Bob Ross Funko Gaining Huge Momentum

 

One of the more interesting trends to pop up in the world of pop culture and collectability over the past few years is the emergence of Funko Pop figures. The little cartoonish plastic figures have become a hit with collectors of all ages and niches. Like any trend staying on top of what seems like thousands of figures can be a challenge for anyone, and that challenge is about to be stepped up even further.

The big item that everyone seems to be talking about is the Bob Ross Funko. Yes, the “Happy Trees” guy from the show “Joy of Painting,” that became a Netflix phenomenon. The tween and teen section of collectors has been buzzing about this figure for a few weeks, and pre-preders are already skyrocketing in demand. Make sure you order yours, or one for a Christmas present, very soon. Amazon is currently offering a nice pre-order price.

The other series that is getting some traction with collectors of all ages features the “Terror that flaps in the night.” That’s right, Darkwing Duck is making a Funko Pop debut along with Launchpad, Gosalyn, and even Negaduck. While admittedly, the Darkwing set of characters will not be nearly as popular as the Bob Ross, the chase and variant crowd is likely in for an adventurous fall collecting season.

With limited editions, exclusives, and chase variants also making waves, just about every Funko Pop has the chance to offer some sort of collectability. What really drives that market is variants and versions of popular figures. While it’s always tough to gauge popularity, these fall releases seem to be generating a whole lot of interest.

Pre-orders at comic shops and collectible centers are heating up, and it seems likely that the pre-order price will get altered on Amazon at some point. Bob Ross has managed to jump into the pop culture conversation, and his popularity will likely make these impossible to find around the holiday season. Jump on them now collectors, or pay the price (quite literally) in a few weeks.

Weighing in on DC Universe Rebirth Speculators and Flippers

Well, it’s Wednesday, and thanks to vacations or other what not, it’s been a few since we managed a post here at Let Your Geek Show. Today, I’ll be focusing on DC Universe Rebirth speculating and flipping, which is a topic just about everyone can relate to. If you’ve been into a comic book store over the past few weeks you have likely noticed the cool blue DC Comics logos across the tops of several books, and many of these issues have exploded on the secondary market.

The first thing to keep in mind if you are a flipper is that timing is everything. With a major event like Rebirth, it’s easy to get caught up in all the hoopla and hype surrounding it. At the New Dimension Comics location I work at, we’ve been selling out of every type of Rebirth title imaginable. That’s a big deal. However, on my recent business trip/vacation/week in Hades in the Orlando area, one thing became very clear to me on the Rebirth success: Some retailers are making the most of the 100% returnable part of the series.

In several (read: ALL) the shops I went to (Four BTW), there were plenty of Rebirth Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and more, and plenty of #1’s as well. Since some of those issues are weeks old, I was amazed, because flippers have been putting up and out for a few weeks now online turning in nearly double that $2.99 cover price. However, all those issues on shelves in a major area (face it there are more people in the Orlando area than here north of Pittsburgh), mean something key to flippers and speculators—the value is likely short lived.

All those issues, and there were excess of 75 or so per location on average, means a glut on the market. Whether those are destroyed when returned to DC or not remain to be seen, but if even a portion of them find a way to market, all that pent up demand gets met quickly dropped the price of the book (for you economics folks that’s basic supply and demand).

This whole situation points to striking while the iron is hot, and red hot from the way things are going to turn a profit and maximize the return. While I don’t personally have a problem with flippers (I do have a problem with one person buying twenty-five copies of the same issue to sell online though one or two is a different story), folks not actually reading these Rebirth stories are doing themselves a disservice, because they are for the most part a lot of fun. At least, they are better than that “Villains’ Month” crap a few years ago.

So there you have it, if you are speculating with DC Universe Rebirth for the long run, you might be in for a wait, but if you are flipping short-term you might just have a nice little profit on your hands. However, if the demand continues to grow, and signs point that they will, you might be better off being a speculator for maximizing your value. It’s always tough to say, but just by being involved in comics, you are after all, letting your geek show, and that my friends is tremendous.