General questions about acquiring Mystery Minis

[ScroogeMcDollar]

Hi guys,
If you have seen my previous posts, you know that I have recently gotten into Funko Pops and the Funko Action Figures. Specifically, the Disney Afternoon lines. Now that the mystery minis are out, I had some general questions about acquiring mystery minis.

1) How long does a wave usually last on the store shelves or online? Do they disappear quickly or does that all depend on the popularity of the series itself? I’m mainly curious if I will have months to try to complete the set or a few weeks only.

2) Has anyone attempted to order a full case online from either Toyrus, HotTop or GameStop? I’ve checked all three sites and have only found an option to buy the single boxes. Has anyone attempted ordering 12 individual boxes hoping that they would be sent an actual full case? Since these stores have the exclusives I was considering buying a full case from one of them without having to hunt threw the stores.

3) How hard is it to acquire a 1/72 figure? I’m sure this depends on the popularity of the figure/line itself, but I’ve been checking eBay and $40 to $60 seems like the average going price. I was looking at random Disney lines and the Walking Dead figures to try and gauge the demand. In my mind this option is still cheaper than spending $70 to $90 on a full case and then still missing out on that 1/72 so I’m torn on what I should do with the short-packed figures.

4) I’ve seen many people mentioning pocket scales and weighing the boxes in the stores. I’m not in these stores often so what are the chances of walking in and having a full or semi-full case to pick threw? Does product get refreshed often? Do you guys usually call ahead or check inventory online somehow?

5) Finally, is acquiring a full set more of a waiting game or an act fast or else you will miss it? I’ve already ordered one regular full case as that seems like the best place to start and the best deal for acquiring the most figures up front. I’m just unsure of how I should fill in the rest of the set and how quickly I will need to act.

Please forgive me if these questions have been asked before and can be found in another thread. I purposely didn’t post these question in either of the Disney Afternoon threads because I felt they were general questions about mystery mini hobby and would be helpful to anyone starting out. And please feel free to add any tricks of the trade that you think will help out a newbie!

Thanks everyone!

[Quazimoto]

I'm no expert, but I'll give it a go to help ya with some answers...

1) How long does a wave usually last on the store shelves or online? Do they disappear quickly or does that all depend on the popularity of the series itself? I’m mainly curious if I will have months to try to complete the set or a few weeks only.
Totally depends on a combination of popularity of the series and Funko's production number. Honestly, it can be impossible to judge how quick a set might disappear from shelves of online listings or how long it might linger around. Also depends on your area and how many other collectors are around. Flippers can have a big impact too, especially if there's some rare figures in the set.


2) Has anyone attempted to order a full case online from either Toyrus, HotTop or GameStop? I’ve checked all three sites and have only found an option to buy the single boxes. Has anyone attempted ordering 12 individual boxes hoping that they would be sent an actual full case? Since these stores have the exclusives I was considering buying a full case from one of them without having to hunt threw the stores.
Never done it myself, but it'll generally depend on who's pulling the order and how the store them in the stock room. Say you order twelve individual boxes and the warehouse it comes from has two full cases and one partial on the shelves. One picker might just grab the full case. Another might grab what's left of the partial and enough additional from a full case to fill the 12 figure order. So, basically, it's a total crapshoot. You might be able to acquire a full case from one of those stores by talking to the store employees in person and asking if they can either order or save you a full case.


3) How hard is it to acquire a 1/72 figure? I’m sure this depends on the popularity of the figure/line itself, but I’ve been checking eBay and $40 to $60 seems like the average going price. I was looking at random Disney lines and the Walking Dead figures to try and gauge the demand. In my mind this option is still cheaper than spending $70 to $90 on a full case and then still missing out on that 1/72 so I’m torn on what I should do with the short-packed figures.
Personally, I hate the different figure ratios. I'm of the mind that a set should consist of twelve figures, all 1/12 ratio. Having any ratio rarer than 1/12 in a 12 figure case is simple greed because they know people whill end up buying figure after figure after figure hunting that one missing rare figure from the set. Some collectors love them, largely because it somehow makes them feel special to have a 'rare' figure in their collection, but that doesn't change the fact that those high ratio figures are only done because it means more money in the company's bank account. Now that I'm done ranting... It'll entirely depend on the popularity of both the line and the individual figure as to how hard it is to acquire that 1/72 figure. How long you're willing to wait plays a part too. If you want it right away, you're probably going to have to pay upwards of $70 or more as there's less out there to be had. Wait a few weeks or a couple months and you might be able to find that same figure for less than half the price it was initially going for. Personally, I've never paid more than $35 for a 1/72 figure and that was only one that had been released years before I ever started collection. I usually just wait it out until I find one that fits in my budget (which is, admittedly, small). Always helps to put out feelers or post a want ad for one you're looking for too. Plenty of people here on the forums who might happen upon doubles of that rare figure or not be interest in it themselves who'll happily sell it to you for a very reasonable price.


4) I’ve seen many people mentioning pocket scales and weighing the boxes in the stores. I’m not in these stores often so what are the chances of walking in and having a full or semi-full case to pick threw? Does product get refreshed often? Do you guys usually call ahead or check inventory online somehow?
Really depends on when you go. If you know a store's delivery schedule, you might be able to time it perfectly. Otherwise, it's just happenstance. I rarely go out in person myself, but have seen full, untouched, cases of mystery minis plenty of times. Best luck I've had was always at GameStop in that regard. Haven't been to a Hot Topic in years, so I can't speak on that personally, but I've heard of lots of people running into full cases there. Of course, I've also heard of Hot Topic shuffling the cases around, making a case layout useless. How often a product gets refreshed is going to depend on both store policy and sales. You're pretty well equally likely to find a store that will order a new case when what they have on hand is almost gone as you are to find stores that get one case and only one case. There's a ton of factors that play into what store follows what policy in that regard, so the only way you'll know for sure it to ask and hope they'll tell ya. As far as scales go... Some people will hate on ya for doing it. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it IF you're hunting for yourself. Someone using a scale to hunt out only the rare figures so they can resell them for massive mark-ups on eBay does kinda rub me the wrong way. But if it's just for your own collection, I don't personally find anything wrong with it. Only done it once myself trying to find Becky from the Finding Dory series, but was unsuccessful in doing so.


5) Finally, is acquiring a full set more of a waiting game or an act fast or else you will miss it? I’ve already ordered one regular full case as that seems like the best place to start and the best deal for acquiring the most figures up front. I’m just unsure of how I should fill in the rest of the set and how quickly I will need to act.
Like a lot of the answers above, it really just depends. Largely on how quickly you want to have it. There's too many factors at play to really say definitely how long you can safely wait. Generally, in the world of online shopping and eBay, you'll be able to find figures from any given series for a long time. Personally, I've found that the best time to find an abundance of figures from any given set is from two weeks until about two months after a set starts hitting store shelves. By two weeks in, it's usually able to be found all over the country so if you can't find them in stores, you should be able to find them online somewhere. Some individual figures will always be harder to find than others just based on rarity and/or popularity. Walgreens exclusive Mystery Minis are particularly difficult to find for some reason, even online, so if you're ever after those, it might be a case of being ready to buy them as soon as you see them. Otherwise, it really just depends. I'd say you're taking the right tactic with ordering a full base case and filling in the rest here and there, especially if you're aiming to obtain the entire set eventually. I did the same thing with several MM sets and it generally worked out really well.

[keyese]

Hi guys,
If you have seen my previous posts, you know that I have recently gotten into Funko Pops and the Funko Action Figures. Specifically, the Disney Afternoon lines. Now that the mystery minis are out, I had some general questions about acquiring mystery minis.

Welcome to the magical world of MINIS! It's very addicting.

1) How long does a wave usually last on the store shelves or online? Do they disappear quickly or does that all depend on the popularity of the series itself? I’m mainly curious if I will have months to try to complete the set or a few weeks only.

This kind of depends on the line, but more importantly it depends on where the exclusives are. Not sure how much you've looked into all this, but typically a line will have 1-4 store exclusive sets (usually Hot Topic, Gamestop, TRU, Barnes & Noble, Walgreens, Walmart, and/or Target). Then there will also be a "common" or non-exclusive set that is sold everywhere else. The common ones are usually easier to come by since they can be found multiple places, but either way, lines usually only get restocked a few times before selling out and moving on to the next line. I would err on the side of weeks rather than say you have months to complete things.

2) Has anyone attempted to order a full case online from either Toyrus, HotTop or GameStop? I’ve checked all three sites and have only found an option to buy the single boxes. Has anyone attempted ordering 12 individual boxes hoping that they would be sent an actual full case? Since these stores have the exclusives I was considering buying a full case from one of them without having to hunt threw the stores.

Unfortunately the places you've listed don't usually let you order 12 at a time, so there's no way to get a box. Hot Topic offered full boxes for a couple lines last year, but I think it was more of a clearance situation than the norm. It would be awesome if they would allow this more though.

3) How hard is it to acquire a 1/72 figure? I’m sure this depends on the popularity of the figure/line itself, but I’ve been checking eBay and $40 to $60 seems like the average going price. I was looking at random Disney lines and the Walking Dead figures to try and gauge the demand. In my mind this option is still cheaper than spending $70 to $90 on a full case and then still missing out on that 1/72 so I’m torn on what I should do with the short-packed figures.

Some 1/72s are easier to come by if they are available in multiple sets (exclusive and common). For example, for Harry Potter series 2, the Pixie is a 1/72 but is available in all cases, so is not as expensive ($15-20 right now). The store exclusive 1/72s can climb over $150. Once a series has stopped, the 1/72s will grow in price usually.

4) I’ve seen many people mentioning pocket scales and weighing the boxes in the stores. I’m not in these stores often so what are the chances of walking in and having a full or semi-full case to pick threw? Does product get refreshed often? Do you guys usually call ahead or check inventory online somehow?

I carry a scale with me in my purse just in case I stop somewhere Some people are against scaling or using layouts, but it's up to your preference. I would suggest that when you stop in, you chat up the people who work there and treat them nicely. Be patient and kind. You can mention what you are interested in, and ask them if they have any updates or if they have it in back. If you stop in enough, usually people will recognize you and try to help

To get the inside scoop, keep an eye out for people posting here if they see them in stores. Then start calling your store. If you have a product code or can describe them, that's usually helpful. Sometimes you can get lucky with walking in on a full box, but usually it requires some footwork. For Hot Topic for example, they usually only get restocked a couple times

5) Finally, is acquiring a full set more of a waiting game or an act fast or else you will miss it? I’ve already ordered one regular full case as that seems like the best place to start and the best deal for acquiring the most figures up front. I’m just unsure of how I should fill in the rest of the set and how quickly I will need to act.

There are a couple different ways you can go about collecting. You can be first in the game and hit up as many stores as you can, and be ahead. Or you can be more passive and wait until people get extras and buy/trade for them. It kinda depends on what ones you are trying to collect, and how much time you want to invest. Sometimes money is easier to spend than gas/time/resources.

I typically will order one box (or try to get a full box from an exclusive retailer if at all possible), weigh the ones I got and map a layout, and use that for future boxes I find. There are online groups and sometimes people post weights here too to help supplement your info. Sometimes if there are crap ratios (like Stranger Things had 4 sets of 1/6 characters, meaning there were going to be 4 dupes per box), I will skip the full box and try my luck with single ones.

Please forgive me if these questions have been asked before and can be found in another thread. I purposely didn’t post these question in either of the Disney Afternoon threads because I felt they were general questions about mystery mini hobby and would be helpful to anyone starting out. And please feel free to add any tricks of the trade that you think will help out a newbie!

Thanks everyone!

Overall, my suggestion is to find some Facebook groups that you can trade or buy people's extras, and get more info about release dates, weights, layouts, advice, etc. And chat a lot on here, hopefully we can all help each other!

Also, just wait until you get into the Pint Size Heroes That's usually next

[ScroogeMcDollar]

Thank you Quazimoto and kihou for taking the time to write such thorough responses! I really appreciate it. It sounds like I started out on the right track by ordering the full case so that’s reassuring to hear. It also sounds like the big takeaway is to get to know the employees as they may be able to help you out, but time is also money and sometimes jumping on an eBay listing is far easier. Hopefully my case arrives this week and I can start planning out how to track down the rest of these figures ASAP!

Based off some of the odds combined with store exclusives, it sounds like Funko can get pretty nasty with the chase figures. I agree that a case should be 12 distinct figures and that the odds of any given figure should be equal. The whole blind box concept is hard enough as it is without making some figures almost impossible to attain. Blind boxes irk me even more considering my biggest pet peeve is sloppy paint work. For example, if I’m buying a figure set from the Disney store I will spend a good half hour examining each set to make sure the one I buy has the best painted figures. I’m expecting my case to have at least one Scrooge McDuck (he’s a 1/12 odds figure) and I’m going to be really bummed if he has paint smeared across his face. Quality control could make or break this for me. But given that Funko is geared towards collectors, and that my first few Pops all look great, I have high hopes for the quality of the minis.

Thanks again for all the advice and information. I will also be sure to keep the funatic community abreast of any doubles that I have and will look to trade within before I resorting to eBay! And no pint sized heroes, my wallet can't take another toy line!

[Quazimoto]

Yeah, getting to know store employees can help. Doesn't work for me, but then again, I'm agoraphobic, so just being in public is difficult. Approaching a store employee and talking to them is near impossible. Point being that you can do it without befriending employees. Just might be a nice helpful bonus to do so. I actually buy almost everything online and rarely want a full set of MMs, so it's usually easier for me to grab the ones I need on eBay or buy a full case and sell the extras to raise funds for the missing ones I might need.

For what it's worth, I've rarely come across a Mystery Mini with a major flaw like smeared paint or missing deco application. Not to say it can't happen, but I've literally had hundreds of MM figures through my hands and only two had what I would consider major flaws. One was a Captain Americ with a jacked-up spring in the bobblehead. The other being a Gremlin whose arm had come off. Captain America was a lost cause, but the Gremlin was an easy fix with some super glue.

LOL. I said the same thing as you there about Pint Size Heroes. Actually, I swore up and down that I wasn't gonna ever get into Mystery Minis at first. Then they put out WWE ones. Swore I would never buy a Dorbz 'cause I just didn't want to get into another line. Then GameStop had a few on clearance. Swore to high heaven I would never buy Pint Size Heroes. Then my Brother got me a couple on a random outing. Now I have more of each of those lines than I do Pop!s.

[Grex54]

The earlier posts pretty much summed it up. I like to buy a full case first then go from there. Its really a series by series situation on how hard a set is to complete, but it is a lot of fun collecting them.

[keyese]

I LOVE talking about mystery minis and pints so I am happy to answer questions for anyone

As far as QC issues, I've come across some minis that had bad paint jobs or pieces missing/broken/misglued, but most of the time they are really well done. As Quazimoto said too, I've seen hundreds of minis and only a handful have been bad, which is pretty good! Especially for how detailed some of the newer sets are (like the Thor Ragnarok ones). It's also helpful that the one you are most after is a 1/12, so if you do come across a dud, you can hopefully find another fairly quickly/cheaply!

[ScroogeMcDollar]

I swear I will only collect the Disney Afternoon line, I swear it!

buuuuuuuuuuuuut that WB & Hanna Barbara mini line looks pretty sweet...........

Oh noooo I'm doomed aren't I?!

[Geescube]

Yes. Its a bad time...

[keyese]

I swear I will only collect the Disney Afternoon line, I swear it!

buuuuuuuuuuuuut that WB & Hanna Barbara mini line looks pretty sweet...........

Oh noooo I'm doomed aren't I?!

And then they will do pints of each of those sets and you'll be sucked in forever

If you do get into pints, we can help out with feeler guides. Then you'll know what it's like to be feeling up a bag for ears or a hat or tail or whatever

[NCDS]

Thank you guys, most of my knowledge comes from following Libertyroxx around on trips. Maybe now I know something he doesn't

[Angology]

I swear I will only collect the Disney Afternoon line, I swear it!

buuuuuuuuuuuuut that WB & Hanna Barbara mini line looks pretty sweet...........

Oh noooo I'm doomed aren't I?!

Hmmm...This sounds familiar. For me, it was the Despicable Me 2 line (although, I was lucky that those were all 1/12 so I just bought a box) I'll just get these-they're kind of cool. Now, I have two shelves dedicated, and various minis and PSHs stuffed in every nook and cranny of the rest of the shelves!

I am torn about the distributions-if all were 1/12, then there would be no thrill of the hunt. However, I am super happy when a line I like is just 1/12. And then, they started doing more of the 1/6 distributions! I really don't like that, but it is what it is. And don't get me started on the Trollhunters line...

[ScroogeMcDollar]

And then they will do pints of each of those sets and you'll be sucked in forever

If you do get into pints, we can help out with feeler guides. Then you'll know what it's like to be feeling up a bag for ears or a hat or tail or whatever

I really wish these mystery minis were just in bags! To me, the thought of feeling up a bag in public is less embarrassing then pulling out a scale to weigh a box

[Geescube]

Up to you if you choose to feel embarrassed. Most people are intrigued, wondering how we know what to look for & if it works.

I personally hate feeling up blind bags. Im glad I can do it,because I know how to feel out what Im looking for. BUT, It takes longer, makes MUCH more noise AND I actually get stared at when Im feeling blind bags. Employees usually stop and ask me if I need help, multiple times even, as if they think I'm up to something.

[bakivali]

Up to you if you choose to feel embarrassed. Most people are intrigued, wondering how we know what to look for & if it works.

I personally hate feeling up blind bags. Im glad I can do it,because I know how to feel out what Im looking for. BUT, It takes longer, makes MUCH more noise AND I actually get stared at when Im feeling blind bags. Employees usually stop and ask me if I need help, multiple times even, as if they think I'm up to something.

That's true. The other risk is that sometimes the bags break open if you squish them too much. But it does make it easier to get the one that you want if you can figure out what they look/feel like.

[Geescube]

That's true. The other risk is that sometimes the bags break open if you squish them too much. But it does make it easier to get the one that you want if you can figure out what they look/feel like.

I mean thats some serious feeling.....

[Heli88]

Then again, I was once feeling up Lego blind bags, and two other folks came up and joined in, and we all nerded out about Lego for a while, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Still feels a little weird, though.