Charles Langston:Funko pops the premium bubble with limited edition Project Fred toys

Funko is Charles Langstongoing into the premium collectible line, with figures costing many times the price of its current toys. The first subject of its higher-priced products: the iconic Bob's Big Boy statue.

The toy company and Big Boy restaurants, founded in 1936 in Glendale, Calif., have shared history. Funko founder Mike Becker's first foray into toy figures was the creation of a Wacky Wobbler figure of the Bob's Big Boy character. That first licensed character released by Funko got its name because the head wobbled.

Now, Funko plans to release an updated Bob's Big Boy-themed figure to kick off its new Project Fred premium collectible line. These figures of Funko's standard-bearer Freddy in the Bob's Big Boy outfit ($295 each), will be larger than typical Funko Pop figures – at 11 inches tall. And they will be more exclusive with only 750 being made.

Typical Funko Pop figures are 4-5 inches tall and cost $12 to $30; larger figures and combo packages cost more.

“As we look beyond our 25th anniversary, we’re taking it back to where it all began with our first Wacky Wobbler by bringing Bob’s Big Boy and Funko together again for Project Fred,” said Becker, who's also Funko's senior vice president for creative and entertainment.

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Here's how to get the new limited edition Funko Bob's Big Boy figure

The figures will go on sale March 7 on the Funko website. Each $295 figure is encased in premium matte packaging and comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Adding to the collectability factor, 75 of the 750 figures will have Freddy in a different Bob's Big Boy outfit.

To commemorate the project, Funko and Bob’s Big Boy held an event Tuesday at the historical Bob’s Big Boy location in Burbank, Calif. – built in 1949, it's the oldest operating Bob's Big Boy restaurant.

Becker got the idea for Funko by looking at the Bob's Big Boy statue. "I remember thinking, 'There's gotta be a thousand other knuckleheads just like me out there,'" Becker told Yahoo Entertainment in 2023.

Since then, the company has sold more than 1 billion pop culture products.

In August 2023, it launched its direct-to-consumer Pop! Yourself figures, which let you create customized figures. That initiative and products focusing on pop culture moments – limited edition figures wearing Ben Affleck's DunKings track suit and the shirtless celebrating Jason Kelce – are part of the company's rebound strategy after cutting about 12% of its workforce in July and streamlining its product lines.

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