What is Funko Pop?
Since 2011 Funko has become the leading supplier of pop-culture bobbleheads and vinyl figurines ranging from TV icons and movie heroes, to comics, animation and video-game characters.
What started in one man's home and his love for collecting, has turned into a thriving business that has my kids starting their own collections of their favorite pop-culture icons–– but it didn't happen overnight.
In 1998, Funko was created by Mike Becker who created coin banks shaped as the mascot of Bob's Big Boy restaurant and tried to sell them as collectibles, but failed. However, this failure lead him into licensing the Austin Powers movie to sell more than 80,000 toys. From there, some of the first characters that Becker sold included the Grinch, Tony the Tiger, and the Cheerios mascot.
In 2005, he sold his company to toy geek, Brian Mariotti (who once purchased a house using money selling his Pez collection), and has since expanded the company's licensed products and introduced the Pop! Vinyl line of figurines in 2011.
What started in one man's home and his love for collecting, has turned into a thriving business that has my kids starting their own collections of their favorite pop-culture icons–– but it didn't happen overnight.
In 1998, Funko was created by Mike Becker who created coin banks shaped as the mascot of Bob's Big Boy restaurant and tried to sell them as collectibles, but failed. However, this failure lead him into licensing the Austin Powers movie to sell more than 80,000 toys. From there, some of the first characters that Becker sold included the Grinch, Tony the Tiger, and the Cheerios mascot.
In 2005, he sold his company to toy geek, Brian Mariotti (who once purchased a house using money selling his Pez collection), and has since expanded the company's licensed products and introduced the Pop! Vinyl line of figurines in 2011.
In 2017, Funko opened its new headquarters and flagship store in downtown Everett, Washington. So, on our way back from Winthrop, we decided to take a detour and check it out!
Where is Funko HQ?
Funko HQ is about an hour drive north of the Seattle/Tacoma area towards Everett, Washington. As you drive into the downtown area of Everett, it's easy to spot the building on the corner of Wetmore Ave. and California St. There was plenty of parking in the parking garage right behind Wellsfargo, but be sure to make your way down to the lower/street level to access the main entrance.
Why visit Funko HQ?
Simply put–– it's the Disneyland for toy geeks! While I stopped playing and collecting toys decades ago, the nostalgia of Funko HQ is an experience worth taking a trip for.
As you enter through the doors, you're greeted by a Funko employee who hands you a blue piece of paper–– a visual map of the store and the price sheet for each item in store. Just like Disneyland has different themed lands, Funko HQ has different sections for all their licensed products.
Animation section:
Find vinyl figurines based on Japanese-inspired shows, movies and video games.
Gotham section:
Find vinyl figurines based on DC comics, Pop! Rock artists and Pop! Television series.
The Disney section:
Find your favorite characters based on Disney/Pixar movies and the entire Marvel Universe.
Pop! Athletes/Star Wars section:
Find your favorite athlete amongst the boxes neatly arranged on a tiered shelf.For Star Wars fans, there's a section dedicated to everything Star Wars.
Pop! Factory:
When we visited, customers were given the option to custom-build a Monster Pop!
Harry Potter section:
For the Harry Potter fans, there's a section on the opposite wall of the Pop! Factory just for you!
Plan your visit to Funko HQ:
Location:
2802 Wetmore Ave.
Everett, WA 98201
Hours:
Monday- Friday: 11am- 7pm
Saturday: 10am- 7pm
Sunday: 11am- 6pm
Admission Cost:
There is no admission cost to visit Funko HQ. However, if you do plan to buy, expect to pay at minimum $10 per Pop! Funko toy.
While you can find Pop! Funko at various retail stores, visiting Funko HQ is a great day trip if you're in or around the area.
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| The boys take home a few of their favorites. |
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