Disney Goes Pop!

On Thursday, we posted an article talking about Disney's new line of Pop! Vinyl figures and our thoughts on a few of them. Today we give you the POV of an expert in the vinyl collectible world. Kristen Pino is a writer for the collectible toy website Tomopop.com. On our next podcast, she will be our guest and will take us through the history of vinyl toys leading up to Vinylmation. A lot of collectors, including us, were not aware that much of what we see in Vinylmation is standard in the vinyl toy world. Kristina will tell us what else is out there you might be interested in collecting and how to find them. She will also discuss her thoughts on the state of Vinylmation and what we can expect in the future. Please join us for this great upcoming episode. But today, she wrote us an exclusive article about Disney's Pop! Vinyl:

Disney Goes Pop!

by Kristina Pino

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The same way that a lot of folks who collect Vinylmation are new to the world of Designer Vinyl, I’m sure many who are now seeing the new Disney Pop! figures are also new to Funko’s simplistic toy design! I’ve been asked to shed a little light on Funko and where they came from, along with a bit of my take on Disney Pop! Series One.

Chances are, you’ve got a local comic book shop somewhere in your town or nearby. Chances also are, if you go to your local comic book shop, they probably sell some toys/figures. If they do, you might catch the Funko Pop! Heroes or Marvel vinyl figures there, which include a lot of your might-be favorite comic heroes such as Spider-Man, Batman, Green Lantern or Captain America. Now that there are more super hero movies coming out, I’m sure there’ll be an even bigger presence of these figures.

Of more interest to Disney enthusiasts, aside from the Pop! Disney set, there’s also Pop! Movies sets which includes a few characters from the Wizard of Oz. On top of vinyl figures, you can find plush toys of the same characters and even Star Wars bobble-heads in the Funko Pop! style, if that’s your thing.

For images and information on any and all things Funko, you can visit their site right here. They’re fun and for the most part are at a lower price point than the Disney Pop! line, so they make a great addition to any growing vinyl collection. They’re only a little bit larger than Vinylmation, so you could even share shelves with these. This is a really fun way to go if you’re looking to expand your vinyl horizons.

In terms of whether they are anything like Vinylmation, they are only alike in vinyl/format (what they’re made of, being plastic). Vinylmation are more poseable but are a set three inches in height. Whereas Funko Pop! vinyl is a bit larger, but generally only their heads are poseable. Their designs are very clear-cut and easy to spot because of the clear lines, big heads, small bodies and “button eyes”.

I have a full review of Tinkerbell and Mickey Mouse on Tomopop.com, a toy and collectibles news blog where I freelance. We’ll also have a review up soon for Maleficent, the big bad lady herself. I plan to purchase more, because while the figures have a few paint/splotching issues that should have been avoided and a bit of a price increase, they’re still very charming and I can’t really say no. I can only say, “not yet”, and buy them over a longer period of time! I love the designs for the entire set, so it’s only a matter of time.

There are many different types of toy collectibles out there, and in terms of vinyl only there are still more toy lines to look into and enjoy, even if you just want to collect Disney-related things. Be sure to tune in and listen to my interview on the next Destination Vinylmation. Especially if you’re curious about learning more about Vinylmation and where it came from!