Funko pops to pitch 30M of inventory into a landfill! 2 2

[Hes Dead Jim]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:56 AM, Poekaymon said:

When it's preferable for a company to dump something in a landfill rather than give to children's hospitals or something, you might want to rethink your system.  Then again, there are many more such examples.

yup yup american farmers dumped milk after ww2. Soon after subsidies came. ultimately as much as it may suck corportions large and small have no obligation past their bottom line. i used to run claw machines about 30 years ago among other things. i gave a big box of plush to kids hospitals every couple of months. the coin op distributer used to have the workers smash everything before it went into the dumpster so nobody could make any money on it but them. you have to kind of want to do stuff one way of the other.

[kenaran]

Here's a different article from the Everett Herald (Funko's hometown).  Went to a mall 'comic book store' last year just because I was there and they pretty much only had Funko's.  Largish store too.  I always thought they were kind of neat, have a few myself (Bug's Bunny/Looney Tunes for the wife's collection and who could resist baby Groot).  Never really thought of them as a collectable, or worth spending much more than MSRP on.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/dumpko-30m-worth-of-funko-pop-collectibles-destined-for-landfill/

[StingerMcK]

Just open the warehouse and say everything is $1 each. They would have it cleared over a weekend. But no, go fill the landfill so your over produced product doesn't devalue. Cowards.

[ExNihilo]

On 3/4/2023 at 1:56 AM, Poekaymon said:

Then again, there are many more such examples.

Except for the fact that it's a non-biodegradable material, is it otherwise any different to retailers destroying and dumping unsold stock of comics and magazines 20+ years ago?

[Domo Arigato]

On 3/4/2023 at 3:43 PM, wurstisart said:

I don’t think they dumped half of their inventory but a game that simply sucked.

At least that is what I remember.

E.T. is the one most often mentioned......but they dumped others as well.during the 1983 video game crash.(12 truckloads of leftover inventory).

It appears the smart thing to do, is dump these Funko Pops into a landfill.....let them ferment for a few decades......and then sell them.

 

[Robot Man]

On 3/4/2023 at 2:31 PM, StingerMcK said:

Just open the warehouse and say everything is $1 each. They would have it cleared over a weekend. But no, go fill the landfill so your over produced product doesn't devalue. Cowards.

At least comics breakdown in a landfill pretty quickly. A thousand years from now, somebody is going to dig them up and say WTF? 

[Greengiant]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:43 PM, wurstisart said:

I don’t think they dumped half of their inventory but a game that simply sucked.

At least that is what I remember.

The problem with the game is that you couldn't tell what you had to do, unless you read the instructions which gave you the steps to complete the game. But who reads the instructions.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Greengiant
Mispelling

[batman_fan]

On 3/5/2023 at 8:51 AM, Robot Man said:

At least comics breakdown in a landfill pretty quickly. A thousand years from now, somebody is going to dig them up and say WTF? 

I think the even bigger shock to folks in a thousand years is people actually paid for them.

[mattn792]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:31 PM, StingerMcK said:

Just open the warehouse and say everything is $1 each. They would have it cleared over a weekend. But no, go fill the landfill so your over produced product doesn't devalue. Cowards.

Exactly.  How many folks would drive out and buy as much as they can carry?  Plenty.  Hell, Mile High might buy all of them at once for all we know.

Gross about $2.5 mil, or $0?

Edited March 6, 2023 by mattn792

[bronze_rules]

So I got into a disagreement with a more 'accounting' oriented friend about this article. And reading the article more carefully, there's no factual evidence to prove they are going to 'dump' the excess inventory in landfill.

The article, says something like 'what this means is they will dump it in landfill.' But reading the company remarks, only states they will write off inventory and re-manage inventory. This could mean they are selling at cost to another party, or a number of other alternatives.

Edited March 6, 2023 by bronze_rules

[Domo Arigato]

 

[Domo Arigato]

[Robot Man]

On 3/5/2023 at 11:54 PM, Domo Arigato said:

 

Reminds me a little of Hot Wheels. My daughter collects them and has a hard time finding them in her area. So I pick up a few here and there at the grocery store and Target when I go in. There are tons of 20 something guys prowling the isles and cleaning multiples off the racks. Some tell me “hey these are valuble”. I laugh to myself. So, you buy one for a dollar and sell it for $3. Once in a while you might find one of the real limited Super Treasure Hunts that might be worth $40. And these guys spend all day and a tank of gas looking from store to store. I think it is more about the thrill of the hunt than anything.

I learned a long time ago that anything modern that is marketed as a “collectible” and will have value down the road won’t. 

[Gonzimodo]

On 3/6/2023 at 2:55 AM, Domo Arigato said:

I remember when this happened, and it was probably the most pathetic thing I'd seen up to that point in my life.  It still pops into my head from time to time, so I guess it really made an impression.

[Gonzimodo]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:55 PM, namisgr said:

It might surprise to learn how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are emitted by rotting leftovers.

And from the farts if you actually eat the stuff...  

[batman_fan]

I had a friend back in the 90s that would drive to all stores in the Phoenix area to pick up Starting LineUp figures.  He had hundreds of them, many “rare”. I think the prices have crashed on those items.

[Pitboss]

It is not yet clear what "eliminating" entails and whether the vinyl products will be recycled, donated, or sent to landfill. Funko did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for clarification.

[WolverineX]

What a joke.  Wonder how much of a bonus the MBA executive got for this brilliant plan.  

Edited March 6, 2023 by WolverineX

[ThothAmon]

They should have called Chuck. 

[waaaghboss]

On 3/4/2023 at 1:50 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

There's a good documentary about efforts to find and excavate those cartridges.

Yah it's an interesting piece of history.  Game is God awful.  Story was they only had 1 developer work on it, and didn't even give him much time so it could be in stores by Christmas.   Just incompetent corporate oversight.