I’ve never bought into the whole Funko Pop craze. The big head, mouthless design has never been very appealing to me. But, really, it’s the eyes that are a big turn-off. I always think of this quote from Jaws when I look at them…
You know the thing about a shark…he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eye. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t seem be living, until he bites ya and the black eyes roll over white.
– Quint
That being said, I have given in and purchased a few of them over the years. My very first was this 2014 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Pop of Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter from the cult TV show, Hannibal.
Now, I was not in attendance at the 2014 SDCC (I’ve actually never been to SDCC). However, I have a couple of friends who were hosting a panel there, so I asked them to pick up this Pop for me. I will forever be in their debt, because, other than the DVDs of the series, this is pretty much the only authorized merch I own of Hannibal, a show I love dearly to this day.
The thing that made this exclusive is the blood-splattered face. The same sculpt was given a general release, but he’s all nice and clean. The things collectors will pay a premium for, am I right?
I have to say, I wish I would have been more proactive in getting the other Hannibal Funko Pops, especially the Wendigo figure…
Because he’s going for a pretty penny on eBay right now, usually coming in around $75 – $100.
Speaking of, my SDCC version was a pretty sought-after Funko Pop for a while. I can remember more than once wondering if I should sell it on eBay when it was topping out around $300. However, as the show has faded from memory – and there are now Chinese bootlegs of the figure available – the value has gone down to around $150 on the high-end, closer to $100 on the low-end. I’m sure as the Funko craze dies down (which there are signs of the Pop bubble popping already) the value will drop even more, but I’m just happy to have a little piece of one of my favorite shows in my collection.
