• Absolutely! Grading Pops! is becoming one of the most sought-after services for collectors. The PGS team has created a method that evaluates both the box and the figure. Once the authenticity has been confirmed the grading process can begin with encapsulation being the final product! 

How do you authenticate a Funko Pop!? 

• The PGS team utilizes our very own Funko Pop! database. It includes pictures and notes for every fake Pop! currently known to the community. Utilizing the Funko app does not always guarantee authenticity, so we took it upon ourselves to do the research and compile this information. Access to this proprietary database is available to clients when they sign up for our Collector Membership! 

How do I start collecting Funko Pops!? 

• First, buy one. Second, buy another. You are now collecting! Make sure to stay true to who you are. Buy for the reasons that make you happy. Some people buy Pops! that relate to their family, their favorite comics, their favorite tv shows or their favorite movies. Other people buy Pops! as an investment. There are endless categories for collecting and it's up to you to choose your passion. As with any collectible, there are counterfeits out there, so we advise you to do your research. If research takes the fun out of it for you – we are here to help: sign up for our Collector Membership and access our database. 

Should I collect boxed or out-of-box?  

• This is a personal choice. No one should ever tell you how to collect your Pops!. If you choose to collect out-of-box, PGS advises keeping the box in a safe, cool and dry place. If you decide to sell your collection in a couple of years, having the box is very important. In general, the value of your Pop! drops significantly without the original box. If you choose to collect boxed, you may want to check out our Grading Services.  We encapsulate your Pop! in a tamper-proof, UV resistant capsule for the utmost protection while also providing you with a great way to display your Pop!. 

How do I obtain convention exclusives, chases, grails and vaulted Pops!? 

• Hurry up and wait. These Pops! are more difficult to come by now that the collecting community has grown.  You can purchase most exclusives online or in stores, but it is first come first serve with most retailers and private sellers. If you are unlucky and miss out on the Pop! you wanted; your best bet is through a trusted second-hand source. Be sure to read all the fine print clearly when purchasing from a second-hand seller as many high-demand Pops! can be faked. Sign up for access to our fake Database where we are constantly updating and tracking the latest faked Pops! Also, stay tuned in to our social media where we constantly update our followers on big “drops” and hot Pops! that are hitting the open market. 

How do I know what a Pop! is worth or if I’m overpaying?  

• There are two great websites available to Funko Collectors that show the average cost of a specific Pop!. Pop Price Guide (PPG) is the most common and is widely used by the Pop! community. You can make an account to track your entire collection and what it’s worth. Funko also has its own app to track your Pops! as your collection expands. 

I’m torn between selling and keeping my Pops! What should I do?  

• This question comes up more times than people think during the course of owning a few Pops! or an entire collection. It’s a dilemma many are faced with and there are many factors to consider. If the consideration for selling is financial, then that’s a personal call and doing some research can help you price your Pop! or entire collection appropriately. If you aren’t financially motivated, beware of having an “OMG, we shouldn’t have let that go!” moment (like the time people sold all of their Game of Thrones or Walking Dead collections before they should have). Pop! prices change all the time, especially with exclusives. Our best advice, research values and then go with your gut, ALWAYS! 

What are the biggest times of year for the Funko Community? 

• There is always something going on with the Funko community. That’s why we encourage everyone to find local groups in their area! Funko does have a few times of the year where they tend to go all out with events. Some of the most popular fan events include the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle every March, the San Diego Comic Con in July, and the New York Comic Con in September. Funko does have specific events that it holds throughout the year and in order to gain tickets, you must participate in their forums. You can find out more on our social media. 

How can I protect my boxed Pops!? 

• We are working on a partnership to bring soft-protectors your way! This should be available on our store for the start of Q4. For Pops! that are more valuable – or just important to you – we recommend our grading and encapsulation service which includes a UV protected sealed hard capsule for display. 

How do you display your Pops! effectively? 

• This depends whether or not you are an OOB or in-box collector. You can get very creative with OOB. In-box collecting gets tough, but we recommend to stack ehm high and stack ehm wide! Collections look best when you can keep similar Pops! grouped together. Check out our social media posts on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest set ups. 

How can I safely remove price tag residue? 

• Price tag residue on cardboard: The general consensus in the Pop! community is that a very small amount of rubbing alcohol or eucalyptus oil on a cotton swab will do the trick. Make sure to test your solution on an old spare box first, or if you don’t have one, try a discreet part of the box (like the bottom) to avoid major mishaps. Another solution is to use a hair dryer to soften the glue. Again, proceed with caution. 

• Price tag residue on clear plastic: Remove everything from inside the box, then flatten it out. Apply a small drop of cooking oil to a soft rag and gently rub in circular motion without hitting any cardboard edging. DO NOT use alcohol or acetone on the clear plastic as it will melt it! 

What are the stickers – should I take them off? 

• The stickers on the clear plastic part of the box indicate that the item is an exclusive or rarity (i.e. from a Comic Con event). You definitely DO NOT want to remove these stickers (even if they obstruct the view of the Pop!) as they are part of what makes it exclusive and valuable. 

• What is Collectors Corps/Loot Crate/Smugglers Bounty etc...? 

• These are a few of the aforementioned stickers. Stickers are found on limited edition subscription collectors' boxes that are released monthly and contain exclusive items that can't be purchased anywhere else. 

What do all the acronyms and lingo mean in Funko group threads? 

• EE = Entertainment Earth 

• GITD = Glow In The Dark 

• GT = Galactic Toys 

• HT = Hot Topic 

• PC = Popcultcha 

• PIAB = Pop In A Box 

• ISO = In Search Of 

• MIB = Mint In Box 

• NFS = Not For Sale 

• NFT = Not For Trade or Non-Fungible Token 

• NYCC = New York Comic Con 

• SDCC = San Diego Comic Con 

• ECCC = Emerald City Comic Con 

• OOB = Out Of Box 

• RS = Restricted Shipping 

Should I keep the Pop! boxes? 

• If you decide to display your Pops! out of the box, it is wise to keep the boxes because one day you might want to sell one and it is way more valuable in the box. If you are certain you don’t want to keep the boxes, there is a demand for them. Try trading/selling them in your favorite Pop! forum. 

What is an “exclusive” Pop!? 

• An “exclusive” is a Pop! that has a limited production run and is usually created for a special event like a Comic Convention. They are identified by a special sticker placed on the clear plastic part of the box. The Pop! itself is usually different from the mass produced “common” version, with variations that may include (but are not limited to) different colors, metallic paints, and/or a glow in the dark feature. 

What is a “prototype”? 

• Before a Pop! is mass produced and released into stores for you to buy, several original versions (prototypes) of the character are created. These are used for testing and assessment of the new idea. Sometimes they are painted, sometimes they are not. These rare finds are highly collectible and very valuable. 

What is a "Chase” Pop!? 

• When Funko ships box lots to retailers, they are sent in lots of 36. One of the Pops! in the case is called a Chase. Whilst it is the same character, it is slightly varied from the rest, making it rare and more collectible. Usually, Chase Pops! have different colors or paint and have a unique sticker identifying it as a Chase on the clear plastic. 

What is a “grail” Pop!? 

• The term “grail” is short for “Holy Grail”, which is used to describe a very special, rare, desirable, and usually expensive Pop!. We highly advise getting these graded!

What is a “waffle”? 

• Waffles are raffles that happen on Facebook. Facebook does not like the term raffle, so the community came up with a way around it – hence the similarity in the words. 

How can I keep track of my Pop! collection? 

• All of your graded Pops! will be stored in your Customer Portal. You will be able to organize and download your collection into a PDF document for offline tracking purposes. 

Is it possible to have custom Pops! made? 

• Custom Pops! are definitely on the up and coming. Unfortunately, Custom Pops! cannot be graded. We can however authenticate and encapsulate it for you. We will issue a Custom Plaque as well designed by our marketing team specifically with your Pop! in mind. 

Who is Freddy Funko? 

• Freddy Funko is the Funko Company mascot. There are numerous Pops! featuring Freddy as himself or as a superhero, a villain, or an iconic person, to name a few. 

What does it mean when a Pop! is “vaulted”? 

• A vaulted Pop! is one that is no longer in production by Funko. According to Funko’s website “vaulted items are figures and characters that are soon to join the ranks of hard-to-find collector’s items! These figures are headed into the Vault, rarely ever to emerge again”. The catalogue of Pops! that have been vaulted can be accessed in our Pops! Database. 

What is a pre-release Pop!? 

• Pre-release Pops! are those that are exclusive to a particular retailer (i.e. Barnes & Noble) and available for purchase at those locations prior to a general release. 

How often does Funko release new waves of Pops!? 

• New Pops! are released in multiple waves each year. Exclusive figures are often revealed and/or released during the four big Pop! events: New York Toy Fair (February), Emerald City Comic Con (March), San Diego Comic-Con (July) and New York Comic-Con (October). Stay locked in to our Social Media for updates on big drops coming your way!