We control the market

[Micheld]

We control the dorbz market if we all stop buying exclusives from people trying to make near a 2000% profit from this we will drop the price. One person bought a bunch of the exclusives to control the market. If we all work together we can drop the price the dorbz were supposed to be 10 dollars I don't mind paying over that I just don't see a point of paying hundreds for it. Anyone agree or disagree? I would like to hear it maybe I'm completely off base.

[toro423]

I agree, BUT, I dont think this is doable. There will always be people out there who will end up purchasing these without care. You only need a few people to buy some on ebay, and these will shoot up the secondary market price.

[groundhog7s]

Yes, we control the market, but the 'we' is everyone on the planet. If it was just people on this board buying them, I don't think there's any way you could get everyone to agree to not overpay for exclusives, but this board probably only represents a small amount of worldwide collectors.

A better solution is to somehow get Funko to produce more exclusives. Just my own opinion, the whole ECCC situation is entirely on Funko. Even when Pops where first introduced at SDCC the numbers were higher and Dorbz are already an established line. The quantities, even for a smaller con, were way too low to do anything but create a frenzy and encourage scalping. I really can't understand why they didn't think this would happen, or worse, they knew it would and kept them low intentionally. Again, just my opinion, but it would be better to see it addressed on their end then change people's attitude towards overpaying.

[wenhol8710]

There will always be people with large amounts of disposable income who won't care what they have to pay to get the things they want for their collection. Doesn't matter what the item is. I'm not faulting those people, if I had lots of disposable money I'd throw it at all the things I want too. It sucks but it's just part of collecting, knowing that some things are always going to be out of reach of your budget/spending habits.

It's why I only collect what I really love, and if the secondary market price is too high on something I like, I just move on. It sucks sometimes, but until I hit the lottery it's all I got.

[emk194]

As long as people are interested (in anything, not just Funko products), this "problem" won't go away. It's just business. If the price is too high for your budget, move on. I personally don't have a problem with what the resellers are doing - that's just how the world works. If you bought something for $10 and can resell it for $100, you would honestly say no?

Collect what you love, not what's worth a lot or is popular. It's YOUR collection.

[Micheld]

Thanks for the replies guys means a lot I get where all of you are coming from idk I'm not greedy about things I found two thrillkiller batmans on Amazon but two of them for a total of 50 and gave the second one away for just the price of itself. Idk I'm all about the collecting and not about making a profit because I myself feel like everyone should enjoy. Like I said thanks for all the replies guys

[Blasphemic Nephilim]

I know for myself, I collect things I like. A few months back I wound up realizing I no longer found Pops to be a thing I cared about. Like, at all. Let me explain that. Lots to read, fair warning.

When I first got into Pops in 2011, I was immediately drawn to their style. Amazingly simplistic figures almost entirely devoid of actual detail. There were no defined eyes or even mouths. Characters were instantly recognizable though thanks to their outfits. As simple as they were to look at, I could appreciate the many hours it must've took to not only nail that style for 1 figure but instead to build an entire line around that minimalistic look. When I look at a Black Series or Nendoroid figure, I see the character and know what it is instantly as if I'm seeing a photograph. With Pops, it was very different. The colors and subtle details would make the figure instantly recognizable yes but there was always that minute or so of pinpointing the character. It had its own kind of excitement. It's hard to put into words. Take Batman, for example. I recognized immediately who the Pop was representing but I had to look closer to figure out WHICHEVER particular Batman it was. Was it The Dark Knight? Was it Adam West? Then it would dawn on me; it's none of them, really. The Pop simply captured the "look" of Batman. ANY Batman.

Other Pops like Biggie or Sheldon Cooper stood out in that they took iconic things about the subjects and laid them onto the minimalistic base that was the Pop figure. No real details. Very abstract. Pops then, to me at least, were almost like modern abstract sculpture. I found myself enveloped in collecting them for years to come after my initial discovery of the line. Until recently. It's actually been a while since this particular thing has bothered me, maybe we should start at the beginning of that.

Transformers. That line was the one that began me noticing a change. Suddenly the Pops had infinitely more detail than before. Magic The Gathering is another example. As the different licenses started to roll out en masse we started getting lesser known characters who simply couldn't work in the original minimalistic style. So, Funko started ramping up the detail in the figures. The basic round black eyes were now gone. I'm looking at you, Daryl. The flat texture of the outfits replaced by layered well sculpted detailed outfits. With each new release they became more and more detailed until finally it went even further. Poses. The original look of Pops was gone. Suddenly we had action poses. Subtle at first, with things like a crossbow in hand. But now we have Nendoroid style clear plastic stands to hold up characters in action poses. That's the second time I've mentioned Nendoroids. Allow me to speak on that for a second.

Nendoroids are a mid tier (price wise) collectible series of chibi (Japanese word for cute style chubby characters which Pops seemed heavily influenced by) vinyl figures. They have much more detail than classic Pops and they come with many accessories like swappable heads and hands. They retail for much more than Pops do. Well, did. But that's another story. I digress. With the increase in details on Pops, I can't help but now do something I never did before when considering buying a character I like. Choosing between Pop or Nendoroid. Pops lost that decision every single time, by the way. What I realized was Pops had become what to me are simply cheaper versions of Nendoroids. Pops have the upper hand with licenses. By a mile. But when you compare a Pop Ironman side by side with a Nendoroid Ironman you'll understand how very much outclassed Pops really are.

I should clarify, when I said Pops are a cheaper version, I wasn't referring to price. While they do retail for less, what I meant was the quality of the figures themselves. In flat out comparisons, Pops fall short in most every way imaginable save for having better boxes. I don't about you, but to me that's nothing to be exited about. The thing is, and this really makes me sad, the comparison never made sense before. It was never something I'd think to do. But as Pops have become more detailed and the prices continue to be so high one cannot help but look at ALL of the best options available for the same form factor type of collectible. Whereas Pops were alone in their own unique category they've recently become muddled in with other lines that have them beat in many areas. Even things like paint are an issue. You rarely if ever see someone complaining about the paint job on a Jaxx Metal Batman. Because it simply isn't an issue.

A few months ago, I realized I no longer liked Pops the way I used to. Had a little over 600 in January. I now own 21. I started letting them go. Even my most prized set; Star Wars. I had a complete set, all the way up to both Snaggletooths. Let the whole thing go a couple weeks ago. Sold that set to a local buyer. A reseller. I knew full well what was going to happen to the set. It was to be taken apart and sold individually. Which is exactly what happened. I didn't make a huge profit from them, or from any I've gotten rid of. I never saw my Pop collection as an investment aside from me investing in characters I adored. Adored. That word made me giggle considering what I'm about to write about.

Dorbz. Slang for Adorable. Like Totez is for Totally. Last Spring when the line launched I found myself thinking "hey these are cool, reminiscent of Russian nesting dolls". I didn't pay them much mind, though. I was still holding out and hoping that Pops would turn around and return to the minimalistic awesomeness that I fell in love with years ago. Then I received Obi Wan in the Smuggler's Bounty box. He was in an action pose. A very strange action pose. He was suppose be looking like he was going to saber duel someone but because of the bobblehead it looked instead like he was contemplating suicide. The empty look on his face was no help. That was the last straw for me. Ironic that my most beloved line was the one to make me completely give up on Pops.

Fast forward to now. Dorbz. After I picked up a couple out of curiosity I saw something amazing. They managed to capture the same kind of sweet spot that Pops initially did. But this was not a rehash. This was something completely different. The bodies of Dorbz aren't much more than two round balls of vinyl. It's the amazing paint jobs that make the characters recognizable. Little details sculpted on (like Loki's horns) add to that recognition factor but they never overshadow the fact that Dorbz are driven by the art painted on them. What makes this line so appealing to me is I cannot see any way Funko can modify or evolve the line the way that Pops have evolved. The arms and legs on Dorbz are part of the entire one-piece figure. There won't be any action poses or wonky plastic stands for these little guys. I think Funko has discovered a new form factor that will not only catch on in time but will inevitably be the "next big thing".

The market. Do we as consumers control it? Honest answer, we do not. The same way a driver doesn't control how their car is built or how much dealerships will sell them for, we as collectors have no real say in the production or results of said production of these things we collect. The secondary market will always be there. Always. Pops demand could suddenly stop tomorrow and not one single reseller would lose sleep over it. Not a one. If you step back from the attachment we have to these things we collect and see that bigger picture it becomes clear we have absolutely no control over the market. Even if every single member of this board were to boycott inflated prices (that'd be a couple thousand folk I think) it wouldn't even make a 1% dent in the daily secondary market sales. That's a harsh reality, but it IS reality. Sadly, as proven by ECCC this year, public demand can have an almost instantaneous effect on the "worth" of something. Dorbz suddenly, literally, overnight skyrocketed into the upper tier of secondary market profit margins. One could argue "if no one paid those ridiculous prices, this wouldn't happen" but that argument could easily be dismissed with this logic: are you saying I should willfully choose to not acquire something I truly adore and desire to own because of a principle? Worse, a principle that would only really have a negative impact on myself because I wouldn't have that piece I so wanted in my collection yet the market prices would never ever change? There's also the "well, not everyone can afford to fly out to a convention or go wait in line for hours, it's only fair really to compensate the resellers for going through all of that so I can have what I want".

Are either of those arguments (both sides) valid? I honestly don't know. I've wondered about it many times. Does anyone have a collection that they 100% went to conversions and brick and mortar shops to build? Buying every single piece brand new from booths or stores? Is that even something the majority of collectors think about? I ask you, if any of you would be so kind, try and think about that. If you had no other option but to buy in person, because you chose to collect that way, would you be completely satisfied with the results of your labors? Or would you see others buying things online and think to yourself that it would be nice to own such and such and isn't it awesome someone is willing to sell me one? My answer? I would not be satisfied.

Forgive the long post. If any of you read the whole thing, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it all. As previously mentioned in my other thread, I know I'm part of the problem. I wasn't before. These ECCC Dorbz are the first things I've ever paid flipper prices for. Ever. But I wanted them. Because I adore them. It's weird because I'm still not entirely sure if I should be happy about it all or bothered because Dorbz could very well become as toxic an environment consumer-wise as Pops have become, and THAT, is something I really don't want to happen.

[Squird]

Since I'm not on my second pot of coffee, I'll make my post a lot shorter than the one above.

It's nice to think we're in control, but we're not. We're collectors. We're barely in control of ourselves let along everyone else. For each of us that practices self-restraint, there will be at least one or two unhinged collectors who will pay whatever price they need to get what they want. And then it's a vicious circle. A couple sales drive up the price on PPG, which gets everyone excited that our collections are worth more, enabling us to resell at a profit so we can buy a more expensive piece, so our collection values go up, etc. etc. And then you wind up with a bunch of junk that's 'worth' something, but not happiness.

Best you can do is be patient, collect what you love and enjoy what you have.

[groundhog7s]

Will totally agree with about everything you have to say BN. I collected Pops from the start and was at the 600+ mark early on. I got out for a different reason, but agree that they lost their simplicity after awhile. When I decided to collect the Dorbz line, it was the simplicity that caught me and I agree that I don't see them getting far from that style (I also agree these will be the next big thing that will find an audience similar to what Pops did). Well said all around.

On a personal level, I design digital art based off of the classic Mega Man characters and there's something to it that presents a challenge to take the same basic body style and change it into something recognizable. I've done 100's of characters and some will only be recognizable if you know the context of the character (like knowing it's from DC Comics or Dr. Who), but for the most part the characters are recognized regardless of the style they're in. I guess doing that makes me appreciate what was done more in the beginning with Pops and is now being done with Dorbz.

[Blasphemic Nephilim]

On a personal level, I design digital art based off of the classic Mega Man characters and there's something to it that presents a challenge to take the same basic body style and change it into something recognizable. I've done 100's of characters and some will only be recognizable if you know the context of the character (like knowing it's from DC Comics or Dr. Who), but for the most part the characters are recognized regardless of the style they're in. I guess doing that makes me appreciate what was done more in the beginning with Pops and is now being done with Dorbz.

LOVE that TFA set! The original bodies were the same across the board. I don't need Doctor Strange to be in a pose to recognize him. But there he is. He looks like a custom some dude in the Philippines made. Not knocking the custom guys, they kind of pioneered the action poses. I simply don't find overly detailed Pops interesting.

You got a link to a gallery of your MM work? Would love to see more.

[kroffty]

.... there will be at least one or two unhinged collectors....

Well, at least you didn't call me out by name.

[groundhog7s]

You got a link to a gallery of your MM work? Would love to see more.

https://www.facebook.com/EightBitHeroDo ... tos_albums

Before Pops, I collected Minimates. I love them still, but all of the sculpts take away from the simplistic origins they have. I like them now, but they are a completely different line of toys than what I started collecting 10 years ago.

[Blasphemic Nephilim]

Liked your page (PK Dorbz Gawd is me, haha). Great work. The consistency is amazing.

[groundhog7s]

Thanks. And I promise over time I'll never let 16-bit designs creep in.

[nicole1313]

As long as people are interested (in anything, not just Funko products), this "problem" won't go away. It's just business. If the price is too high for your budget, move on. I personally don't have a problem with what the resellers are doing - that's just how the world works. If you bought something for $10 and can resell it for $100, you would honestly say no?

Collect what you love, not what's worth a lot or is popular. It's YOUR collection.

That's a weak excuse. People should have to give someone that doesn't give two hoots about something 1000% profit just to have what they want for THEIR collection????

[Squird]

As long as people are interested (in anything, not just Funko products), this "problem" won't go away. It's just business. If the price is too high for your budget, move on. I personally don't have a problem with what the resellers are doing - that's just how the world works. If you bought something for $10 and can resell it for $100, you would honestly say no?

Collect what you love, not what's worth a lot or is popular. It's YOUR collection.

That's a weak excuse. People should have to give someone that doesn't give two hoots about something 1000% profit just to have what they want for THEIR collection????

People don't have to give anyone anything to complete their collections. This is all voluntary.

[naisatoh]

As much as I like to disagree with Squird (he says a lot of crazy things), he's right on this. We like to think we can change the market, but the truth is we can't. The sooner you learn to accept this, the more fun you'll have with your collections!

[thejosh2010]

It's hard to believe the current ECCC exclusives are selling at the prices they are, but if some hold off until the price falls a bit, more resellers will get impatient and lower their overall selling prices! I just want that darn Batman Dorbz so bad, but i refuse to pay 100+ for it

[GraphicSilence]

It's hard to believe the current ECCC exclusives are selling at the prices they are, but if some hold off until the price falls a bit, more resellers will get impatient and lower their overall selling prices! I just want that darn Batman Dorbz so bad, but i refuse to pay 100+ for it

I agree that paying 100+ for the dorbz batman is crazy, I can't say I agree that the prices will come down much. I have been watching the prices on the dorbz exclusives from SDCC last year and they just keep going up. All the frenzy from the Pop line seems to have hit the Dorbz line and it looks like there may be no turning back. I refuse to pay too much, so I just lay in wait, hoping to win a contest or something because I just can't afford eBay prices.