Collector guide
Funko Pop glossary: collector terms explained
New to collecting, or reading a listing full of shorthand? Here are the Funko Pop terms collectors use most, in plain English, from A to Z.
A
- Ad Icons
- A Pop! line of brand mascots, such as cereal, fast-food and candy characters.
B
- Bitty Pop!
- Tiny Pops, about one inch tall, each in its own mini acrylic box. They're sold in 4-packs: three figures you can see and one mystery figure, which is one of the series' Chase figures.
- Bobble-head
- A Pop with a spring-mounted head that bobbles. The box says “Bobble-Head”. Some Pops are bobble-heads, but most standard Pops have a fixed head.
- Box number
- The number in the top-right corner of the box front. Numbers are counted within each Pop! line (Movies, Television, Marvel and so on), so two different Pops can share the same number. Search with the name and the number to find the right one.
- Box condition
- How the box looks, which many collectors care about as much as the figure. People describe it in plain terms: mint, near mint, or with creases, dents, scuffs, tears or sun fading.
C
- Chase
- A rarer version of a regular Pop, packed at random in place of the common figure. Funko's product pages give a “1 in 6 chance”, and the box carries a Chase sticker. What is a Chase Funko Pop?
- Common
- The standard version of a Pop that also has a Chase variant.
- Convention exclusive
- A Pop sold at a fan convention such as San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), New York Comic Con (NYCC) or Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), with that event's sticker.
D
- Deluxe
- A larger Pop! format that shows a character in a scene or on a detailed base.
- Diamond Collection
- Glitter-finish variants of existing Pops, marked with a Diamond Collection sticker. They're usually store exclusives.
- Digital Pop! (Pop! Digital)
- Pops first sold as digital collectibles that owners could redeem for the physical figure. The box says “Pop! Digital” and many carry an “NFT Release” sticker with the run size.
E
- Error box
- A box with a factory mistake, such as a misspelled name, the wrong number or the wrong figure inside. Some collectors look for them on purpose.
- Exclusive
- A Pop sold only by one store, website or event, shown by the sticker on the box. Funko Pop stickers explained
F
- Fake (counterfeit, bootleg)
- An unofficial copy made to look like a real Pop. Common signs are blurry box print, wrong fonts, poor paint and a missing or odd code on the foot. How to spot a fake Funko Pop
- Fan Rewards
- Funko's loyalty program on funko.com. Members can enter drawings for chances to buy limited-edition drops.
- Flocked (FL)
- A Pop with a fuzzy, velvety coating, often on animal or furry characters. It shows up on Chases and exclusives.
- Freddy Funko
- Funko's mascot, often released dressed as other characters, usually in small runs.
- Funatic
- A nickname for Funko fans and collectors.
- Funko Shop exclusive
- A Pop sold only through Funko's own store, funko.com.
G
- Glow in the Dark (GITD)
- A Pop made with glow-in-the-dark plastic. It often carries its own sticker and is a common Chase or exclusive finish.
- Grail
- The Pop a collector wants most, usually one that is rare or hard to find.
H
- Hard stack
- A thick, rigid acrylic box protector. Hard stacks let you stack boxed Pops without crushing them. See also: Pop protector.
I
- In box / Out of box (OOB)
- Whether a Pop is kept sealed in its box or displayed loose. A loose Pop with no box is often just called “loose”.
J
- Jumbo
- A 10-inch Pop. There are also larger 18-inch versions.
L
- Limited Edition (LE)
- Funko's label for one-run releases with a capped number of pieces that aren't restocked. Some stickers show the run size, such as “LE 1000”.
M
- Metallic / Chrome
- Shiny finishes. Metallic has a painted sheen; Chrome has a mirror-like finish. Both are common on exclusives.
- Mystery Minis
- Small vinyl figures sold in blind boxes, so you don't know which one you'll get until you open it.
O
- Octane5 sticker
- The authentication sticker Funko has used on exclusives since New York Comic Con 2024. It has a unique code you can check by scanning its QR code. More on stickers
P
- Pocket Pop! Keychain
- A small Pop figure on a keychain.
- Pop! Albums / Pop! Covers
- A figure displayed with a framed album cover (Albums) or a comic or magazine cover (Covers) behind it.
- Pop! Moment
- A set of two or more figures recreating a famous scene, sold in one box.
- Pop! protector
- A clear plastic case that keeps a boxed Pop free of dents, creases and dust. Soft protectors are thin plastic; hard stacks are rigid. Funko sells its own Pop! Protector with some releases.
- Pop! Rides
- A figure sold with a vehicle, such as a car, bike or spaceship.
- Pop! Town
- A figure sold with a small building from its show or film.
- Pops! With Purpose
- Funko's charity line, launched in 2021, with a dedicated sticker and box art. Funko made a charitable donation with these releases.
S
- A convention exclusive also sold through funko.com and partner stores at the same time. It carries a general sticker such as “Summer Convention” (San Diego Comic-Con) or “Fall Convention” (New York Comic Con).
- Signed / authenticated
- A Pop signed by an actor or creator. Collectors usually look for authentication from a third party such as JSA or Beckett.
- Soda (Vinyl Soda)
- A Funko figure packed in a can, with the edition size printed on it and a chance of a Chase inside.
- Special Edition
- Funko's sticker for some store exclusives sold at selected retailers.
- Standard Pop
- The regular size, about 3¾ to 4 inches tall, in a window box.
- Sticker
- The label on the front of the box window that shows an exclusive, Chase, convention or limited release. Funko Pop stickers explained
- Super Sized (6-inch)
- A larger, 6-inch Pop, usually of big characters such as monsters, robots or vehicles.
V
- Variant
- Any version that differs from the standard Pop: a different finish (glow, flocked, metallic, glitter), costume, colour or sticker.
- Vaulted
- Funko has retired the Pop from production. It's shown on Funko's website, not on the box, and vaulted Pops can occasionally come back. What does vaulted mean?
W
- Wave
- A group of Pops from the same film, show or game released together.
Keep track of what you own
Chases, exclusives, flocked and glow variants are easy to mix up on a shelf. PopArchive lets you record those details for each Pop, so your list matches your collection.
Look up any Pop's current eBay listings
Free, no account needed. Then keep your whole collection organized: what you paid, variants and exclusives, and no more duplicate buys.
Search a Pop