Do you have a Funko Pop collection that has gotten so large that you no longer have enough space to display all of them? There comes a point in every truly dedicated collector’s life when they have accumulated so much, that it becomes difficult to figure out what to do with all of it. Funko Pops are no exception. I know some of you have pretty impressive Funko Pop collections, and you’re probably at that point where you need some storage ideas. Hopefully, this post can help you find the best storage options for your Funko Pops.
Are Your Funko Pops Opened or Unopened?
Are you looking for solutions for how to store open Funko Pops, or are you looking for how to store Funko Pops in their boxes? These might seem like silly questions, but you’re options may differ slightly depending on your situation.
For unopened, or boxed Funko Pops, you may want to lay a layer of bubble wrap on the bottom and along the sides of a box or tub and then stack the Funko Pop boxes on top of each other in layers until you reach the top. You likely won’t need to wrap the Funko Pop boxes in bubble wrap, however, if you feel your Funkos will be more secure wrapped in bubble wrap, then do it.
For opened Funko Pops, you definitely want to wrap them each individually in bubble wrap before piling them on top of each other in a tub. The nice thing about opened Funko Pops is that you can store more of them in one tub than the boxed ones. The issue is that because they are out of their boxes, you do have to be a little more careful about how you store them, so bubble wrapping them is probably a good idea.
What Should You Use to Store Your Funko Pops?
When it comes to what you will use to store your Funko Pops, it’s likely that you’re going to be choosing between either plastic tubs or carboard boxes. Both will get the job done, but there are some significant advantages to using plastic tubs that should not be overlooked.
Plastic Tubs Vs Carboard Boxes:
Plastic tubs/storage bins/totes are generally going to be sturdier than carboard boxes, and will probably be easier to stack, though there are carboard solutions such as bankers boxes that are very stackable and very sturdy. Bankers boxes seem to be a favorite type of storage for Funko Pop collectors, especially for storing boxed Funko Pops.
- Bankers Boxes (20 pack) – Medium Duty – 16.25 x 12.5 x 10.5 inches (Amazon)
The one big advantage to plastic tubs is better protection against spills or flooding. With cardboard, liquids can be absorbed and end up seeping right through and potentially ruining the contents inside. Even if it doesn’t get through to your Pops, the boxes will likely need to be replaced. This is not necessarily the case with plastic tubs.
In the case of flooding, as long as the water does not go passed the lid of the tub, your Funko Pops will probably be fine. Now, if the water does manage to get over the lid and seep into the tub, then you have some real problems. The simple solution here would be to not store your Funko Pops anywhere that is prone to flooding (such as your basement).
Here are some options for you:
Regular Storage Bins:
- 6 Pack – 15.38″ x 12.38″ x 9.63″ (Amazon)
- 4 Pack – 16.25″ x 13″ x 12.125″ (Amazon)
- 6 Pack – 22.00″ x 16.50″ x 13.03″ (Amazon)
Heavy Duty:
- 3 Pack – 32.00” x 20.00” x 16.00” (Amazon)
One other issue with storing your Funko Pops in plastic tubs are the slanted walls that most plastic tubs tend to have. Storing boxed Funko Pops in plastic tubs with slanted walls could be annoying since you won’t be able to stack them in perfect columns. You could always pad the sides with bubble wrap or another kind of packaging material to fill in that extra space near the top of the tub. I will link to some tubs with straight walls if I can find them, but at this moment I can’t find good options
Storing Funko Pops in Bulk
Maybe you don’t want to mess around with a bunch of bins or bankers boxes. Maybe you want to store your Funko Pops in bulk, and you’re looking to do it with a few big tubs instead of many small to medium sized ones. While this is definitely doable, keep in mind, that if you’re storing many Funko Pops in one big tub, that could end up making organization a little more difficult, and individual Pops harder to find.
Large storage options for your Funko Pops:
- 4 Pack – 29 x 17.75 x 13.25 inches (Amazon)
Choose Something You Can Stack
Whatever you go with—carboard boxes or plastic tubs—you should go with something that is stackable for the sake of saving space. This way you will take up much less floor space, especially if you have a large collection.
Keeping the Funko Pop Boxes for Storage
Even if you are someone who opens your Funko Pops, or at least some of your Funko Pops, you might want to consider keeping the boxes for the purpose of storage. Storing your Funko Pops in their boxes can save you the hassle of worrying about packaging materials like bubble wrap. Just remember that the boxes will take up space, and you will need to have some way to manage them while the Funko Pops are out and on display.
Where Should You Store Your Funko Pops?
So, when it comes to where Funko Pops should be stored, in most cases, you should be asking which room in your home is best for storing your Funko Pops. Closets or a spare bedroom are probably going to be your best options. It might be tempting to store your Pops in your garage or basement, because there is probably more space in those rooms; or you may want to put them in your attic to get them out of the way. Tempting as it may be, its generally not a good idea to store your Funko Pops in your garage, basement, or attic since the temperature and humidity cannot be regulated.
Humidity:
Extreme humidity is an enemy to your Funko Pops, especially if you keep them in their boxes. The moisture in the air could cause the boxes to warp and become moist so that they may tear easily. Keep humidity levels moderate. You don’t need things to be bone dry (that may not be good for them either) but try to keep the humidity regulated and at comfortable levels.
Temperature:
Wherever you store them, make sure it is somewhere where the temperature can be regulated. In many cases, this means that garages, attics, and porches are off limits. You want to be able to control the temperature. Keep things at moderate temperatures. Between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 23 degrees Celsius) is probably ideal. Extremes are not good for your Funko Pops—its possible that your Funko Pops will melt or warp if stored in your attic through a very hot summer.
Cold climates are not as bad for your Funko Pops as the heat, but if you’re storing them some place where the temperature fluctuates, then that will ruin them. Parts will become loose due to expansion and contraction caused bye the shift from cold to hot from the winter to the summer.
Avoiding Sunlight:
Finally, if you are storing your Funko Pops in clear plastic containers or tubs, you should avoid storing them in a room where those tubs are going to be exposed to sunlight. Sunlight will cause color changes over time. It will cause the colors to fade, or to completely change from one color to a different color.
Storing Funko Pop Bobbleheads
For bobblehead Funko Pops, take extra precautions if they are opened and out of their packaging. Don’t cram them into a tub to tightly. This could force your Funko Pop’s head to tilt to far on way or another and being stuck like that for a long period of time could ruin them, so be careful. Wrap them in bubble wrap and store a reasonable amount in a tub. Don’t feel like you have to cram as many in on tub or box as possible.
For bobbleheads, you might want to consider getting something like a Feldherr Storage Box. This way you can give each of your bobbleheads its own compartment in the tray. You can do this for your regular Funko Pops as well, but it seems that it would be especially useful for the bobbleheads.
How Many Funko Pops Do You Have?
Find out the number of Funko Pops that you have and the number that you would like to store away. This will determine the number of storage containers you will need and/or the size of the storage containers that you decide to go with. It may be best to look for containers that store a moderate amount of Funkos—not too many, but not too few either.
If you store too many in one large tub, it might be difficult to find individual Pops in the future. Even if you keep an inventory of what is stored where, it still might be difficult to dig a particular Funko Pop out of a tub full of 75 to 100 other Pops. This is part of the problem with storing your Funko Pops in bulk, like I mentioned earlier.
How Will You Keep Track of Where You Put Your Funkos?
Whether you are using plastic tubs, bankers boxes, or just old amazon boxes to store your Pops, you are going to want some way of keeping track of them. I recommend labeling the boxes and giving each one an assigned number. You can do this with a label maker, sticky notes, or just scrap paper and scotch tape. Then you can use a spreadsheet that you can use to keep track of which Funko Pops are in which container. You can create the spreadsheet with a program like Microsoft Office Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or Google Sheets.
The simplest way to do this is have one column of the sheet for the Funko Pop name, and the column next to it dedicated to the number of the box where that Funko Pop is located. When it comes time to find that one specific Pop that you stored away a couple years back, this will make the process of finding that Pop a whole lot easier.
Conclusion
As your Funko Pop collection gets larger and larger, there will come a point where you need to store some of those Pops away to make room on your display shelf for newer additions to your collection. When storing your Funko Pops, you need to make sure that you are not just storing them, but preserving them as well. Mistakes you might make during the storage process could have detrimental effects on your Funko Pops, so you want to make sure you are careful when storing them. Consider things like temperature, sunlight, and humidity when deciding where you’re going to put them in your home or when deciding on a storage unit for them. Also take into account the type of storage you will be using, whether it be cardboard boxes, or plastic totes and bins. Hopefully, this article helped you make those decisions.