We do know that the fun in the funko pop figures never ceases to exist and they never leave a chance to amaze us. It all started with the San Diego Comicon in 2010 when the craving started with newly launched batgirl, Green lantern, and batman pops.
The demand increased, and so did the launch. But after a while, the hype starts to settle, and it feels old school. Having the problem encountered, funko released their glow in the dark pop series. Yeah, you heard me. Glow in the dark series is greenish vinyl figurines having a pop culture character but a dark glow.
Funko pop glow chemistry
It is ever so mesmerizing to see a fairy-like glow in your room; we all had an eye for glow in the dark bangles and rings as kids but using that nostalgia in a beloved figurine is beyond words. SO how does this even work? What is so special about it? The vinyl of these funko pop figures is embedded with phosphorus.
And the light such as sunlight or bulb lights when to shine on them, the phosphorus absorbs light energy. This energy is bombarded as light and can be seen as a glow at night or in the dark. Cool right?
Do the glow of these funko pop figures dim?
Well yeah! It is all chemistry, atoms absorbing energy and atoms releasing energy. When the stored or absorbed energy from the phosphorus is released, we can say it has depleted its energy reservoirs.
The vinyl looks darker and dim; also, the glow is not bright as well. So in a more funko way, we can say the light emitted as a glow is a chemical reaction product in funko pop figures.
Are these funko pop figures rechargeable?
Lucky for you, yes, they are. But not the conventional battery and wire charging. Like the mysterious glow, it has a mysterious way of getting recharged. So now that your glow in the dark funko pop is all sad and dim.
You need to either take it out in the sun, or a better option is to use UV light; it is easily accessible, and almost every household has one of these torches. So witch on the UV light and hold it onto your funko for almost 30 seconds, and that’s it. For a brighter glow, you can hold it for longer as well.
How to activate these funko pop figures?
Funko aims to have fun with ease. The activation is not as hard as it sounds. Mostly when these funko pop figures are delivered, they are already activated, which means they have had direct light or sunlight contact, and the phosphorus has already absorbed most of the energy.
But if you doubt your glow in the dark funko pop needs to be activated, take it to a dark room and hold a light, preferably a UV light, directly at it for about 30 seconds or so. Your funko will start to emit light.
Why should you activate your pop?
So let’s suppose you bought your glow in the dark funko pop for around 40 dollars, and you have a non glowing funko figuring that costed 20 dollars. Then what’s the point of wasting those extra 20 dollars on an item you will not use for the purpose it is created?
The value does not decrease with activating it; yes, the box is important but if you want to sell your funko pop figures in the future, then taking it out of the box entirely is a bad idea. That will lower its value and retail price.
What type of lights can you use to activate your pop?
The requirement of glow in the dark funko pop activation is visible light; because that is what excites the phosphorus atoms in the first place. What lights can you use; are given below:
- UV light works the best inactivation, and only a 30-second contact gives a bright and longer glow.
- White light works the same as UV but takes a minute or so longer.
- Yellow lights can activate these funkos, but their spectrum is narrow and may take longer to activate, with a shorter span of glow.
- Sunlight has always been used and is proven to have worked as well in the past, and even today, 5-10 minutes of direct sunlight exposure gives a great brighter and longer glow.
- Fire, campfire lights do activate them but may take more than expected, and the stores are depleted quickly as well.
Can these funkos be deactivated?
It is not that simple, and it does go both ways. Yes, when you do not want them to glow and leave them in a dark room or a dark corner, the phosphorus never absorbs light and can never emit light.
And no, because to have it deactivated, you would have to cover the surface of your funko pop figures with a dark coating so that no light can pass through and excite the atoms. Which means the reaction is ever-living and cannot be stopped.
Popular glow in the dark funko pops to collect
There are plenty of funkos out there waiting to be collected and many to be still launched. These funkos have a different fan base that understands their value and cherishes them. Few of them are on a must-have list:
- Rowan pop
- Dragonball Vegeta powering pop
- Sally (seated) po
- Frankinstines monster pop
- Star wars series pop
Finally!
The funko pop glow in the dark series is just a cute and innovative invention. They are easy to activate and completely harmless, just like the previous figurines. They are adorable and something a fan must-have.
This series theme is also the same, focused on pop cultures with a little twist of glowing in the dark. It gives a complete look to your collection. They are available online and in shops, mostly are always available at Comicon, where they are always sold out.