Chasing the chase, tell me your secrets

[runtodere]

Does SDCC count? I camped out 3 days at Funko South.

Crazy - SDCC doesn't count - it's the one week of the year where I camp even though I normally say I never will

[AutumnsToyz]

The few that I have gotten in the wild have been showing up at Target or Walgreens when they open. There are a few people around where I live that go to Hot Topic every morning at 8am to get the chases that I can trade with. The majority of the chases I have are from buying a case through EE, the only problem is that I get stuck with 5 commons as well, 1 to keep and 4 to giveaway. I gambled yesterday at Hot Topic and they didn't have a chase, however the other three in the area did. There is some skill and patience involved, but a lot of it is luck.

[bluesnote]

Personally, I try and get chases by getting buying bulk on Amazon. It has worked every time for me. For store chases, like Flocked Porg or Mickey from HT and Boxlunch, those require more work. Luckily both stores are located almost right next to each other where I live so I check their local media accounts around the time a store chase is going to be released. If so, I'd wake up early the next morning and get in line. There's only two box lunches in my entire county so a lot of people I knew would try and go to them. When Mickey came out, my store didn't open till 10am, but I got in line at 6:30 and was 9th in line. Lucky, my store had 9 so I was able to get one.

[NoOtherOptions]

Personally, I try and get chases by getting buying bulk on Amazon. It has worked every time for me. For store chases, like Flocked Porg or Mickey from HT and Boxlunch, those require more work. Luckily both stores are located almost right next to each other where I live so I check their local media accounts around the time a store chase is going to be released. If so, I'd wake up early the next morning and get in line. There's only two box lunches in my entire county so a lot of people I knew would try and go to them. When Mickey came out, my store didn't open till 10am, but I got in line at 6:30 and was 9th in line. Lucky, my store had 9 so I was able to get one.

So you abuse the system ; I'm sure you're not alone.

[volsspongebob]

Chases are definitely getting tougher. Hot Topic in my area used to post about them when they came in but not any more.

[gyrofx]

easiest way to get chases is to buy the bundle from online retailers who offer bundles w/ chase included. You can line up early for Hot Topic but not everyone have time for that...

[runtodere]

The few that I have gotten in the wild have been showing up at Target or Walgreens when they open. There are a few people around where I live that go to Hot Topic every morning at 8am to get the chases that I can trade with. The majority of the chases I have are from buying a case through EE, the only problem is that I get stuck with 5 commons as well, 1 to keep and 4 to giveaway. I gambled yesterday at Hot Topic and they didn't have a chase, however the other three in the area did. There is some skill and patience involved, but a lot of it is luck.

Yeah - just don't have time to be there when stores open. Wish I did!

[Ilovefunko]

Thanks for the replies, some good tips from everyone. It would be nice to get a chase every once in awhile but just hasn’t happened in my experience. I think if I worked in an Amazon warehouse I would spend my whole paycheck on chases, seems like you would be able to double or triple your pay if you put in the time and turn around and sell them on eBay. The only chase I’ve had to have so far is the Alex DeLarge which I just purchased off the bay.
Definitely some Funko diehards here that put in a lot of time waiting in lines and what not, which is probably part of the fun for some.

[OtoriKohaku]

It's good to have a network of friends where everyone is looking out for each other. It really helps widen search parameters especially if everyone is scattered throughout the US.

Another thing is just being nice to store employees. When I worked at Toys R Us, I was more inclined to spend time and help people that were nice to me. If you're being a jerk, I'm gonna try to keep any interaction with you at a minimum. Thanks to the manager at a local GameStop, I've gotten 2 chases from there. All I did to befriend him was come in every now and then and be kind.

As others have stated, following local BoxLunch and HotTopic Instagram accounts help if they still post up Funko shipments. I've lined up at my local Hot Topic twice and landed a chase both times. Waiting just takes patience if you're willing to dish out the time for it.

Luck is also pretty important. Whether it be the right place at the right time, or the person at the warehouse was feeling generous. Walking in on a chase or receiving one unexpectedly is always a possibility.

Hope that helped and good luck chasing the chase!

[Legion Of Boom]

I'm going to repeat a lot of what some people have already said -

Getting to know the other collectors in your area is key, some may be willing to help you out.
Follow stores in your area, they usually post what chase figures they have.
Or resort to eBay...most 1:6 pieces aren't too expensive.

With the popularity of POP!, the number of collectors out there nowadays and the heads-up that most stores give their followers on social media, it's going to be tough, a lot of people are getting to stores early in the morning to line up to buy the chase. It's getting pretty ridiculous in my humble opinion...

Good thing, I'm pretty selective in what I collect these days or else I'd be in trouble.

Hope you have better luck in the future...

[Shinfo13]

I just don't even try anymore honestly. I've had moments of luck before and found a few chases at random, but always when I'm not really trying. I've tried waiting outside stores but never have luck. Many of my nearby stores don't post frequently on IG so it is always a gamble. The closest I got was the other day waiting out for my lady who wanted the Sailor Moon HT pack. I was first in the door to the Pop wall and counter area but somehow the dude that was behind me knew exactly where they out the chases behind their counter and grabbed it before the employee walked back from opening the doors. I was with a friend who I would have just given it to but that pretty much sums up how my luck runs. Even if I order online I never get any either unless I order something like 10 flocked Porgs. Lol

So yeah, I just have a defeatist attitude about it nowadays. I live close enough to Frank and Sons so I'll just shell out $30 for anything I want and not play the chase game in the wild.

[Stat32111]

My local hot topic doesn't post their shipment ever, so I stroll in around lunch time every now and then and they often have new 1/6 Chases

[dcooperfl]

The best tip I can give you is to just wait a few months after launch and buy for $20-30. Store exclusive chases are tougher because of the nature of them, but they drop significantly as well. Otherwise order multiples and try your luck. Or just get to know the shipments times and show up each day.

[dork_knight]

The older the Pop the less likely you are to get a chase, in my experience. You could always order 6 from certain retailers and be guaranteed a chase, EE will send you a box of 6 chase included but then you’d have to trade or sell the ones you don’t want. That’s how I got my Jack Torrance chase

This is usually what I do, also. The extra pop make great gifts too, if you don't wanna deal with having to sell the extras :P

[kappait]

The only tip I know is that if you are purchasing from Amazon, make sure you are purchasing directly from Amazon and not a 3rd party seller. Usually the third parties will sell the chases seperately. But if you buy from Amazon directly, it's 1 in 6. Gotten a couple chases that way. Also got a couple from Hot Topic online. It's luck of the draw, really.

That's great to know. I can see why that is the case. Amazon is too big to cull through or even care about this.

[Kwik_One]

The older the Pop the less likely you are to get a chase, in my experience. You could always order 6 from certain retailers and be guaranteed a chase, EE will send you a box of 6 chase included but then you’d have to trade or sell the ones you don’t want. That’s how I got my Jack Torrance chase

This is usually what I do, also. The extra pop make great gifts too, if you don't wanna deal with having to sell the extras :P

There is a pretty big collector community here in Vegas so it usually isn’t hard to find someone to trade with but gifting them is also a great idea

[JoshChaos]

I'm quite lucky with Chases, both online and in the wild.

I placed 2 orders on Amazon a few weeks back and added on 3 Finn Balors to each order (6 total), and 5 of the 6 were Chases. Luckily, had some friends that were looking for him too and was able to trade the other one. Also ordered 1 Razor Ramon from Hot Topic and got the nWo Chase. I've had a few other Chases from online orders too.

Just this weekend, I found 3 different Chases in the wild (Heffer and Weaponized Rick at FYE and Bombshells Catwoman at BAM).

If I include the ones I've found for friends or ones I've traded for other Pops that I wanted, I've found a total of 38 Chase Pops (Both "in the wild" and "online" orders are in that total). Some of them were even the old school 1:36 ones.

Please keep in mind that very rarely do I go out and just look for Pops, nor do I have any employees at any stores tipping me off. I might hit a few stores maybe one day per week, two if I have extra time. I've just been extremely lucky lately. In fact, I seem to have better luck if I just go in somewhere to kill a few minutes of time instead of setting out to actually go "Pop hunting".

Sorry if there is a way to figure this out - but can I ask where you live? Every display near me is totally picked over.

I live in the Middle Tennessee area. I'm about 50 miles east of Nashville.

[Kal-El-051]

The best advice I could give is to go in the morning during the week if possible. Not a guarantee but I have had the best success with this approach.

[FerrisGuy3]

Chases are definitely getting tougher. Hot Topic in my area used to post about them when they came in but not any more.

I’ve notice the Hot Topics around me posting less and less about when new Pops come in. But usually when they do I’m at work so can’t go and get them anyways.

[fischmioli]

Showing up early at hot topics is an easy way to get chases. Preordering from GameStop/thinkgeek also helps because the preorders get priority for chases so you might get lucky there.

[JorEl15]

I have had the luck of receiving several chases in the mail.

Although I have ordered large amounts of the same figure to increase my odds.

[kappait]

I have had the luck of receiving several chases in the mail.

Although I have ordered large amounts of the same figure to increase my odds.

What do you do with the extras? Is it worth it or just getting them on the secondary market and save time and money?

[GoldenYellowPup]

It's really all about timing and luck. I was just looking through a section at Target and found my first behind another Pop.

[Chaister87]

I've tried ordering multiples from Hot Topic online a lot, but so far I've never received a single chase

[JorEl15]

I have had the luck of receiving several chases in the mail.

Although I have ordered large amounts of the same figure to increase my odds.

What do you do with the extras? Is it worth it or just getting them on the secondary market and save time and money?

Not often is it worth it. With some patience it’s better to get them on the secondary market.

[The Head]

No real magic to it online, but I have received multiple chases with online orders at both Amazon and Hot Topic. Hot Topic in particular has been very lucky for me lately. I have received 5 chases with online orders recently...3 Dorbz (Superman, Bombshell Harley, and Alien) and 2 pops (Crash Bandicoot and Flocked Porg). By the way, I only ordered one of each of all of these. Oddly enough, I have never received a chase when I order multiples from HT...

I echoed what others have said about Amazon. You have to make sure it's sold by Amazon and not a third party. I've received at least 2, maybe 3 chases from Amazon over the years (most recent was the Batman Wobbler).

[kappait]

I have had the luck of receiving several chases in the mail.

Although I have ordered large amounts of the same figure to increase my odds.

What do you do with the extras? Is it worth it or just getting them on the secondary market and save time and money?

Not often is it worth it. With some patience it’s better to get them on the secondary market.

Cool. I may just sit on the sidelines and wait for chases I like. But I do like a good gamble every once in awhile.

[ralph_b]

There are places like Bigpopshop.com or thebig3collectibles-downey.com that sell bundles that include the chases for very reasonable prices. I usually shop for groceries at night, I go to Walmart about an hour before closing time, that's when they do the shelf re-stocking and you can see them open the boxes and check for chases, if you are polite sometimes they will open the boxes for you... but don't open the boxes yourself because they will yell at you.

[FerrisGuy3]

I've tried ordering multiples from Hot Topic online a lot, but so far I've never received a single chase

With Hot Topic you usually have to order 6 to get a chase. Since they say 1 in 6 they normally send one

[Xenomorph]

I don't have any lucky with chases, my girlfriend has all the luck!

It used to be easier when people who worked in the stores didn't take chases before they were put out on the shelves, but now that pops are more popular it seems to be happening a lot more.

[NoOtherOptions]

Thanks for the replies, some good tips from everyone. It would be nice to get a chase every once in awhile but just hasn’t happened in my experience. I think if I worked in an Amazon warehouse I would spend my whole paycheck on chases, seems like you would be able to double or triple your pay if you put in the time and turn around and sell them on eBay. The only chase I’ve had to have so far is the Alex DeLarge which I just purchased off the bay.
Definitely some Funko diehards here that put in a lot of time waiting in lines and what not, which is probably part of the fun for some.

I'm 99% sure that if you work at an Amazon warehouse you can't just pick Chases out. Could be wrong; did someone else say that? I thought they just said they bought from Amazon in bulk.

[Kwik_One]

I don't have any lucky with chases, my girlfriend has all the luck!

It used to be easier when people who worked in the stores didn't take chases before they were put out on the shelves, but now that pops are more popular it seems to be happening a lot more.

This is partially our own fault. The employees see us waiting outside and realize there is demand for the chases or exclusIves. They can also see there is demand in the secondary market just by checking eBay sales. Honestly, I wouldn’t care as much if the employee was an actual collector and not just a flipper.

[Xenomorph]

I don't have any lucky with chases, my girlfriend has all the luck!

It used to be easier when people who worked in the stores didn't take chases before they were put out on the shelves, but now that pops are more popular it seems to be happening a lot more.

This is partially our own fault. The employees see us waiting outside and realize there is demand for the chases or exclusIves. They can also see there is demand in the secondary market just by checking eBay sales. Honestly, I wouldn’t care as much if the employee was an actual collector and not just a flipper.

Yup absolutely, it was inevitable. I just miss the good ol' days!

[NoOtherOptions]

I don't have any lucky with chases, my girlfriend has all the luck!

It used to be easier when people who worked in the stores didn't take chases before they were put out on the shelves, but now that pops are more popular it seems to be happening a lot more.

This is partially our own fault. The employees see us waiting outside and realize there is demand for the chases or exclusIves. They can also see there is demand in the secondary market just by checking eBay sales. Honestly, I wouldn’t care as much if the employee was an actual collector and not just a flipper.

Most places have policies against employees touching product. I can't remember where I read it but recently I saw a story on an employee getting fired for hiding discounted stock of clearance items for themselves. So it DOES happen (not as fast as we want).

[RicoSabroso]

I found out early on that gamestop ONLY makes commission for their employees not managers from preorders (Games toys collectibles) so now i order 12 to 24 of any pop that I really want and they just hold the chases in a box with one common and put the rest on the floor.

If i get only 1 chase i take the 10 extra preorder money and put it into another preorder that I know will be a chase pop or a common that I will buy anyway just to guarantee i get it. I try to avoid taking my money back because on their sales sheet it will look like they lost 100s of dollars in sales so now i make sure i know a chase is coming before i move my preorders.

I also know both the store managers and 6 out of the 8 employees recognize me and my name and will hold a chase for me that i may have not preordered. For example porg was listed as star wars # 10 or something up until the day it released so you couldnt tell what it was and 3 months later gamestop got an extra shipment and they were like o we threw in a porg chase and a krampus we found in your box you wanted that right. YES! its trade bait regardless if I wanted it or not.

If you miss the chase dont run to ebay right away give it 3 weeks and the prices drop youll pay like 25 for a chase sometimes even less. Sometimes stores will restock and you will have forgotten that you never got that chase and here comes a fresh box with chases.

Hot topic and Box lunch (Same store) chases are harder to get. Now they have better policies about having to post of IG or FB the day before they stock the shelf but sometimes the employees just suck at posting on social media. For these i tend to have to buy 6 online once the pages go live. I ended up with 4 box lunch mickeys which makes up for the zero joker with kisses chase that i got when i ordered 12 of them.

Target i give up on haha. Find someone be nice to them hope they will divulge on the information on their ipod/iphone scanner and be ready for disappointment.

[NoOtherOptions]

Huh? Gamestop employees don't make commission. They do have quotas to make though.

[runtodere]

I'm quite lucky with Chases, both online and in the wild.

I placed 2 orders on Amazon a few weeks back and added on 3 Finn Balors to each order (6 total), and 5 of the 6 were Chases. Luckily, had some friends that were looking for him too and was able to trade the other one. Also ordered 1 Razor Ramon from Hot Topic and got the nWo Chase. I've had a few other Chases from online orders too.

Just this weekend, I found 3 different Chases in the wild (Heffer and Weaponized Rick at FYE and Bombshells Catwoman at BAM).

If I include the ones I've found for friends or ones I've traded for other Pops that I wanted, I've found a total of 38 Chase Pops (Both "in the wild" and "online" orders are in that total). Some of them were even the old school 1:36 ones.

Please keep in mind that very rarely do I go out and just look for Pops, nor do I have any employees at any stores tipping me off. I might hit a few stores maybe one day per week, two if I have extra time. I've just been extremely lucky lately. In fact, I seem to have better luck if I just go in somewhere to kill a few minutes of time instead of setting out to actually go "Pop hunting".

Sorry if there is a way to figure this out - but can I ask where you live? Every display near me is totally picked over.

I live in the Middle Tennessee area. I'm about 50 miles east of Nashville.

Thanks. I'm always curious where everyone is coming from

[lastmidnight]

There are places like Bigpopshop.com or thebig3collectibles-downey.com that sell bundles that include the chases for very reasonable prices. I usually shop for groceries at night, I go to Walmart about an hour before closing time, that's when they do the shelf re-stocking and you can see them open the boxes and check for chases, if you are polite sometimes they will open the boxes for you... but don't open the boxes yourself because they will yell at you.

Going right before close is a pretty good idea. My Hot Topic restocks sometimes right before close. Saw them doing that a couple weeks ago, but sadly they weren’t restocking anything with a chase. Got my exclusive Kuzco this way though!

[Showtime3]

I can't wake up and stand in lines like some, I just walk to places just hoping, I have been lucky a few times. Part of the hunt is never knowing what you will find
Good Luck

[Kwik_One]

I don't have any lucky with chases, my girlfriend has all the luck!

It used to be easier when people who worked in the stores didn't take chases before they were put out on the shelves, but now that pops are more popular it seems to be happening a lot more.

This is partially our own fault. The employees see us waiting outside and realize there is demand for the chases or exclusIves. They can also see there is demand in the secondary market just by checking eBay sales. Honestly, I wouldn’t care as much if the employee was an actual collector and not just a flipper.

Most places have policies against employees touching product. I can't remember where I read it but recently I saw a story on an employee getting fired for hiding discounted stock of clearance items for themselves. So it DOES happen (not as fast as we want).

I know plenty of stores that have these policies but it’s up to the store managers to enforce the policies. We can complain to Corporate but there is often no proof so in the end there is nothing that Corporate can really do