I get this email at least once a week. "Hi, do you have the crying baby Funko Pop?"
And every time, I smile. Because I know exactly what they mean, and I also know they're about to discover a world way bigger than they imagined. There is no "crying baby Funko Pop." They're looking for CRYBABY by Molly's Factory, one of the most expressive and artist-driven lines in the designer toy scene today.
This confusion is totally understandable. One brand has so completely dominated the conversation around pop culture collectibles that its name has become the generic term for the entire hobby, like Kleenex for tissues or Google for search.
That brand, of course, is Funko. And we need to talk about them before we can talk about anything else.
The 800-Pound Vinyl Gorilla
Look, I'm not here to bash Funko. I own a few. My first-ever pop culture figurine was a dusty Captain Mal from Firefly I found at a comic-con years ago. Funko's genius is undeniable: they secured licenses for everything.for it.
They made collecting accessible. They're cheap, they're everywhere, and they're easy to understand. You like a thing, you buy the vinyl representation of that thing. Done.
But after a while, for me, the magic faded. The shelves started to look… uniform. The same black, soulless eyes. The same basic head-to-body ratio. The creativity felt like it was in the character choice, not the artistic execution. It became a checklist. A massive, never-ending checklist of pop culture toys.
I sold most of mine. I realized I wasn't collecting toys anymore; I was just accumulating branded plastic. And that's when I fell headfirst into the other world of pop toys. The world that exists beyond the Funko monopoly.
The Real World of Designer Toys
When I talk about the designer toys we carry at PopNya, I'm talking about something fundamentally different. These aren't just merchandise. They are small-scale pop statues that begin with an artist's original character and vision.
Take CRYBABY. The artist, Molly Yllom, created this character to explore themes of sadness, vulnerability, and the idea that it's okay not to be okay. Every single series, from "Sad Club" to the recent "Powerpuff Girls" collaboration, tells a story. The tears aren't just a gimmick; they're the entire point. They're a statement.
This is the key difference. Funko asks, "What popular IP can we turn into our template?" A designer toy artist asks, "What story can I tell with this character?"
This is the world of POP MART, the company that brings artists like Molly (CRYBABY), Ayan (Dimoo), and Lang (Skullpanda) to a massive audience. They operate on a blind box model. You don't know which figure from a series you're going to get. It adds an element of surprise and community, people trade duplicates to complete their sets, and everyone is chasing the "secret," an ultra-rare figure not shown on the box.
It's a completely different collecting experience. It's less about checking a box and more about connecting with an artist's universe. And honestly, the quality is on another level.
Real Talk: A Head-to-Head Comparison
Let's get specific. Why would you pay $15-$20 for a blind box CRYBABY when you can get a Funko Pop! For $12? I handle these things all day. Let me tell you.
Sculpt & Detail: Pick up a Funko. It's light. The sculpt is simple, often symmetrical. The paint is usually pretty basic, solid blocks of color. Now, pick up a CRYBABY figure. The first thing you notice is the weight. It feels more substantial. The vinyl is denser. The sculpt is dynamic and unique to that specific design.
I was just inspecting a new shipment of the CRYBABY x Powerpuff Girls series. The "Buttercup" figure isn't just a generic body with a green dress. She's posed mid-kick, with one leg in the air, an angry little scowl on her face, and her arms crossed. The translucent green "power" effect swirling around her leg is a separate, beautifully molded piece. You will never find that level of dynamic sculpting and multi-part complexity in a standard Funko Pop!.
Paint & Finish: This is where the difference becomes a chasm. Most Funko Pops have a simple matte finish. Designer toys play with texture. Some CRYBABY figures have pearlescent paint, some have flocked (fuzzy) sections, some use translucent vinyl to create a ghostly effect. The paint on the face, the tiny, perfect blush marks, the glossy tear, the subtle eyebrow expression, is incredibly precise. I've noticed on recent POP MART batches, the paint application has gotten even cleaner than it was a year ago, which is a great sign of their commitment to quality control. A common complaint I hear from customers who are new to designer toys is how shocked they are by the quality compared to the pop pop toys they were used to.
The "Hunt" and Value: The chase is different, too. With Funko, the hunt is for store exclusives or the 1-in-6 "Chase" variant. It's a manufactured rarity. With blind boxes, it's true random chance. The odds for a secret are often 1-in-144 boxes. This creates genuine scarcity and a wild secondary market.
Here's a real-world example I saw unfold in my own shop. The CRYBABY x Powerpuff Girls blind box retailed for around $17. The "Secret" figure in that set was a special version of Mojo Jojo. Within two weeks of its release in the US, I saw that Mojo Jojo secret figure selling on platforms like eBay and collector groups for over $200. That's a 10x return, driven by genuine rarity and demand. While some rare Funko Pops can reach astronomical prices, the velocity of the designer toy market feels much faster and more exciting right now. For a deeper dive into this, you can check out The Real Collector's Playbook for Buying Pop Figures, where I break down more of the market dynamics.
One collector tip I have to share: people used to try and weigh blind boxes to find the heavier secret figures. The manufacturers got wise to this. For most new series, especially from POP MART, they now add small, weighted cards or standardized plastic inserts into every box to make the weights nearly identical. So save yourself the trouble, the scale trick is dead.
Our Take: Collect Art, Not Just IP
Here's my honest opinion as a seller and collector. If you love a specific movie or show and just want a cute, affordable desk buddy, a Funko Pop! Is perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with that.
But if you're interested in the art of toy collecting, if you appreciate unique designs, high-quality production, and the story behind a character, you are doing yourself a disservice by only looking at Funko.
The world of pop culture toys and collectibles is so much richer than one single brand. It's a vibrant scene filled with independent artists and innovative companies pushing the boundaries of what a small vinyl figure can be. To me, a shelf full of different CRYBABY figures, each with its own pose and emotion, feels alive. A shelf full of Funko Pops, with their identical stances and dead-eyed stares, feels like a database.
I believe that collecting should be personal and passionate. It's about finding a piece that speaks to you. The problem with the current landscape is that many people don't even know what else is out there to speak to them. They're stuck in one aisle of a massive store, unaware of the incredible art gallery next door.
So, Where Should You Start?
If any of this resonates with you, my advice is simple: dip your toe in the water.
Don't go out and buy a whole case. Just buy one blind box from a series that catches your eye. Maybe it's not even CRYBABY. Maybe you're drawn to the dreamy, ethereal look of Dimoo or the edgy, futuristic vibe of Skullpanda. The experience of opening that box, the little thrill of not knowing what's inside, and finally holding the figure in your hand is the real entry point.
Feel the weight of it. Look at the paint details up close. Compare it to other figures you own. That's how you'll know if this side of the hobby is for you.
If you're drawn to that mix of emotional storytelling and adorable design, you should definitely browse CRYBABY figures on our site. Seeing the full range of a series can help you appreciate the narrative the artist is building. But my goal isn't just to sell you a toy. My goal is to open a door. The world of urban vinyl and art toys is vast, and if you want a broader overview, I wrote up some thoughts in My Unfiltered Guide to Collecting Urban Vinyl Art Toys (From Someone Who Sells Them).
The next time you're looking for pop culture collectibles, I hope you'll think beyond the big head and the black eyes.You just have to know where to look.
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