Stina Glaas
Karlstad, Sweden
@funkopopish

When and how did you first learn about Funko?
I first saw Pops! when my friend showed me some she had bought a few years ago. I didn't think much about them at the time. Then last fall my teenage daughter had seen pics of Pops! on Twitter, and she wanted to go to a local store and take a look at them. We came home with four Pops! She bought three Marvel Pops! and I bought what I thought should be my only Pop!—Wonder Woman. I instantly knew they were the kind of thing I very easily could start collecting, and I would NOT let that happen.

Ha!

The Pops! are adorable and since our brains are wired to get a dopamine boost by cute things (cute things makes us feel good), the Pops! are really hard to resist.

Why are you a Funatic? What do you love about Funko?
Because I need my dopamine kicks. My Pops! makes me happy, especially when I can combine them with creativity in the form of photography and crafting. I also love to be part of the Funko community on Instagram. The people I meet there are so creative, kind and helpful.

What's your favorite fandom(s) and why?
I started to collect only female characters from different fandoms, but as my collection has grown, the majority is now Harry Potter. The rest is mainly Disney/Pixar and Series/Movies. I like Pops! that are reminders of things I like and things that are important to me. I think the keywords for my collection could be color, magic and interesting female figures.

How do you display your collection? In the box or out of the box?
I display my Pops! out of the box. Some are mixed with books and some are on Pops! Only shelves.

What's your favorite Funko memory?
My favorite Funko memory must be when I realized it wasn't just about the Pops! and the pics anymore; I had started making friends! I was so focused on creating pictures that it never had crossed my mind that it could lead to something more. It was really a happy surprise.

What motivated you to start photographing your collection and sharing the photos on Instagram?
After I discovered the Pops! I did some research and found all these amazing Pops! pictures on Instagram. I started thinking maybe I can do that too?

As my daughter's collection grew, I wanted her to stop buying Pop! after Pop! and just putting them on a shelf. I wanted her to do something with them. I wanted her to be creative and not just collect. So, I suggested that we could have an Instagram account for Pops! pics.

She was not very interested in taking pics, but I loved it. And when I started taking pics I found so many Pops! that I needed. And now my daughter is telling me to stop buying Pops! and instead be creative with the Pops! I have got. Oops!

How did you choose your Instagram handle?
The story behind the username is that my daughter and I were talking about the account and she said the name should be something "funkopop-ish." I looked it up for fun, and when I saw that it was available, I took it.

What advice do you have for other Funatics taking photos of their collection?
Have fun! Let your curiosity and longing lead the way. Play. Experiment. Try new things. Do research. Learn more. Get inspired by others, but never copy.

Don't wait until you have the perfect photo props and things. Use what you have now. Be creative with the things you already have.

Is there anyone you share your fandom with?
Both my daughter and I collect, but we don't collect the same fandoms. She is more into DC and Marvel comics.

What other creative hobbies do you have?
I love to paint, sew and do different craft projects. I make leather and metal bracelets. I need to be creative every day in some way. I also love to read.

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