What was the first Funko Pop ever made?
The first Funko Pop ever made was introduced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010. However, it wasn't just one Funko Pop, but four that were introduced!
These were extremely limited figures with only 240 pieces of each produced, packaged within the now infamous plastic clamshell design. They also weren't originally called Funko Pop, but rather Funko Force 2.0.
They may have not carried the Funko Pop name, but they were the first living and breathing Funko Pop by design. All that come after these were rebranded as Funko Pop.
The four 'Funko Pops' consisted of two batman variants, one metallic and one non-metallic, a metallic batgirl and a glow-in-the-dark green lantern.
The non-metallic and metallic batman show a sticker count of 480 pieces, but it's believed that this was actually the combined count of both the metallic/non-metallic (if you have any information to confirm this, give me a tweet!).
It's claimed on a funkofanatic thread that was posted way back in 2012, that due to problems with packaging, not all of the figures made it to the convention with speculation that from day one, they were rarer than the sticker piece count suggests.
It's thought that the Green Lantern Funko Pop figure is the rarest of them all, with only an estimated 36-72 figures making it to San Diego Comic-Con 2010 (I'm not sure if the others that were intended for release made it out in the wild).
Fans also opened the clamshells and moved them to the eventual Funko Pop boxes, transferring the stickers in the process (Pop Figures in the UK has a Green lantern Glow Clamshell to box transfer for sale for the small sum of £2,729.99/$3300).
This is because collectors preferred the box, as you could stack your collection on top of one another. The clamshell was seen as bulky and difficult to display, plus it wasn't uncommon for the Funko figure to fall inside the clamshell, with no way to correct it without breaking the sealed edge.
In hindsight, it's likely been an expensive decision to throw away the clamshell. Those that are still found in their clamshell prisons can sell for thousands of dollars more, with a clamshell batgirl selling on eBay for $5k in Nov 2022.
The Prototypes
Of course, the clamshell Funko Force 2.0 are the first production line of Funko Pops ever made, but there were prototypes that were also displayed at San Deigo Comic-Con 2010, showing off an expanded line of Funko Force 2.0.
These production-ready prototypes look fantastic and are amongst the very first Funko Pops ever produced.
Of course, these did see an eventual release in Funko Pop boxes, but there was also concept work to show that these were originally planned for clamshells:
The clamshell most definitely has cemented itself in Funko history, with the first four 'Funko Pops' blazing a trail for what was to come and the very first Funko Pops ever made.
If you ever own one of these pieces, it's safe to say that you have your very own slice of Funko Pop history.
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