Someone Paid $100k For Two Rare Golden Funko Pops

On Might 5, a person in Glendale, California met up with one other man to purchase from him a sealed two-pack of ultra-rare Funko Pops for $100K money. This deal, the primary six-digit Funko Pop sale ever recorded, is believed to be the biggest in Funko Pop amassing historical past, and it’d simply be the beginning of larger offers to return.

What are Funko Pops? Properly, you probably already know what they’re. However for many who have been residing beneath a rock or who’ve by no means walked right into a retailer that sells comics, books, or video video games, let me assist. Funko Pops (typically simply known as Pops) are small vinyl figures with large heads. Many of the figures are designed to appear to be varied characters from popular culture, like Batman, Freddy Kreuger, Darth Vader, and so on. Some people love ‘em, others hate ‘em, and loads of individuals simply don’t take into consideration them in any respect as a result of my god the world is a multitude nowadays and I don’t actually have the vitality in me anymore to evaluate individuals who like foolish popular culture collectibles.

Anyway, one of many rarest Pops out there’s a Willy Wonka-themed pack that comprises two golden figures. In 2016, solely 10 of those figures had been ever given out, and solely 4 of these got to individuals who additionally had golden tickets they’d discovered inside sweet bars at a San Diego Comedian-Con occasion. (The opposite six units are believed to have been given to buddies or workers of Funko.) Since then, many of the units have been locked up in non-public collections, so solely two that additionally embrace tickets are identified about.

After making an attempt and failing to trace down the opposite Willy Wonka golden ticket Pops bundle that’s identified to exist, Frank—higher generally known as Grailmonster on-line—determined to succeed in out to the one individual he knew for certain had one. So final month, Grailmonster reached out to the collector who had considered one of these very uncommon golden ticket figures and requested in the event that they had been considering promoting it.

“I had heard for some time that he wasn’t going to promote it,” Grailmonster instructed Kotaku through electronic mail, “Our mutual buddies kinda put it in my ear that he may let it go if I supplied him $100,000.”

It took some convincing, however finally, the 2 agreed on a deal, with the collector promoting his uncommon figures for $100K in money. Nonetheless, even after the deal was agreed upon, Grailmonster wasn’t certain the collector would actually half with such a uncommon determine.

“I didn’t really suppose he would promote till he walked by means of the door on the morning of the transaction.”

The 2 Funko Pop lovers met up at a collectibles retailer in Glendale, California on Might 5 to finish the transaction. All the factor was recorded after which uploaded to Grailmonster’s YouTube channel. In keeping with him and different members of the Pop amassing group, that is the largest and most costly such deal ever.

Grailmonster may be very conscious that many individuals, in all probability a number of you studying this proper now, will name him an fool or silly. He defined to me that as he and others had been counting all of the money within the retailer and making ready for the change, he joked that he can be “the village fool” on-line after this. However there’s additionally a sense amongst him and lots of different Pop collectors that the group will quickly expertise a Pokémon-like explosion of cash and recognition.

“I’m certain the primary $100K Pokémon card buy seemed actually silly,” Grailmonster defined. “And the primary $10K comedian e book purchase, and so on. It’s all relative.”

He hopes that this transaction will assist herald new collectors whereas additionally shining a lightweight on how “insane” the world of personal collectors round Funko Pops has gotten lately, the place people will drop $20k on Pops primarily based solely on rumors and blurry photographs.

“The non-public [Funko Pop] group is actually just like the Wild West,” mentioned Grailmonster. “There actually isn’t a useful resource for secondary market gross sales, so everybody depends on one another to finish giant transactions. There may be severe cash flying round.”

As for what he plans to do now after spending a lot cash on these two uncommon figures, Grailmonster joked with Kotaku that he’s going to “stare at it” for a very long time.

“I’ve it sitting in the midst of my eating room desk like a giddy bitch,” admitted Grailmonster. “I’m going to carry it for so long as I can.”

In fact, I requested him what he would say to people who, understandably, discover it very odd and even idiotic to spend this a lot money on plastic toys. To him, the passion is extra than simply toys, and whereas he understands some people gained’t get it, to him, that’s a traditional a part of amassing something.

“Nobody is meant to know it. I actually take pleasure in it greater than any passion I’ve ever had,” he defined. “I like the lore across the uncommon items. Items like Clockwork Orange, Freddy Venom, Beatles reject set, and so on. have such fascinating tales behind them. There are items on the market which can be so uncommon that there’s no accounts of them being seen and solely a handful of photographs exist (Pope, Woody & Buzz 2-pack, and so on).”

“So far as I’m involved, I’m not shopping for toys, I’m chasing tales.”