Fans of the archeologist/adventurist known as Indiana Jones were thrilled earlier this summer when Funko announced the release of two exclusive Pops. Released within just days of each other at the latter end of July, both of these figures were in-demand and hard to obtain. Those fortunate enough to attend Comic-Con and patient enough to wait in the Funko lines were (in some cases) able to get ahold of the Indiana Jones with Idol Pop. Likewise, guests flooded Disneyland, Walt Disney World, the Shop Disney Parks app, and DisneyStore.com to claim their exclusive Indiana Jones Pop that is a nod to the popular Temple of the Forbidden Eye attraction.
As a big fan of Indy, I was fully prepared to shell out $50 for the Comic Con version, not being able to attend the convention myself. After avoiding eBay the weekend when SDCC was running, I returned to the auction site to get my hands on this figure. To my astonishment I discovered that my $50 wouldn’t cut it. In fact, I’d have to double or even triple the amount I was prepared to spend. Once the shock wore off, I started to wonder why the price was so outlandish.
To start with, Indiana Jones is incredibly popular. This is his debut Pop and naturally it would be in high demand. On top of that, it’s an exclusive. But, unlike some of the other SDCC exclusives that have been given a fixed edition size, this figure displays the generic “limited edition” sticker. Does that mean 1,000 were produced or 10,000? Regardless of the edition size, these figures are still selling like hotcakes. Over the past week, the average sale of this SDCC Indiana Jones is $145. While collectors aren’t averse to paying $100+ for a single Pop, surely there has to be a logical explanation for this Indiana Jones conundrum.
What do you think the reason is? Were you a part of this Indiana Jones craze? Is it something in the water?
Matt Norris