Our new team member, QA Automation Specialist Gerardo Boccardo, tell us all about his hobby: collecting Funko Pop! For those who don’t know what that is, here you can have a look at this huge world of vinyl figures. Furthermore, if you get hooked, and want to know more about this hobby you can watch the Netflix movie ‘Making Fun: The Story of Funko’.
How did you get involved in the world of Funko Pop?
The first time I saw a Funko POP was three years ago when I started working at my former job and found out that some of my teammates had a collection of Funkos.
These vinyl figurines based their styles on the Japanese concept of “chibi” (characters with an exaggerated form, usually features such as small bodies and extra-large heads with bulging black eyes without expression).
When did you start to collect them and what motivated you to start collecting?
Since that very first time I heard of them, I knew I wanted to have my own Funkos.
How many do you own at the moment and how many do you hope to have?
Currently, I have 17 Funkos, mostly of sizes of 9 or 10 cm (though there are some editions between 4 and 15 cm) and at 9 or 10 dollars.
For the moment I haven’t decided how many I want to have, I’ll keep collecting the ones related to my favourite movies and series. I accept any Funkos donations!
What I do know, is that I have to start looking for a new space to locate them, since my desk is starting to get small.
Do you collect them with any particular theme?
I collect Funkos of TV series or movies I like, especially those that represent villains. For example, I have: Hannibal Lecter, Thanos, The Joker, Chucky, Harley Quinn, Hela, and Jigsaw, among others.
How often do you get new Funko Pops? When it comes to buying, do you always do it in the same place?
Even though there are a few shops in Córdoba that sell Funkos, for the moment I have always bought my Funkos when I have the opportunity to travel abroad. Actually, most of them came from Amazon.
Are you the kind of collecter that prefers limited editions?
When it comes to collecting I chose those that I like, no matter if they are limited edition or not. At the moment I own only one special edition Funko that’s a Drag Queen called “Alaska”, and it cost me three times the regular value.
Is there any event or space (physical or digital) where Funko Pop fans gather in Argentina? Do you ever participate in them?
Yes, there are. Actually, the 3rd of November the third convention of Funko Pop of Argentina will take place in Buenos Aires.
For the moment I haven’t participated and have no interest in starting this year.
Where do you keep all your Funkos?
All my Funkos are on the desk in my house distributed among my things, out of their original boxes, watching me work every day. Furthermore, for the special protection of my things I have Harley Quinn, Flash and Thanos bobble-head of 10 inches.
What tip or advice would you give to anyone who just enter into the world of Funko Pop! And wants to start their own collection?
For those who want to start their own collection of Funkos, I recommend beginning by looking for their favorite character of TV series, movies, video games and comics on Amazon. At present, it is estimated that there are more than 17000 models.
