The act of collecting is a common phenomenon among individuals. Especially where consumerism prevails, pop culture objects are collected the most (Wang, 2023). It is possible to define ‘collectors’ as a group of people which collect series of objects that have no utility functions. An instance of collectors can be ‘fans’ who support or admire someone or something and therefore, collects merchandise or items related to them (Wang, 2023). Collections can be used as a way for adults to revive their childhood. By bringing nostalgic memories, collectibles such as Funko Pop! Figures represent the interest of adult fans into popular culture.
Popular culture derives from popular memories and is constituted by humans’ ideologies, words, etc (Wang, 2023). The act of collecting physical objects enables the fans to express their own self-identity. This is because, the memories which are associated with a certain toy or figure are symbols of the self and reflect the identity of the owner (Wang, 2023). Thus, it is through self-identification, nostalgia and personal values that consumers wish to identify with the brand by purchasing and owning their collectibles (Santos & Vergara, 2023). In order to attract more consumers and evoke a sense of nostalgia and self-identification in them, Funko Inc. creates international brand alliances. This enables the company to produce unique collectibles since their production might be limited to the country with which the alliance was created (Santos & Vergara, 2023).