Collector Tips Archives

When I first started collecting, I struggled to get along with other pop collectors. I did not understand some terminologies they used. Though it didn't make my life miserable, it was worth learning those terminologies so I wouldn't miss anything. And I think you should too. So far, there are over 66 of those terms/phrases that can be divided into 3 categories- abbreviations, funko official, and unofficial or informal. Among them are 23 abbreviations, 25 informal and 18 formal words used all over in the community. This is what I'm going to help you with today. So, let's jump into the details. Abbreviations: Funko Jargons Let me break down all these words into three categories to make it easier to remember. We are starting with some abbreviations that collectors use daily. If you are in any social media group or forum, you should already be familiar with them. 1. OOB When you take Funko Pops out of their boxes, you can call them OOB, which stands for 'out of box. ' Collectors who prefer the OOB approach either take their Pops out of the boxes to display them or just buy them as OOB. Learn more about in box and out of box display in this article. 2. OBO When someone lists a Funko Pop for sale with "OBO" in the listing, they are basically open to negotiate the price, and potential buyers can make offers to the seller. That being said, the full form is "or best offer". 3. BNIB "BNIB" means that the Funko Pop is brand new and in unopened condition, still inside its original box. The full form is "brand new in box". 4. NIB NIB also refers to new, unopened as BNIB. So whether it's BINB or NIB, remember someone is pointing out that the pop has never taken out of box. Please note that taking your pops out of their boxes doesn't mean it will loose it's mint condition as long as you do it with care. 5. ONO "Or Nearest Offer" means when a seller is open to offers from potential buyers but they are expecting something close to the asking price. 6. OOS The term OOS refers to exploring other online platforms or marketplaces to find a specific Funko Pop figurine. The goal is to compare options or potentially find better deals or more availability of Funko Pops from different sources. 7. OG It refers to the original or first release of a specific Funko Pop. Funko often reproduces the same line of pops from time to time. Take Punisher 216 Chase, for example. It was produced in both 2017 and 2023. So, I had to list it as OG because mine was a 2017 release. 8. PPG The Pop Price Guide or HobbyDB provides a database of Funko Pop and its estimated values, helping collectors and enthusiasts keep track of the value of their collections. You can search for specific Funko Pops, view details, and see the price trends there. 9. ISO ISO is a short form of "in search of". To specify the Pop you are searching for in a social media group, you mention the character's name and box number followed by "ISO". 10. PPG&S You will often see sellers or buyers posting for pops that include this in the description. PPG&S stands for PayPal Goods and Services. Some FB groups will not even allow posts if the payment method required is not PPG&S. This is to avoid scammers. 11. MCC MCC stands for Marvel Collector Corps, which is an official mystery box from Funko. A complete MCC box includes one or two Marvel Pops, one comic book, a t-shirt, badges and pins in general. 12. GITD GITD stands for "Glow in the Dark". It's a feature designed to make a Funko Pop glow in a dark environment. These funko pops have certain parts or elements made from a phosphorescent material, which can absorb light and then emit a soft, glowing effect in the dark after exposure to light. 13. FOMO FOMO is a situation where collectors experience a "fear of missing out" on a specific Funko Pop and end up buying it. Don't rush into anything unless you are too sure. This can sometimes lead to spending way more than what a piece is worth. So, it is wise to be patient and wait until the hype dies down. You are most likely never going to miss out on anything. 14. HT "Hot Topic" is One of the leading Funko retailers that has their own exclusive pops. They have been around the pop culture community for years. So, if you see someone writing HT, he is talking about a Hot Topic exclusive pop. 15. FS/FT FS: Funko pops "For Sale". FT: "FT" indicates that the collector is interested in trading their Funko Pop figures instead of selling them. 16. NFS/NFT If someone only posts pictures of their collection to share, they mention "NFS", which means it is not for sale. Whereas "NFT" stands for "Not For Trading." It means a certain Funko Pop is only for sale and not for trading with other pops. However, don't confuse it with NFT pop, which is totally different. I mean, if you see somebody posting "NFT for sale", they are definitely talking about nft version of the funko pop. 17. FC A "fake check" is a process of verifying the authenticity of a Funko Pop figure to ensure that it is not a counterfeit. Fake Chinese pops are very common in the marketplace, and it's easy for a beginner to overlook. Some FB and Reddit groups are dedicated to checking the fake or Chinese version of a funko pop. 18. NM "Near Mint" indicates the box is in close to Mint condition. That means there might be one or two minor damages that can easily be ignored. 19. BAM "BAM" is an abbreviation for Books-A-Million, a retail bookstore chain that also sells collectibles, including Funko Pop figures. They often offer exclusive Funko Pops found only in their stores or websites. "BAM Exclusives" or "Books-A-Million Exclusives" are Funko Pop figures that are released exclusively through Books-A-Million. 20. Con "CON" stands for Comicon exclusive Funko Pops, not the shared sticker. If you see people saying con sticker, that means it is only exclusively to specific conventions, such as San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), New York Comic-Con (NYCC), Emerald City Comic-Con (ECCC), and others. 21. LE Funko Pops that are produced in limited quantities, often with a specific number or quantity is known as Limited Edition. These limited edition figures are typically created for special events, conventions, promotions, or exclusive releases. 22. SE SE referred to the Special edition sticker, which is similar to LE but for overseas retailers. For example, a Hot Topic exclusive pop will only sell in Hot Topic stores inside the USA. In contrast, the same pop will sell outside the United States with a special edition sticker. 23. 3L 3 L is used to indicate 3 litre Funko soda bottle. As you can guess, the 3-litre bottle has a huge soda figure inside. Informal Terms You'll See On Social Communities & Forums Abbreviation words are informal, but I wanted to make a different category for them. Here, we have a few more unofficial phrases or terms that collectors widely use, mostly on social media groups and forums. Let's give you a brief of what they actually mean. 1. Grail Grail is a jargon for a highly craved, hard-to-find, or high-valued Funko Pops. Most collectors say that any Funko Pop over 100$ is a grail. However, there are many arguments about that. For many collectors, it depends on the person and doesn't always have to be expensive. Whatever they are desperate to get can be called a personal grail. So, you can say there are two explanations when deciding grails- Personal and Monetary. 2. Haul People sometimes mix up haul with grail, which is not. Haul is just a word to show people their stuff, which they pulled out recently. It doesn't have to be recently bought, but people share their newly acquired collections most of the time, saying it's my "Haul". 3. Retired Retired is an unofficial term for vaulted. It means that Funko has officially stopped producing that particular pop. In general, retired pops become more valuable over time, but not always. 4. Rare I don't think I need to explain it. As you can tell, pops became very rare in the marketplace due to being retired by Funko or being a very limited edition. Take any SDCC 2013 limited edition pops, for example. 5. Armour/Hard Stack Hard stack, Pop Armour, and Hard case are all pop protectors. Pop Armour is basically a hard magnetic lid Funko pop protector from 7bup. It is the best when it comes to protecting your pops. Hard stack is mostly referred to as the protector made by Funko. Nonetheless, Pop Armour beats them all in terms of quality, but they are also costly. 6. Custom Pop/Pop Yourself Did you know you can create a Funko Pop version of yourself? Yeah, it is quite fascinating. Funko has a service that offers collectors like you and me a wide range of options to choose from. I won't get into the details, but it's like building your own avatar. Some people also customize funko pops where they'll either add new designs or make a brand new pop. I don't know if it's legal, but they can be really cool. 7. Common If you ever see someone mention common, they are pointing out a pop as being very regular. Unlike exclusive, the common version of a pop does not have any stickers on it. Common pops are made without any piece count and can be reproduced multiple times until declared vaulted. 8. Exclusive To make it easier for anyone who just started learning the terminologies, exclusive means they have some sort of stickers on them. This is the most easy way to understand and not get confused. There are numerous types of exclusive stickers, which you can find here in this post. 9. Grade "Grading" is the assessment and evaluation of the condition of a specific Funko Pop figure to determine its overall quality and collectible value. The grading process can help collectors and buyers better understand the condition of the item they are considering. JSA, PSA, and Becket are a few of the grading services out in the market. Grades are typically scored out of 10. A pop with a 9 out of 10 score is in its best shape and condition. Grade makes any collectible very expensive. 10. Mint Collectors use the term "mint" to describe a Funko Pop that is in perfect, pristine condition. This term is commonly used in collecting circles to refer to items that are in the best possible condition, with no visible flaws or imperfections. That means both the figure and its original packaging (the box) are in flawless condition. Remember that you don't need to grade your pop to call it a mint. Just make sure if you display them oob, store the boxes somewhere safe. Here is an article that will give you ideas about storing your pops safely. 11. In Box "In Box" means a Funko Pop still inside its original packaging or box. The Funko Pop has not been removed from its packaging and remains in the same condition as when it was first purchased. 12. Timestamp This is another important term in the community to avoid scammers. Buyers often ask for timestamps in their "ISO" Posts. So, a timestamp is a piece of paper with the seller's name (that matches their social media account), current date and signature on it. 13. Swap Swap is mostly used when the sticker or window of a Funko Pop is swapped. A sticker swap is a common challenge for collectors. As this is a big community, some people swap stuff just to make a quick profit out of it. So, as a collector, you need to be aware of it. 14. Shipped Ever seen a selling post like this: Deadpool 20 Funko Pop $100 shipped? It simply means that the shipping cost is included in the price. You don't have to add extra shipping costs. 15. Pop Wall We often stack our funko pops on top of each other, trying to build a display wall. This is a common practice among collectors with lots of pops. Although it's very convenient, you must be careful when stacking them. Check out my article on building a pop wall with safety here. 16. Waffle A waffle is a raffle-style draw for selling grails. Imagine you have a $200 grail you want to sell. Instead of trying to sell it to one person, you create an event allowing 10 people to try their luck. Each participant gives 20 dollars to book their place. After every seat is filled, you make a live video in which you pull the lucky winner. So, you got $200, and the winner got it for 20 dollars. This is called a waffle. 17. Funko Drop A "Funko Drop" is a specific release or announcement of new Funko Pop figures. Funko periodically announces new additions to their Pop lines based on various franchises, characters, and themes. So they are basically dropping new pops in the market. 18. Error Error Pieces are the kind of Funko Pop that comes with a manufacturing error or defect. These errors can occur during the production process. They may result in a figure having imperfections, deviations from the standard design, or other issues that make it different from the regular, intended version. Common errors in Funko Pop figures include paint, mould, packaging, assembly, and so on. Error pops are usually rare and become a highly sought-after piece. 19. Shared Shared exclusive Funko Pops are figures available through multiple retailers, giving collectors more options to buy. They have a convention sticker when sold at the event and a retailer sticker when sold at a store. It's a convenient way for collectors to get exclusive items, even if they can't attend the convention. 20. Pop Up Shop Just because it has "pop" in the name doesn't mean it's a Funko Pop thing. A " pop-up shop" is a relatively new concept in marketing where the goal is to create hype and test new retail products. So, just like other brands out there, Funko also sets up temporary retail locations or stores for a limited time. It is a way for Funko enthusiasts to provide unique and sought-after items that may not be available through regular retailers. 21. Flippers A "flipper" is someone who buys Funko Pop figures to resell for profit. Unlike active collectors who wish to keep the items for personal enjoyment, flippers focus on making money by quickly reselling the items at a higher price. 22. HobbyDB Link Hobby DB is the most popular website to track and determine the possible value of our collectibles. You can create an account there, start searching your specific pops and then save. After you finish saving, hobbyDB will give you an estimated value of your collection and a custom link to your collection that you can share. So, when you are selling your whole collection to someone, you can just share the link with them. However, remember that these valuations are not always 100% correct. You might need to recheck recent sold listings on the marketplace to get the proper numbers. 23. Pog Pog is a term related to Funko soda. Each Soda figure comes with a collector badge known as the Pog, containing information about the figure's rarity and additional details. 24. Mystery Box A mystery box is a surprise package that contains multiple Funko Pops or sodas. Buying a mystery box is like gambling with Funko Pops; you might score an expensive grail. Which means you got more than what you paid for. 25. Consignment Consignment is when someone does everything to get you pop signed on behalf of you. That includes from traveling, staying, waiting in line, getting the autograph and send it back to you. This happens mostly when a convention or event is from a different city or place that the main owner can't go. Official Terminologies From Funko Before I get into details, I want you to know that you will see words related to different types of exclusive stickers. So, let me share my other article where I have fully covered a wide range of funko pop stickers. You can get more info on them to help you understand the game better. 1. NYCC New York Comic Con (NYCC) is a yearly pop culture convention that takes place in New York City. During NYCC, Funko releases a wide selection of exclusive and limited edition Funko Pops. Collectors often search for these figures, as some of them showcase unique designs or variants of popular characters. 2. SDCC San Diego Comic-Con, or SDCC in short, is one of the most famous and largest pop culture conventions in the world. Funko has a significant presence at SDCC and releases numerous exclusive Funko Pops during the event. These SDCC exclusives often include figures based on comic book characters, movies, TV shows, and other pop culture icons. 3. ECCC The Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) is a yearly convention that takes place in Seattle, Washington. Funko typically releases exclusive figures during ECCC, which can feature characters from comic books, movies, and other pop culture franchises. Attendees of the convention can purchase limited quantities of exclusive items. 4. Chase Chase is a different version of a Funko Pop figure. These figures stand out with unique and eye-catching design elements like exclusive accessories, metallic finishes, GITD, flocked and many other features. In every six common funko pops made by Funko, there will be a chase variant. Now, this is not for all cases as so many commons are out there without chase. But when Funko does decide to make chases, this is how they do it. 5. Vaulted Funko Pop figurines that are vaulted are no longer produced by Funko. A vaulted Funko Pop's value can vary depending on factors like its rarity, demand from collectors, and the specific character or franchise it represents. So, vaulted and retired are the same thing. 6. Make a scene/ Movie Moments Funko Pop figures designed to capture iconic moments from movies, TV shows, or other forms of popular entertainment are categorized as "Make a Scene/ Movie Moment". For example, a Movie Moment Funko Pop will represent the climactic lightsaber battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in "Star Wars," complete with a backdrop and detailed character poses. 7. Pop Tees Tees simply mean t-shirts. If you think Funko only makes pops, you might miss out on a ton of fun. Funko has various categories or product lines, one of which is t-shirts. Pop Tees are basically a combination of pop and t-shirts that come as a bundle. Take Blacklight Spiderman 652 as an example. 8. 2 Pack The term used to describe a set of two Funko Pop figurines representing iconic character duos is "2-pack Funko Pop". For instance, a 2-pack Funko Pop might include figures of Batman and Robin. 9. Funatics Funatics are collectors or enthusiasts like you and me. So anyone with a passion or love for funko pops and is eager to collect will be called a Funatic. 10. Re-release Re-release means releasing a Funko Pop figure for sale once again. As I mentioned earlier in OG, that funko reproduce their common pops pretty often. 11. Pre-release Sometimes, you will see a pop selling in particular retail shops prior to its general release. Funko does that sometimes to create some hype amongst collectors before the pop hits the market. Hot Topic used to drop the pre-release most of the time, but there are other retailers as well. 12. Prototype/Proto A "prototype Funko Pop" is an early, non-production version of a Funko Pop used in the manufacturing and design process. These are typically grey or white figures lacking the detailed paintwork on the final production figures. Prototypes are super rare in the market. 13. Chrome The Chrome pop boasts a shiny, reflective appearance, resembling polished metal, making it an eye-catching addition to any collection. The difference between metallic and chrome is the reflection and colour. Chrome normally comes in one coating of colour and is very reflective. 14. Metallic Metallic is a type or variation of a funko pop. Pops with vibrant, metallic finish distinguishes them from the common Funko Pops. Although they look like metal, they are actually vinyl. 15. Flocked Flocked means a Funko Pop with fuzzy or velvet texture on certain parts of the figure, simulating fur or other soft materials. This flocking process adds a tactile element to the pop and is popular among collectors, especially for animal-themed characters. Take Tigger Flocked Funko Pop, for instance. 16. Scented Funko used to make scented pops a while ago. I don't know why they stopped, but they were way cooler than any other pops. Yes, every scented pop has its own smell. The good ones are quite hard to find and thus quite high in demand. 17. Soda/ Cans Soda cans are Funko's second most popular item after Pops. I have no idea how and why they came up with such a strange idea, but the popularity has shot through the moon. We are talking about different types of pops that come inside a bottle or a soda can. These bottle or cans looks exactly like a beverage. Unlike pop stickers, here you will receive a badge-like token called pog with the details on it. 18. Diecast Funko Diecast is a metal version of Funko Pop, displayed in a clear acrylic case with box art and a base for stability. You don't have to buy additional hard cases or armour, as they are already perfect for displaying. Please remember that the terms used within the Funko Pop collecting community may evolve over time as new trends and situations arise. Collectors may adopt and popularize additional terms and phrases to describe specific aspects of Funko Pops as new releases, collaborations, and trends emerge. However, this list should cover almost everything a new collector needs to know. But as no one knows everything, I do apologise if I miss something. Please let me know in the comment below if you know something I don't know. Till then, Keep Collecting!