Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernando Torres.
Hi Fernando , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started when my godson put a Funko Pop of Jax Teller from the Sons of Anarchy, a show that I was a huge fan of. I had always been a collector when I was younger but got away from the collector world for quite some time. Something sparked my curiosity when I was looking at this little 4 inch vinyl toy and when I looked at the back of the box there was more of my favorited characters minus Clay Morrow haha. But I knew I had to have them to satisfy my SOA craze. Stores like Hastings at the time carried most of them and Toys R Us, I would go on a “hunt” for these collectibles and discovered there were so many more which created the craze. They made so many from favorite movies and shows I couldn’t keep up but it was a lot of fun. It led to meet ups at local pizza spots and video game shops where we would sell and trade. I took a break from selling/trading because the community can be toxic when it comes to value on these toys, but I knew I wanted to return to it at sometime because it was fun and I appreciated Mike Beckers story whom is the creator of Funko. I loved the underdog story and his drive to create something people would enjoy. He was literally selling bobbleheads out of his garage. Long story short, I attended a comic con with my cousin and it opened up a whole new world. Right then and there I knew I wanted to be a vendor and here we are today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely been fun but not smooth. As I explained earlier the collector community can be very toxic because the value of these items can get into the hundreds which creates craze and if they are limited people go nuts because they can make money off of them. Some of the struggles are trust, you lose some “friends” along the way, getting up early in the morning to line up outside of a store, money spent and a lot of disappointment. I’ve seen collectors get into debt because they wanted to compete with others that have the latest and greatest, I’ve witnessed arguments and fights. One struggle that I consider fun as crazy as that sounds is having collectibles that people want, I love this part because I’m competitive and am always up to the challenge to have the best inventory!!! I’m a little sick when it comes to that part haha but all kidding aside, it can weigh on you when your trying to find hot items at an affordable price that can be best for both the customer and myself to make some type of profit. I do my very best to compete with other vendors, eBay sales and Mercari. Lots and lots of research, willing and dealing!!!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Im always up for DIY projects, I recently got into wheel swapping 1:24 scale cars and hot wheels. It’s a blast being different, thinking outside of the box and the feeling I get when a customer get’s blown away by an idea of mine!!! It’s a great feeling posting the before and after shots, bringing the idea to life. My customs are definitely what sets me apart from others and I am proud of my projects. I love to listen to my customers and I do my best to accommodate and provide product that they are looking for. I also do my best to help them find that collectible they have been hunting for. Also learned some photography and enjoy showing customers photos of the collectible they are purchasing that I shot.
What does success mean to you?
My definition of success is being happy by the end of the day and enjoying what I do. I worked for a company that I absolutely I hated every day I was there but I had responsibilities that kept me there for 14 years. Another thing I learned is you cannot be afraid of change and taking chances on opportunities, I would say that is a main ingredient for success.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/the.funkaholiks.pod
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.funkaholiks.pod?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/FunkaholiksPod
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCBnOcCikvQY78HJSF84yytw
- Other: https://linktr.ee/thefunkaholikspod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=b381968f-8a18-4d78-b5aa-b6f7ce3ba3d9
Image Credits
Artwork done by Alycia Aro (Scribes of Calamity)