Culling Your Pop! Collection?

[popmad2016]

Just wondering how many members here have at one time or another had to cull / reduce their Pop! collections due to financial hardship or for the sake of display space.

Due to really tough times I've had to sell off (and will still be selling) a reasonably large amount of my memorabilia collection, along with a solid 60% of my Pop!s. I literally have no way around it and I've been forced to suck it up and sell (regretfully at a loss mostly).

Anyway, the reason i ask is I'm curious to know if others have found it strangely liberating...

At first I was sick my stomach when sorting Pop!s to get rid off, but after sorting through the first 2 tubs I suddenly started to feel better about the clearing out aspect of what I was doing.

I didn't realize just how many mismatched, uncompleted (in regards to particular lines) and impulse purchases existed in my Pop! collection! Some of which were bought because of old interest in the said franchise / character or because of some long distant vague memory.

I've decided to focus / continue on, complete (or close to) and stick to just a handful of lines. Those being...

- DOCTOR WHO
(I'll never add a River Song or Clara to my collection though...and I sold the x2 11th Doctor I bought, as he's my least fav and they meant nothing to me)

- FUTURAMA
(loved this line from day one)

- BATMAN 66"
(Bring on wave 2)

- SINGLES
I have some standalone releases such as the b9 Robot etc, which I want to keep and I *might* be interested in further standalone releases in future if it's something that really grabs my attention.

- MINISETS
And...I have some comedy 2-figure sets, which I'm keeping due to sentimentality (Like the Christmas Vacation Pop!s). I would definitely consider collecting further mini-lines like this in future (like Tommy Boy) if it appeals. But I'm not exactly looking to buy if you get where I'm coming from...

Oh and I did keep my WILLA WONKA set But not looking at collecting anymore (don't think there are any characters left anyway).

The only other new (old?) line which I might get in to is MOTU, but it entirely depends what the 2nd wave looks like. I didn't keep any of the first wave, so we'll have to see...it was my world growing up though and it's still something very sentimental.

Beyond that I have to curve the Pop! collecting habit. I'm determined that even if my situation improves I'm not going to be tempted to buy / collect new franchise lines of Pop!s... Just specifically what fits in with the above saves and connected to something very special to me personally.

[ruxy_100]

I am constantly re-fining and getting rid of Pops - mainly impulse purchases, or ones that I don't end up absolutely loving. It is very liberating, and means that at the end of the day, every pop your collection is one that you absolutely love. It makes you appreciate the ones you do keep so much more.

[hailmary25]

My collection is already at the bare minimum that I have sorted and felt I want to keep and I am still maxed out on space so I do not feel as liberated cause I know more DW and HP are going to come out. I only have single pops of favorite characters like Wreck it Ralph and Lightning Mcqueen (not complete sets). I loved the latest DW release as it was only like 5 pops while the latest HP wave nearly broke me at a whopping 15 I think it was. I never have trade bait really cause I want or have a connection to each pop.

I will say this I have bought less common Pops as I recently started collecting signed pops or getting my pops signed which is taking an expensive hobby and making it more expensive.

[Jezter]

I have only sold of given away a small handful of Pops since I started collecting. I've been lucky that a couple times when finances were tough, I just slowed or stopped buying new ones, but didn't have to sell any to help. That said I know I would struggle selling anything if it came down to it, but I have a lot of random line characters or single characters I could potentially part with if I HAD to.

I don't think I could ever part with my Doctor Who, X-Men, Superman or Star Trek lines, they would be the last groups I'd do all I could to keep if I had to sell or get rid of my Pops for any reason. My Supernatural and horror pops would be tough to part with as well. I don't know, I don't like thinking about it, haha.

[hailmary25]

I have only sold of given away a small handful of Pops since I started collecting. I've been lucky that a couple times when finances were tough, I just slowed or stopped buying new ones, but didn't have to sell any to help. That said I know I would struggle selling anything if it came down to it, but I have a lot of random line characters or single characters I could potentially part with if I HAD to.

I don't think I could ever part with my Doctor Who, X-Men, Superman or Star Trek lines, they would be the last groups I'd do all I could to keep if I had to sell or get rid of my Pops for any reason. My Supernatural and horror pops would be tough to part with as well. I don't know, I don't like thinking about it, haha.

starts to panic and gets sweaty palms thinking about this topic aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[allcutethings2]

I've recently taken a long hard look at my collection, because there is no more room on my shelves. I've started selling off duplicate minis, or ones I decided I didn't *have* to keep. Going to be looking at the Pops next, and dorbz as a last resort. But I do see myself thinning out the herd by 10 or 20 percent this spring, because there are still Pops I really want for my collection (the rest of Beauty and the Beast for example). I don't have space to put anything new at all. And I don't have many "impulse" buys, but I do have some where I'm not as attached to the character, so I could more easily get rid of a few. There are some where I might have a hard time parting with them, but when I consider that getting rid of a few more could enable me to buy some of my must haves, it makes it easier.

[Squird]

I cull constantly. I have to. I have limited space and changing tastes. I once described my collecting style as 'catch and release'.

Getting rid of a couple here and there isn't too bad- trade or ebay. Getting rid of a bunch I've found to be much more difficult. First you have to make the emotional break with what you're getting rid of, then you have to actually do it, which means listing it for sale or trade, working with buyers or trading partners (who want pictures from every angle and assurances that the lens flare in the picture isn't a flaw in the window - get a life guys), then packaging and shipping.

If I'm ever on the fence about buying something, I remind myself how hard it might be to get rid of later and usually walk away.

[funkystark]

I'm a 'recycling collector' for the most part huge waves come in, then I get bored move those out and use that money to bring in new stuff. I like it, keeps it fresh and fun and I'm just using recycled toy money to fund the bulk of the new collection. Now I have mainstays that will never leave but I'm a big marvel fan and that line is insane!! So I'm constantly moving in and moving out Marvel pops as my display has or needs room. At the end of the day, if Funko goes the way of the beanie baby (don't jump on me, just using it as an example not making a comparison) and one day every single piece of Funko I own becomes completely worthless, I know I'll still love going in my toy room just as much as the day before.

[RoboFist]

Due to space and, as you said, financial troubles, I've also had to do this plenty of times in the past. Mostly, I dig through and find characters I don't absolutely love and part with them.

Most recently, I ended up selling my SDCC exclusive Newt Scamander. I loved the idea of a story revolving around him, and the mold looked really awesome. However, the Fantastic Beasts movie (in my very humble and personal opinion) wasn't that great. So I felt no need to keep him anymore. Off he went, just like that.

[HowardTheDuck]

I'm actually going to be doing something like this soon too. I'm moving to a new room with lots of display space but some mismatched pops that don't really have a place in the collection will probably have to go.

[synergy56]

I'm planning on a purge soon as well. Too often I get caught up in the moment when I see an exclusive in store or something come up at a con or shop. I know it will be hard to find later, so if there is any chance I may want it I just have gotten it if the opportunity presented itself. Now with so many more pops, dorbz and other lines being released every year my collection is way out of control for me with the sheer volume. I already have a trade/sale pile of stuff that I know I want to get rid of, but I need to find the time to go through my entire collection, look at each piece and decide if I love it or not. If I don't love it, I am going to get rid of it. As much as it hurts my OCD soul to break up complete sets or give up on completing a set I think the time has come. Now I just need to find the time to actually do it. Especially for some of my larger item collections, like Star Wars and Game of Thrones and female superhero and villains.

[HeyJude]

I've definitely re-assessed my Pop "collection" several times. I actually started collecting some way back in 2012 or so, kind of before the big "boom." (I'm sure many here empathize with remembering what we saw on shelves in 2012 and what some of those figures go for now!)

So my Pop collection has two or three "time gaps" in it so to speak. I collected in 2012/13, then didn't get much until 2015 or so, then stopped again until pretty recently. This means I do have some early figures that are shockingly valuable (I think I have about five early Walking Dead Pops that are worth more than about 90% of the rest of my collection combined!).

But back to the main question, I've thinned a few things out of this collection, and have thinned other "collections" out quite a bit more.

I think the main thing I try really hard to do is only collect Pops that I actually really, truly like. To not complete lines just to complete them. To not just grab variants because they seem kinda cool, or because they might be valuable down the line.

At the same time, a lot of seemingly previously "common" stuff is getting vaulted and going up in price, so I'm also inclined to say that if one thinks they might want a Pop, it's unfortunately better to grab it ASAP and then sort it out later.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

I've been considering culling my collection somewhat. But I'd try to give away my stuff, not just Pops, to my loved ones first before I consider selling.

[HeyJude]

I've been considering culling my collection somewhat. But I'd try to give away my stuff, not just Pops, to my loved ones first before I consider selling.

It's of course dependent on the reason for getting rid of stuff. Space/Gluttony/Guilt/Waning Interest reasons could all result in giving the Pops away. But I think a fair amount of people run into cases where they need to sell to get some money, in which case I can't fault someone for selling rather than giving away.

I even know people who love Pops who decide, if they have one particular figure that all of a sudden goes for three-figure prices on eBay, will sell that one and buy 10 or 20 or more Pops that they like more.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

It's of course dependent on the reason for getting rid of stuff. Space/Gluttony/Guilt/Waning Interest reasons could all result in giving the Pops away. But I think a fair amount of people run into cases where they need to sell to get some money, in which case I can't fault someone for selling rather than giving away.

I even know people who love Pops who decide, if they have one particular figure that all of a sudden goes for three-figure prices on eBay, will sell that one and buy 10 or 20 or more Pops that they like more.

I can only speak for myself. But I'm running out of space. And I rather give away than sell because I know times can be financially tough.

It's just being smart. Why have one when you can have, say, ten?

[lunarembrace]

I've only really culled my collection once. I decided to stop collecting Star Wars, and then I also got together ones I had duplicates of, lines I no longer wanted to collect or were getting too expensive to collect due to vaulting, or along those lines. I think it was 110 that I had gotten boxed up, and have 79 left. I want to get rid of them all together, but that's proving impossible. I'm just trying to get back what I paid for them, and less in some cases, but it's hard! Going to have to go drastic soon, I think. Haha.

I'm trying to be a bit more selective in what I buy, especially since I can't spend too much on Pop!s now. But it's hard!! There are so many awesome lines, and so many coming out daily.

[willy wonka]

I'm a 'recycling collector' for the most part huge waves come in, then I get bored move those out and use that money to bring in new stuff. I like it, keeps it fresh and fun and I'm just using recycled toy money to fund the bulk of the new collection. Now I have mainstays that will never leave but I'm a big marvel fan and that line is insane!! So I'm constantly moving in and moving out Marvel pops as my display has or needs room. At the end of the day, if Funko goes the way of the beanie baby (don't jump on me, just using it as an example not making a comparison) and one day every single piece of Funko I own becomes completely worthless, I know I'll still love going in my toy room just as much as the day before.

[a99kitten]

I thought about doing this multiple times for space. But then I look at them and can't do it. At some point, I will have to move out of the house to have room for toys

[TriFeckTa]

I am starting to cull my collection, may the strongest survive.

[felixfelicis]

Thus far not my Pops, but various collections. As a kid I had a lot of My Little Ponies and some Breyer horses. I picked both these collections back up in college, collecting the generation 3 of MLP and all the Christmas Breyers until I joined the military in 2008. I was parted from my collections for 18 months, and upon being able to have them again, I had lost interest in the MLP and sold them off. That was nearly 1,000 ponies. I filled that void with Monster High and American Girl and soon sold off the Breyers too. I started on Pops late last year and now the Monster High and American Girl is gone.

My Pops may eventually go as well, but part of my collecting issue is that I buy too much too fast with no focus. And with my neverending love of Harry Potter, it would probably be a long time before I would get rid of them. But this time I have a focus, and I am only getting a few Pops at a time. Christmas, my January birthday and Valentine's Day brought me a larger chunk of Pops at once, but I have been averaging 1-2 Pops a week for myself.

And I have to be mindful of weight. The military gives us a cap on the weight they will move, so I really have to stay on top of my various purging, especially closer to transfer time.

[Strending625]

I've been doing some minor trimming here and there lately of my collection and I know probably in the next few month I will go through again and cut some more I don't really need. I know since the end of last year I've slowed my buying habits because I was buying way too many and they were just going into my man cave and I was shutting the door. A couple weeks ago I went through and took them all out of the store bags they were still in, took them out of their boxes and now I'm in the process of reorganizing my entire display. Going through reorganization though helps me really see what I have and helps to decide that something can be cut later down the road.

[ricflair4ever]

I do not have a very large PoP collection compared to most of you guys, so i never had to worry as much about space. However, my darkest day as a Funko collector , came when i had to sell my Ghost Rider PoP to make up the difference on an overdue electric bill last year. I never would have sold him if it weren't absolutely imparitive. At the time , i was married and had 5 kids to think of first. Now I'm divored and I regret selling that Ghost Rider even more............ALMOST as much as i regret marrying her in the first place. Lol

[DigsUT]

I will be starting the culling of my collection soon. Collecting Star Wars takes enough funds and display space. There really is no room for anything else.

[Flex Luthor]

I'm a 'recycling collector' for the most part huge waves come in, then I get bored move those out and use that money to bring in new stuff. I like it, keeps it fresh and fun and I'm just using recycled toy money to fund the bulk of the new collection. Now I have mainstays that will never leave but I'm a big marvel fan and that line is insane!! So I'm constantly moving in and moving out Marvel pops as my display has or needs room. At the end of the day, if Funko goes the way of the beanie baby (don't jump on me, just using it as an example not making a comparison) and one day every single piece of Funko I own becomes completely worthless, I know I'll still love going in my toy room just as much as the day before.

I have a very similar mindset when it comes to pop collecting. If pieces no longer fit my collection or I need to clear space I sell them and use that money to get a grail. My collection is constantly evolving and in my opinion becomes more about "quality than quantity".

[Codes]

I used to have 70+ Pop! I feel like a lot of them were impulse purchases. I sold about 28 of those recently and am about to sell off my Marvel collection as I just decided that I don't like the large mismatch in quality of the newer and older designs. I decided to just focus on getting the main characters from movies and TV shows that I like. I believe my actual collection is only about 25 Pop! now.

[shatpank81]

Every pop i owned i have loved
But i was diagnosed with Leukaemia in August and my savings are only getting me so far plus the urge to keep buying pops are strong.

So started selling certain pops, gone off TWD and Arrow and got loads of the first waves/rarer ones like Glenn etc which fetch a decent amount, so starting there!
Hoping the financial need to start on other franchises doesnt materialise

[SCF]

I've recently started this process also. At one point I had to buy pretty much every exclusive regardless of line. Now I have really mainstreamed my collection. I am now starting to sell through my Star Wars and marvel collections. I will mainly stick with DC and Disney/various animation.

[MrBear]

I did it recently but still have maybe 20 to unload. Need to photograph what is left and post again. It was a combination of random impulse buys or things I just was not that attached to. For instance, comic styles DC as so many are insanely priced it makes it feel futile and I don't like the live action TV and movie stuff so I just kept my faves. Excluding what I am trying to sell I have about 553 pops and that is a lot. I have started recycling the plastic inner trays and flattening the boxes; save those that are pricey.

[MorbidGee]

I'm constantly culling (giving away and selling),it depends on what strikes me as a forever piece. Tastes change and likes vary. I pretty much buy what I like ... I admit a few impulse buys but its primarily a purchase of planned out choices. Keeps it interesting. Plus I'm always finding items I didn't even remember purchasing . Treasure quests in the toy room are awesome

[hothzambonidriver]

I have been a Star Wars nerd and collector long before Pop Vinyl was even a concept. My darkest time came over a decade ago when I had major health issues and ended up selling about ninety-five percent of my collection due to rapidly increasing medical bills. It was definitely not easy to do but necessary since my health was top priority. Good news is eventually I got better both physically and financially. Afterwards I stayed away from collecting for a while but got bit again by the collecting bug in 2012. And I must say going through all that made me appreciate my collection more now than ever. I cull my collection every now and then to make space for new items. I want to look at and enjoy my collection and don't want to pack anything away in boxes where I can't enjoy them. I have made a small room in my house strictly for toys (and Pops) that I can go in and enjoy them daily and when it gets full it's time to get rid of some stuff and make room for new stuff. It was tough the first time around but now I agree that it can be somewhat liberating to get rid of the ones that I'm not attached to or have grown tired of. This has once again become a fun hobby for me and culling is part of the process that has become enjoyable. This post may have gotten a little bit long but that's my humble story on the subject

[Battastic]

Before I even started collecting Funko products I had to start selling things off. I lost my job during the 2007/2008 economic downturn and selling most of my collection paid the bills. I kept a few pieces but over 90% was sold. At the time had I also opened a collectible store in my spare time and when the economy dropped it took a huge hit. I ended up selling the business off as well.
I started collecting POPs because of the price point and the unique designs. It was an easy way to start building my collection again.
I did hit a moment where I had to sell some pieces off because of a family medical issue. It was so sudden and unexpected....I didn't know what else to do. So a few pieces had to go just to be on the safe side.
Now, I do sell some pieces from time to time but not for drastic reasons. I help out fellow funatics as much as possible and sometimes I go a bit overboard. I end purchasing pieces just in case someone may need them but then end up stuck with extras

[POPtor WHO]

I'm actually at the point where I need to cull my collection. I've strayed too far from my focus and have gotten into way too many properties. I recently moved from a 4 bedroom apt into a 2 bedroom house (albeit with an unfinished basement) but have a baby arriving in June. So, while I'm not at the "have to recoup $" stage, the extra cash would be nice not to mention gaining some elbow room in a smaller living space.

Doctor Who brought me in...those aren't going anywhere. Neither is Supernatural or South Park. Some of my favorites like Futurama, X-Files, Universal Monsters, NFL (Patriots) etc are safe. I have a good amount of stand-alone figures Voltron, Space Ghost, Kratos...I'll keep those too.

It's really Marvel/MCU, DC/DCCU, Star Wars and Harry Potter that are making up the bulk of the collection. I can't figure out where to draw the line though. I was initially OT only, but have all of the TFA and Rogue One, and I LOVE the Rebels POPS! X-Men and Batman stay but then you get into the ancillary characters that lead into Avengers and Teen Titans. I have a complete MCU Avengers collection, well AoU & CW anyway. How do I part with that? I can feel the anxiety building as I type

Guess I've gotta start slowly and weed through some other stuff before I hit the large collections.

[FunkoJoeSuper]

I'm actually at the point where I need to cull my collection. I've strayed too far from my focus and have gotten into way too many properties. I recently moved from a 4 bedroom apt into a 2 bedroom house (albeit with an unfinished basement) but have a baby arriving in June. So, while I'm not at the "have to recoup $" stage, the extra cash would be nice not to mention gaining some elbow room in a smaller living space.

Doctor Who brought me in...those aren't going anywhere. Neither is Supernatural or South Park. Some of my favorites like Futurama, X-Files, Universal Monsters, NFL (Patriots) etc are safe. I have a good amount of stand-alone figures Voltron, Space Ghost, Kratos...I'll keep those too.

It's really Marvel/MCU, DC/DCCU, Star Wars and Harry Potter that are making up the bulk of the collection. I can't figure out where to draw the line though. I was initially OT only, but have all of the TFA and Rogue One, and I LOVE the Rebels POPS! X-Men and Batman stay but then you get into the ancillary characters that lead into Avengers and Teen Titans. I have a complete MCU Avengers collection, well AoU & CW anyway. How do I part with that? I can feel the anxiety building as I type

Guess I've gotta start slowly and weed through some other stuff before I hit the large collections.

Patriots! Yes! Huge Pats fan here.

[hpellot]

I am at negative space I will have to start cutting lines

[MasterSplyntr]

I don't want to turn around one day and have my collection be so out of control that it swallows me whole. I'm constantly trimming here and there. Sometimes it's a single piece I'm just tired of and sometimes it's multiples that I wonder why I even bought (impulse buys! ). Of course I'm always adding back again. I've just become more selective in my Funko purchases. It's not easy with the constant flow of awesomeness either

[Sograk]

I too decided to condense my collection late last year. I was sitting at 700+ pops and was running out of space and money to keep up with everything. I am keeping Star Wars, Batman, Willy Wonka, Flash (TV), Arrow (TV), Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Blizzard Pops, and a few Disney my fiance wanted to keep. I am sitting at 304 pops I'm keeping (Still have 140 to sell) right now (Which would have taken my overall total to 790 pops if I would have kept all of them).

[Libertyroxx]

I'm going to do a re-visit when I move in a few months. I live in Brooklyn so space and display space has been an issue since day 1. I actually have far more Pops boxed and in my storage space than I do at home. If it really came down to it I would keep Doctor Who and absolutely all of my Star Wars and specific Marvel. Most others would be up for a one by one decision.

[hailmary25]

Doing a re-visit and trying to accomplish this is very very very very very very tough

[Thrillofthehunt]

I know a few who went crazy with it at first and started selling so it wasn't so out of control. I am getting short on space so may need to start freeing up room and focusing my collecting better

[ScarletFunko]

I've done this twice now. It's not easy but it makes me appreciate the ones I have even more. And it clears the way for new ones! Lol