Chances are you‘ve seen Funko Pops – those cutesy big-headed vinyl figures that have taken over as the collectible craze of the internet age. With over $1 billion in sales, Funko has capitalized on licensing pop culture icons from every entertainment genre imaginable to produce an endless array of potential collectibles.
But amongst the millions of Funko fans worldwide, one supersized collection stands towering above the rest. David Mebane – a 42-year-old audiophile from Knoxville, Tennessee holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Funko Pop accumulation with over 7,000 figures and counting.
Let‘s take a closer look at the person behind this plastic empire and the dedication required to reach such lofty collecting heights…
From Music-Phile to Toy Tastemaker
Mebane traces his passion back to childhood when he collected action figures and cassette tapes with equal zeal. As an audiophile, he amassed over 1,000 CDs in his early 20s before the rise of streaming services. When the vinyl toy trend kicked off in 2011, he immediately recognized Funkos‘ potential as the next great collectible.
Mebane recalls, "I bought my first Pop figure in 2014. It was a Jason Voorhees that caught my eye. As a horror fan, I thought it looked awesome and had to have it." From humble slasher beginnings, his fixation grew exponentially from there.
When COVID lockdowns hit in 2020, Funko hunting intensified from casual hobby to competitive sport for Mebane. He explains, "I started buying everything I could get my hands on. My goal shifted to trying to 100% complete sets." This obsessive quest for plastic totems helped fill pandemic downtime. It also set him on a trajectory toward the history books.
By the Numbers: Mebane‘s Massive Collection
In November 2021, David Mebane captured the Guinness World Record for largest Funko Pop collection with over 7,000 figures officially counted. Most estimates put him closer to 8,000 now if counting newer acquisitions over the past year.
To understand the magnitude, the previous record sat around 4,000 Pops for context. Your typical diehard collector may boast a few hundred tops. Mebane more than doubles the old benchmark!
Beyond the staggering total volume, David‘s collection spans an incredibly diverse range of Funko sets. From beloved 80s films to cutting edge modern streamers, he leaves no facet of pop culture untouched:
- Over 1,000 different licensed franchises represented
- All 50 states celebrated in specialty collection lines
- 100+ anime and manga properties covered
- Over 300 ultra rare "chase" variants acquired
- 5,500+ standard Pop! vinyl models
- 50+ jumbo-sized Super-Sized Pop! variants
- 600 Pop! Rides featuring characters with vehicles
- 400 Pop! Town building block configurations
- 300 Pop! Asia Japanese & Thai market exclusives
- 126 signed figures directly autographed by actors
This thorough coverage certainly helps explain the record judge‘s decisions. But even these mind-boggling stats fail to fully capture the collection‘s epic scale.
Inside the Plastic Palace: Tales of Mebane‘s Funko Fortune
While David doesn‘t flaunt an exact dollar value, his collection‘s worth likely exceeds the average house in today‘s market. He casually confirmed turning down a $7,500 offer on a single Grail figure. With over 300 plastic totes full of Funkos encased in rigid protective boxes, he houses this behemoth collection across two large storage rooms.
To grasp the sheer enormity, you‘d have to examine his treasures firsthand. Let‘s spotlight some of the crown jewels that help his plastic palace shine so brightly:
Ultra Rare Chase Finds
Every collector dreams of discovering a "chase" variant – alternate paint job versions of Pop figures produced in extremely limited quantities. Out of 33,000 unique Funko Pop sculpts, only around 500 exist as chases. Rarity breeds value with these.
Mebane recalls his top chase grabs:
"I found a Marty McFly at a local comic shop with light blue pants instead of the usual orange. It‘s a super rare chase with a run of just 72 from Back to the Future. I also scored a Black Panther chase variant and Loki from The Avengers."
Signed Grail Pieces
Beyond factory-produced rarities, Mebane has acquired 126 signed Funkos straight from the talent themselves:
"My most cherished autographed Pop is probably my Friday the 13th Jason Voorhees signed by Part 2 actor Steve Dash. As a huge horror fan, owning a figure from my favorite slasher franchise autographed by the man behind the mask is priceless."
Foreign Market Exclusives
As a completionist on a global scale, Mebane imported over 300 Asian market exclusives only available overseas:
"My ‘holy grail‘ Pop hails from the Thai market line called Pop Asia. It‘s an ethereal figure called White Lady with a glow-in-the-dark chase variant. I paid $300 to get her shipped from overseas early on."
Clearly David boasts no shortage of trophy pieces that would make any Funkaholic quiver. But building a legendary collection requires more than money and luck…
The Neverending Hunt: Effort Behind the Empire
When asked what keeps him motivated after nearly a decade of collecting, Mebane points to new releases and the communal thrill they generate:
"I‘m part of some greatcollector groups online. We all try helping each other find rare grails and chase drops whenever something exciting hits. Every week it‘s a race to scoop up the latest must-own figures."
He vividly documents these toy hunts for his 50,000+ YouTube subscriber fanbase. Viewers live vicariously through his epic plastic hauls. For David, sharing his passion projects brings as much joy as the collecting itself nowadays.
Maintaining this empire also poses non-stop logistical challenges most fans overlook. From sorting new shipments to keeping displays presentable, Mebane invests over 10 hours per week tending his plastic bounty. Dusting alone requires five back-breaking hours! Not counting the actual hunting and budgeting required…
For this Pop culture king, the work never slows. And that relentless drive continuously yields eye-popping results as his ever-growing toy throne can attest.
Final Thoughts: Why We Can‘t Look Away
In David Mebane‘s Funko treasure trove, we witness fandom at its most prolific extreme. That dedication resonates despite the niche hobby. Collector or not, who wouldn‘t marvel at this peak superfan passion manifest into a plastic metropolis?
Through Mebane‘s story, we glimpse the sheer effort translating obsessions into legacy. Beyond the investing upside or bragging rights, that layer of human zeal gets exposed. Ultimately we all crave connection – whether to beloved fictional worlds or fellow fanatics. Maybe his mountain of vinyl just represents a universal yearning to belong.
Or perhaps it simply signifies a grown man nearing midlife clinging tight to the childhood comforts society convinces us to outgrow far too fast. Either way, we all win by embracing the sheer joy radiating off Mebane‘s figure-filled halls.
So next time you eye that new pop culture Funko tempting your wallet, appreciate the small rush it brings. And remember the Tennessee titan glowing with enough toy love to share generously worldwide.
We could all use more playful fun between the endless stresses of adulting. If we aspire to anything approaching David Mebane‘s passion heights, 2022 promises more lighthearted living ahead.
