There’s a batman pop that can go for $880.that’s insane. If i ever had the chance to own one of those you KNOW i would. Since I can’t get to the Big American Comicons, I don’t expect I will own any “grails” anytime soon, but hey maybe I will win a prize on Clect, one day ( I am in for a Riddler at the moment)

I love pops, so does my Son, we subscribe to a once a month pop delivery, we get two a month, and a wishlist that can last for 5 years!

In conclusion, I love and hate this new addiction, I am slowly building an amazing batman Funko Pop shrine, but at the same time, I am leaking money from everywhere trying to fund it!, leaving me with little way to save up for anything else.

 

KENNER’S COOLEST CONTROVERSY: 1979 ALIEN ACTION FIGURE

This guest blog by Clecta @iCollectMonsters originally appeared on his website CollectingClassicMonsters.com :

So, 20th Century Fox has created a new Monster Kid holiday with the  first ever ALIEN DAY on April 26th, and it’s being billed as a global celebration of the ALIEN franchise. The day will be marked by all sorts of special festivities and product releases, not the least of which is a 20-city double feature re-release of ALIEN and ALIENS – at the screening of ALIENS at New York City venue The Town Hall, complete with a  Sigourney Weaver appearance.

I was 11 eleven years old when Alien hit the theaters and, still riding the Sci-Fi high of Star Wars two years earlier, I convinced my parents to let me and my little brother see the movie at the theater.  This was a big deal — I had never seen an R-rated movie and my Mom walked us to the ticket booth, bought our tickets and gave permission to the theater employee for us to see the movie.  Then she left…. Needless to say, Alien made a lasting impression on my brother and I!

It’s impossible to talk about Alien 1979 without spending some time on one of the most controversial – and coolest – monster toys of the 1970s.   Kenner was still riding high on their Star Wars license and decided to jump on the next big Sci-Fi franchise to come along.  There was only one problem: Alien was an R-rated movie and the creature was terrifying!

Despite Kenner’s best efforts, and a beautifully designed toy, sales were poor.  Parents thought it was too scary and raised a ruckus.   Kids, most of whom didn’t have parents like mine, couldn’t see the movie and thus weren’t bugging parents for the toy.  Most kids didn’t even know what the monster looked like.  The result; retail sales were bad and Kenner canceled the rest of the planned Alien lineup.

Collectors Notes

This action figure is a collector’s collectible.  The simple fact that this toy didn’t sell well means there are less available to collect.  Combine that with the fact the Alien franchise has continued to grow in popularity through the years and you get the perfect combination of high demand and low supply.  Scarcity is the main driver of price in collectibles and it is almost impossible to get one of these action figure in-box and good condition for below $1,000.  Not bad considering it cost $ in 1979.  Loose figures are much more common, but even they command $500+ in good condition.

Check out @iCollectMonsters collection on www.clect.com