We get it. You want to know that what you have is the real deal! After all, you spend your time and energy cultivating your collection and need that one... last... piece.
The adage, "If it's too good to be true, then it probably is" holds especially true on the collector market.
We have seen that the majority of sellers who post rare, vaulted, or treasured items for sale are collectors themselves and have genuine merchandise they are ready to part with. Most collectors know what their figures are worth, and they take care of one another. That's the good news! The not-so-good news is that every now and then, you see a smoking hot deal on a super rare figure, which raises some alarm bells.
Unfortunately, we are not able to authenticate any figures, as there is no specific way to do so. We do not issue serial numbers, and our figures are highly collectible, which makes it difficult to track down a particular path that a figure may take throughout its lifetime.
Instead, we have some tools and tips for you to investigate whether you have a genuine product:
- Check the source. Purchase only from authorized retailers whenever possible. For items on the secondary market (like an auction site), it's always best to speak to the individual from whom you purchased the item to see if you can get information on when, where, and how they it came into their possession.
- Check the app. The Funko app allows you to scan bar code scan to quickly enter and track figures in your collection. If you scan the box and it doesn't show up, it might not be a valid UPC number. This is not necessarily suggestive of a fraudulent product, but you would be prompted to investigate the item further.
- Check with others. And finally, you may want to compare your figure to an online image search to see if there are any major discrepancies, or reach out to the worldwide fan base for Funko across social media to get some insight as to what collectors consider "normal" for a product.
And finally, a word about custom figures:
There are a lot of talented customs artists out there! We permit our collectors to modify the figures in their private collection to their liking. However, we do not encourage the sale of these customized figures. Be on the lookout for clues in the title, caption or description of an item, especially if it is circulating on social media. Our catalog stays updated, so perform a search there as well, to see if it's something we've manufactured.