Funko Pop in 2025: New Drops, a Tough Quarter, and Why Collectors Are Still Watching

Funko—the pop-culture company behind Funko Pop! vinyls, Bitty Pops, Sodas, and Digital Pop!—just posted fresh quarterly numbers and signaled a challenging road ahead. For fans and collectors searching simply “funko pop” or “funko,” here’s the state of play: what’s new, what the latest earnings suggest, and how to navigate releases through the holidays.

The news: mixed quarter, sober outlook

Funko’s latest quarterly report (released this month) showed gross-margin improvement and a small profit on a GAAP basis, but sales remained soft year over year and management paired the update with cautious guidance. In follow-up coverage and investor chatter over the weekend and into today, the company’s future was framed as uncertain without continued execution on cost cuts, tighter inventories, and a steadier pipeline of must-have releases. Shares wobbled after the print despite the earnings beat, underscoring how fragile sentiment remains.

What it means: Funko has stabilized parts of its operation after a bruising stretch of write-downs, logistics resets, and prior layoffs, but the demand picture is uneven and retailer ordering remains selective. Profitability can improve when the mix tilts toward higher-margin exclusives and direct-to-consumer drops—yet the path requires consistent hits and disciplined production runs.

What’s new for collectors right now

• Seasonal & fandom staples: Expect November/December waves across anime, gaming, sports, and legacy TV IP. Retailer-exclusive variants (metallic, glow, pearlescent, and event stickers) continue to anchor hype cycles.

• Digital Pop! → physical redemption: Limited digital packs tied to classic film and gaming licenses keep returning; “grail” physical redemptions remain the chase for flippers and super-fans.

• Sports celebratory pops: Championship-themed figures typically land fast; watch for early preorder windows and short allocations.

• Boutique collabs: Smaller partnerships (artist customs, con-style micro-drops) are showing up more frequently as Funko leans into scarcity over mass flood.

Tip: Sign up for “coming soon” alerts on the brand’s official site and your preferred retailers, then layer in restock trackers. For con-adjacent exclusives, set calendar reminders 5–10 minutes before posted drop times and be logged in with payment ready.

Pricing, scarcity, and the secondary market

The company has nudged MSRPs higher in 2025 to offset freight, labor, and tariff pressure. That makes selectivity more important for collectors:

• Chase odds (often 1:6) can justify a premium if the variant design is distinctive (e.g., full sculpt changes or complex finishes).

• Sticker hierarchy still moves value: shared exclusives < retailer exclusives < event or limited-piece counts.

• Digital grails with low redemption numbers command outsized resale—verify serials and redemption windows to avoid counterfeits.

If you collect for display rather than speculation, consider standard releases of characters you love and skip weak variants. For long-term value, prioritize first appearance Pops of breakout characters, numbered limited runs, or figures tied to milestone anniversaries.

How the business backdrop affects your shelf

Funko’s strategy is shifting from “more SKUs everywhere” to tighter curation and leaner inventory. For collectors, that can be a positive: fewer shelf-sitters, more thoughtfully timed drops, and better odds that a purchase holds its value. The flip side is smaller allocations, which means faster sell-outs and more vigilance on release mornings.

Watch three signals into early 2026:

1. Retailer ordering (are mass chains expanding shelf space again?),

2. Gross margin trend (a proxy for mix quality and discounting), and

3. Licensing calendar (stronger film, anime, and game slates generally lift sell-through).

Buying smart during the holidays

• Preorder from reputable sellers with clear cancellation and box-condition policies.

• Inspect boxes on pickup; minor corner dings matter if you grade packaging.

• Don’t chase every line extension—build lanes (e.g., one anime, one gaming franchise) to avoid burnout.

• Use bundles only when they include at least one exclusive you actually want; otherwise you’re paying today for tomorrow’s clearance fodder.

• Set a per-month budget; holiday waves can arrive back-to-back.

Funko Pop is still a juggernaut fandom platform—just one operating through a recalibration. The latest quarter shows cost discipline and profit flickers, but also fragile demand and an unforgiving retail landscape. For collectors, that translates to fewer, better drops and a premium on timing. Curate your list, watch the alerts, and pick the pieces you’ll love five years from now—not just the ones trending this week.