Kids have so many kinds of toys to choose from these days. Aside from the real kiddie toys like blocks, dolls, train sets, action figures and teddy bears, they also get to choose from the more high-end toys such as robots, portable gaming consoles and virtual and augmented reality experiences.
As adults, we also have our share of grown up toys. We have our gaming consoles and PCs, scooters and motorbikes, game boards, car scale models, and collectible action figures.
I’m not talking about those action figures that are just all in one color, with bad paint jobs, who look nothing like the character, and you buy a set in a mesh bag. I’m talking about these new collectibles called Funko Pops and Cosbaby.
These two very different but still similar figures attract the same kind of collector. If you are a fan of caricatures, exaggerated illustrations of famous personalities and bobble heads, you will surely get a kick out of these two.
HISTORY
Funko Pops are extremely popular worldwide. Made by the company Funko, a US-based toy brand established 1998, the Pop! line is the biggest and only a fraction of the whole Funko catalog. They own licensing deals with major companies such as Marvel, DC, Disney, Lucasfilm, Cartoon Network, Netflix and so much more that they have created over 13,000 unique products to date. Name any character from your favorite movie, TV show or cartoon and they most certainly have it. I know coz that’s how I started my collection.
The unique trademark of a Funko Pop! is the extremely large head and beady eyes of the character. The accurate and detailed colors, costumes, dresses and accessories are the factors which will definitely remind you of the movie the figure is from. Most Pops are only in a standing form. But in the recent years, Funko has come out with better posed Pops, with dancing and action stances and even flying and floating poses.
The Cosbaby line is by Hot Toys, a company based in Hongkong which was established in the year 2000. They gained fame from their 1:6 scale figures with amazing paintjobs and uncanny similarities to the original character or actor. Though not as extensive as Funko’s licenses, Hot Toys chose to handpick the most popular movies and characters to develop into collectibles. The Cosbaby gained so much popularity with collectors because of its posable form, that Funko came out with their answer to it, their 5 Star line.
The Cosbaby is very similar to the Funko Pop. Also, with a big head but with large and expressive anime like eyes, these figures are also collector worthy. The Cosbaby line features mostly famous characters and blockbuster movies popularized in the last 10 years. Most Cosbabies are in an action pose, which a lot of collectors prefer, aside from some Cosbabies being articulated.
COMPARISON
The Cosbaby is slightly smaller than the Funko Pop!. It looks more proportioned because of its poses and articulation, with longer legs and torsos. The details of both figures are very well made, but the Cosbaby’s paintjob looks too good that it probably is color molded unlike the Pop which is machine painted.
Some collectors like how some Pops are not well made because it gives it a rarer and imperfect look. These imperfections are also one of the reasons why a Pop appreciates in value.
VALUE
A lot of Funko Pops! sky rocket in value, especially the really exclusive ones released in comic conventions, stickered pieces, in-store only exclusives and the very rare Chase variant, which is a randomly packed variant of a common Pop.
A regular Funko Pop, when it first comes out, retails for P595. These are the regulars which will be sold widely in most stores. They may increase in value after a few years, depending on the scarcity and other factors such as the death of the character or actor, Funko’s ceasing to produce it, and overall demand. A regular Funko Pop! may appreciate up to P8000 each or more.
A single Cosbaby retails at P945 to P1385, depending on the complexity of the piece. And a multi-pack ranges from P1385 to P4475. The Cosbaby isn’t as widely released as the Funko Pop! and production is also limited which explains it’s slightly more expensive retail price.
WHICH IS FOR YOU?
The Funko Pop! is all about nostalgia and the now. They have produced pieces of The Beatles, ET, Pulp Fiction, Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump, Kill Bill and so much more that they will definitely take you back to your childhood. Of course, they also have newer pieces for the fandom of today which makes the Funko Pop! the wider catalog for collectors of all ages. Plus the fact that the Pop appreciates in value, makes it more lucrative for a collector who might consider quitting someday.
Cosbaby is definitely for the action figure hoarder. It marries both the demand for modern pop culture and the childhood memories we had for posable figures like GI Joe. Albeit being slightly more expensive, it does come in more posable forms, so it won’t feel like your figures are just standing there collecting dust. It’s way cooler to look at your collection in action stances rather than feeling like you’re in a museum.
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