Retired POP Prices Skyrocketing?!?

Postby **zaghawk** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:59 am

Anyone else feel like Retired POP prices are suddenly just sky rocketing?

I feel like certain POPs like Alan from Hangover, Michael Jackson, Power Rangers, Leonidas and Ace Ventura were all like $10-$20 for a LONG time. Then suddenly around Christmas they all crept up to $25-$50. Now several of them are already hovering at like $80-$100 each.

Postby **MasterSplyntr** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:05 pm

Yes, it's fairly depressing.

Postby **EZA** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:20 pm

Pop prices across the board or going up

Postby **toro423** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:28 pm

The more popular Funko and pop gets, the more demand. Since most of those are no longer made, prices go up. Supply and demand. Also, flippers are discovering that you can make a pretty penny on some of these, increasing demand since extras are no longer left on shelves.

Postby **zaghawk** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:31 pm

Anyway moral of the story. If you see a retired POP you do like for $15-$20, just pick it up. If a POP you sort of like is announced as retired and it's still $8-$12, pick it up. I recently bought Ace Ventura and Leonidas for about $50 each, I remember seeing them months ago for $10 but just saying "meh". Then I saw the price creep, glad I bought them for $50 because Leonidas is already $100 and I think Ace Ventura is already up to $70-80. I picked up PSY today for $22 because although he's not as timeless as say TuPac (who jumped to $80 as well). I think I'd just rather not take my chances. BLEH!

Postby **EZA** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:32 pm

Collect what you like its a hobby not a retirement plan.

Postby **MasterSplyntr** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 12:53 pm

I noticed the Mad Hatter's getting up there too. They have one at a local toy shop for $40 US. Was thinking about grabbing it.

Postby **homietrav** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:00 pm

Only buy the most expensive pops. You will be rewarded in the long run. lol

Postby **wenhol8710** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:11 pm

toro423 wrote:The more popular Funko and pop gets, the more demand. Since most of those are no longer made, prices go up. Supply and demand. Also, flippers are discovering that you can make a pretty penny on some of these, increasing demand since extras are no longer left on shelves.

This.

Postby **wenhol8710** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:14 pm

EZA wrote:Collect what you like its a hobby not a retirement plan.

If only everyone would realize this. I feel like some of these people are too young to remember how much certain Beanie Babies were "worth" 20ish years ago, and look at them now. Not saying Pops will go the same way, but you never know...it's not a surefire "investment" like some treat it. Just look at all those "rare" Star Wars Pops that are getting re-releases this year...

If it's something you like/has meaning to you, the perceived "value" shouldn't sway you one way or another.

Postby **RBeato** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:25 pm

Unless years and years down the road none of them are worth their weight in vinyl lol

. That would suck. I don't see this happening though with certain pops.

Postby **gyrofx** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:31 pm

just buy my dc chase set for 10k. in 10 years, it'll be 100k!

Postby **lunarembrace** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:09 pm

I know I really wish I had picked up some of the older pops for cheap when I saw them. I always thought they'd be around later when I got the ones I really wanted first! I remember passing on Alan & Baby Carlos for $15 saying I'd get it later. Two weeks down the road, it went up to like $60! Same with Ace Ventura and Leonidas. Did pay $50 a piece for those two when I felt like they'd only continue going up. And I just picked up Psy for $22 myself. I feel like if I don't quickly pick up pieces, even if they are 'common', they'll be gone. Haha.
Pops have just completely exploded. I'm only hoping with these new rules for SDCC that I'll still be able to get my exclusives sitting in front of my computer in TN without paying a premium on eBay for them.

Postby **Jasper Avenue** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:40 pm

I just sold 10 Pops for over $3000. Now is the best time to sell if you're looking to unload some figures you're no longer interested in.

I feel bad selling them for so much but if there's people willing to buy them, I can't complain - we're doing some work on our house and that money is putting a serious dent in the cost.

Postby **MasterSplyntr** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:48 pm

Jasper Avenue wrote:I just sold 10 Pops for over $3000. Now is the best time to sell if you're looking to unload some figures you're no longer interested in.

I feel bad selling them for so much but if there's people willing to buy them, I can't complain - we're doing some work on our house and that money is putting a serious dent in the cost.

Jeepers! I guess if we're talking the "big dogs", that's pretty much standard these days.

Postby **zaghawk** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:02 pm

lunarembrace wrote:I know I really wish I had picked up some of the older pops for cheap when I saw them. I always thought they'd be around later when I got the ones I really wanted first! I remember passing on Alan & Baby Carlos for $15 saying I'd get it later. Two weeks down the road, it went up to like $60! Same with Ace Ventura and Leonidas. Did pay $50 a piece for those two when I felt like they'd only continue going up. And I just picked up Psy for $22 myself. I feel like if I don't quickly pick up pieces, even if they are 'common', they'll be gone. Haha.
Pops have just completely exploded. I'm only hoping with these new rules for SDCC that I'll still be able to get my exclusives sitting in front of my computer in TN without paying a premium on eBay for them.

SDCC exclusives are weird on eBay.

I remember pre-sale they were all around $30 each. Then right after the in-hand ones were selling for as high as $80-$100 each. Then a few months later back down to $20 each. I think today they're still hovering $25 almost what a year later?

Postby **doctony** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:22 pm

prices are getting really crazy!

Postby **Jasper Avenue** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:25 pm

MasterSplyntr wrote:
Jasper Avenue wrote:I just sold 10 Pops for over $3000. Now is the best time to sell if you're looking to unload some figures you're no longer interested in.

I feel bad selling them for so much but if there's people willing to buy them, I can't complain - we're doing some work on our house and that money is putting a serious dent in the cost.

Jeepers! I guess if we're talking the "big dogs", that's pretty much standard these days.

Yeah those are some pretty sought after ones. I ended up getting about $1300 for my Metallic DC Gemini Set that I paid $60 for 2 years ago.

Either prices are going to keep going up, or they're going to crash. Either way I'm pretty happy selling right now.

Postby **nikko** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 6:30 pm

Sometimes the increase in prices makes people want it more.

Postby **min8or** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:17 pm

This kind of thing makes Pop hunting on a restricted budget all the more fun/stressful hahaha.

there is only 1 shop for my to buy pops from within a 2 hour drive, and i can usually only get 3 Pops a week at the most, and trying to work out which ones will be still there next week for me to get and which ones i should get now is part of the fun, i think anyway.

Like most people, i have made some good decisions, bilbo and gollum, Thor w/helmet and rorschach are some i have only every seen once, and grabbed and never seen again.
And i have made quite a few bad decisions, I got the DBZ set (which is still overstocked instore) instead of getting the Iron Man 3 set (which i've never seen in store again) and i left an Aquaman behind, never to be seen again and i procrastinated and missed the DC villain bundles on Popcultcha.

like people have said, the more popular these become, the more people there are wanting the retired ones, driving up the price of them on the auctions, which in turn makes people out to make a quick profit grab everything they can to resell, which again drives up the prices again.
the positive side though, is as they become more popular, more places will stock them, making the newer ones more readily available.

Postby **Gojitron** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:48 pm

Buyers set the market, not sellers. Pops wouldn't be so expensive if there weren't people willing to pay. Usually a hobby that grows this quickly flames out faster, so If anyone is in this for the long haul just wait 3-5 years for everything to drop back down. The flippers and speculators that still have stuff will want to unload it for cheap.

Postby **Squird** » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:50 pm

EZA wrote:Collect what you like its a hobby not a retirement plan.

YES!!!

Too many people equate 'retired' with 'gone'. Funko's sold over 13 million Pop pieces since they released. Start doing the math and many a 'retired' piece will divide out in the tens of thousands.

Postby **t1barcode26** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:28 am

i bought misfits pop 10 bucks now hes 50

Postby **KipKips** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:03 pm

Gojitron wrote:Buyers set the market, not sellers. Pops wouldn't be so expensive if there weren't people willing to pay. Usually a hobby that grows this quickly flames out faster, so If anyone is in this for the long haul just wait 3-5 years for everything to drop back down. The flippers and speculators that still have stuff will want to unload it for cheap.

This right here.

Postby **lcarus83** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:23 pm

It really is depressing. I wish I had gotten into these a year or two ago. I'd love to have a Riddler, Penguin, and Two-Face because Batman Pops is what I'm really into, but these little 4" plastic dolls, as cool as they are, are not worth paying $100-$200. Especially for just a regular Pop. I hope they bring those out of the "vault" one day soon.

Postby **0xTurtle** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:26 pm

Squird wrote:
EZA wrote:Collect what you like its a hobby not a retirement plan.

YES!!!

Too many people equate 'retired' with 'gone'. Funko's sold over 13 million Pop pieces since they released. Start doing the math and many a 'retired' piece will divide out in the tens of thousands.

The math works :thumbleft:

I think patience is good too.

Postby **Squird** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:33 pm

I can't preach patience enough!

Postby **amorginos** » Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:40 pm

I understand the 'having patience approach' but I got into Pops because my daughters really liked them and then we starting collecting together. It's been a wonderful bonding experience. But I can't tell them, hey just wait 3-5 years and then we can get the Pop you really want. I'm just happy enough I found something that my girls enjoy as much as me. So for me, waiting 3-5 years for prices to drop isn't really an option. But I completely get the strategy. To each his own I guess.

Postby **allsportdvd** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 9:39 pm

I find that once a Pop is announced as "retired" it still takes a few months for the prices to creep up so if you're the type that's worried about that, get the ones you're procrastinating about when you see them for $15

Postby **Goryla+** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 10:06 pm

lcarus83 wrote:It really is depressing. I wish I had gotten into these a year or two ago. I'd love to have a Riddler, Penguin, and Two-Face because Batman Pops is what I'm really into, but these little 4" plastic dolls, as cool as they are, are not worth paying $100-$200. Especially for just a regular Pop. I hope they bring those out of the "vault" one day soon.

My thoughts exactly. I'm hoping for re-releases, 'cause I ain't paying $100+ for no regular pops. Even if I have to wait years, patiently, in the dark, like a creeper. SW9

Lol I shall have what I want, at some point. Seriously though, hopefully with sequel, remakes, and anniversaries they release those old pops again.

Postby **Xacrifar** » Thu Apr 09, 2015 10:09 pm

I have abide by my rules when I started collecting pops. Never buy common pops at ridiculous prices.

I don't mind spending more on limited pops like SDCC exclusives.

Postby **GStar-Lord** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:57 am

So is bank robber Joker retired too then? My LCS was selling it for $20 which was really surprising because it's been such a common figure at every shop and/or con. I thought maybe the price was a mistake but Amazon has it in that same range.

Postby **toro423** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 12:02 pm

Its crazy how high and quick prices shoot up on some pieces. I have a few pieces Im thinking about possibly getting rid of since space is my biggest issues right now *cough*9" pops*cough* and I checked pricing maybe a month ago and the range was from $70-$100. Checked again last night and the same pieces are now at $170-$200.

Postby **jedik6** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 12:34 pm

toro423 wrote:Its crazy how high and quick prices shoot up on some pieces. I have a few pieces Im thinking about possibly getting rid of since space is my biggest issues right now *cough*9" pops*cough* and I checked pricing maybe a month ago and the range was from $70-$100. Checked again last night and the same pieces are now at $170-$200.

Wow! What pieces are those?

Postby **PeeJay** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 12:44 pm

It's all a question of supply and demand. Prices will rise if it is perceived that a "retired Pop" is going to disappear from production. Collectors will pay what they deem to be an appropriate price for scarce(ie Retired) Pops. It's simply "Market Forces".

Postby **toro423** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 1:42 pm

jedik6 wrote:
toro423 wrote:Its crazy how high and quick prices shoot up on some pieces. I have a few pieces Im thinking about possibly getting rid of since space is my biggest issues right now *cough*9" pops*cough* and I checked pricing maybe a month ago and the range was from $70-$100. Checked again last night and the same pieces are now at $170-$200.

Wow! What pieces are those?

Some I saw skyrocket are:
9" D23 Metallic Steamboat Willie
9" SDCC Sulley and Boo
9" SDCC Metallic Buzz
9" Regular Maleficent

Not all shot up to $150+ but all have gone up significantly in the last month or two

Postby **sphinxie** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:21 pm

Yah, I have quite a few pop pieces and (still growing) and I'm surprised to see how much some of them are worth. But like everyone else is saying, I bought them because I love them. I dont plan on selling any of them. And if I ever do (whether for financial reasons or lack of love), I would use the money to buy ones that I love now =)

Postby **Eagle** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:27 pm

As a newbie to the game (started collecting 2 weeks ago) i was wondering if POPs were always selling out this fast and prices were always so high. I remember looking at some at at HT and newbury comics that i passed on which are worth a lot

Postby **toro423** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:34 pm

You never know which will go up in price. I think some ppl are just trying to get the jump on others and try to flip or sell the pieces as soon as they can before they become widely available. The first couple weeks-month that a piece is out is usually the time its at its highest. All the hype and need (mostly impatience) causes prices to soar and availability do decrease. But they all eventually fall. If there is one thing I have learned while collecting pops its to be patient. It happens with commons, exclusives, and Freddies as well.

Postby **hawkman2** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:44 pm

Gotta buy quick.

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