When we're not meticulously tending to our own collections, we're scrutinising others' online. When we're not spending all of our money on Comic Con exclusives, we're drafting a wish-list. When we're not debating with others for their particular choice of collection display - be that in or out of box - we are ever-so-merrily demonstrating the paradigm of do as I say, not as I do. We love, hate, criticise, praise, live, breathe, and love collectables. When you've got a community as positively loopy - and fantastic - as us, you tend to see some interesting characters.

We've compiled a list of what we believe to be five common types of collectors: from the drill sergeant to the artist to the hippie geek, check out our picks for the five major personalities of collectors and tell us in the comments which one resembles you most!

Plus, read until the end of our article to find out how you can win this month's giveaway, where we'll be picking one lucky winner to take home a mystery CHASE Pop! Vinyl!

1. The Drill Sergeant

Possibly the most common type to come across in line at 6 am for an exclusive, the drill sergeant is known for taking every part of collecting seriously. They are a strictly in-box, shelf sectioning, weekly dusting and mint condition collector. This collector is most likely to hold up the line at Target by agonisingly scrutinising every last inch of a Pop Vinyl box to ensure there are no damages, and the most likely to drive an hour out of their way to return a product with a scuff on the window. This collector spends all their money on Pop Protectors of the highest calibre. Their most prized possessions are well out of the reach of any potential children, pets, or worse - out-of-box collectors. Hold your shudders, Drill Sergeant, because you're also the most likely to have a high-valued collection on Pop Price Guide!

2. The Artist

The Artist is the creative one. Customs, fanart, and elaborate displays make up some of their distinguishing features, as well as a tendency to leave arts-and-crafts-related messes everywhere. You know the one: paint perpetually smudged on their fingers, a gazillion forgotten pieces of vinyl doll parts lying around, and an impressive Instagram grid of DIY projects, works in progress, and stellar artistic feats. This collector is the most likely to drool over Funko's DIY line, as well as dip their toe into some non-Pop related lines. Their shelves are colourful, stylish, and out-of-box, with plenty of non-Funko items to fill up space and add visual diversity. 

3. The Hippie Geek

If you're not this person, then you've definitely come across them in some comment forum or other: nothing seems to bother the Hippie Geek. To them, the collectibles community is all about love, fun, and family. Every new line announced by Funko is a reason for celebration. Every re-release of a same-old mould with a new paint variation is cause for delight. Their collection is mainly made up of their favourite characters, with a few older items that each hold special meaning. This person is most likely to have met their friends or spouse through the Funatic community or at some kind of convention. Their closet is full of fandom themed clothing and they plan yearly trips to pop culture related locations. Whilst certainly the most happy-go-lucky of the bunch, beware: this collector is also the most likely to "accidentally" stumble across that exclusive you've been searching far and wide for, only to gift it to their eight-year-old nephew and watch it brutally torn from its box with a laid back smile on their face. There's easy going, and then there's downright chilling!

4. The Die-Hard

This is the collector most likely to comment on every single one of Funko's posts. They have an opinion about everything. Facebook has gifted them with a Top Fan badge on nearly every collectables page, and they are subscribed to every newsletter known to man. This collector is most likely to jump in their car and drive upwards of four hours out of their way just to get their hands on a new exclusive. They're entered into every lottery, giveaway, and promotion possible. Half their home is specifically Funko branded goodies, and the other half is fandom decor. This person probably runs an unboxing style YouTube channel, and receives at least one package in the mail per week with some new collectables or merchandise. Voted most likely to name their child or pet after their favourite character, most likely to attend Fundays multiple years in a row, and most likely to be featured on Funatic of the Week. 

5. The Flounder

If you're worried that this is you, fear not: this is the most common type of collector by far! The Flounder knows what they're doing... sometimes. They've read some articles, followed a few pages promising to teach them the ways of a seasoned collector, and scour the depths of social media from time to time to see what's new. But honestly, it can all be quite daunting! The Flounder knows what it's like to sometimes feel like they have no idea what they're doing, and that's perfectly okay. They know what a Chase is, but are still trying to wrap their head around Vaulted items. They probably couldn't pick a fake out of a lineup, they struggle to figure out which stickers raise a Pop in value, and they never understand the big deal when people make fun of Dorbz and other lines - honestly, they're kind of cute figures!

So, which of these collectors sounds most like you?

It's Giveaway Time! 

We wanted to take a second to thank each and every one of you for reading our blog. We love nothing more than bringing you the best and latest information when it comes to new releases, tips and tricks, pop culture guides and more. To celebrate our awesome tribe of Ozzie collectors, we're hosting a blog-specific giveaway just for you, right here on our website!

How to enter:

• Simply leave us a comment below telling us which of the five types of collectors sounds most like you
• Make sure you include your full name in the comment, so we can find your Ozzie account if you win!
• For extra entries, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and like our giveaway post. Tag a friend to spread the word!
• We'll pick one lucky winner to take home a mystery CHASE POP!
• We'll be announcing the winner on Facebook and Instagram on Sunday the 28th of June. Stay tuned to see if it's you!

We can't wait to read your comments and hear your thoughts on our five types of collectors. Remember to stay tuned to the Ozzie Blog for upcoming leaks, sneak peaks, latest additions, movie guides, quizzes, advice articles, and way more!

Good luck everyone, and #HappyCollecting!

The collectable, pop culture world is a complicated one. Companies like Funko are constantly releasing new and exclusive items, and a lot of the time, it can be hard to get them where you want them. Whether you’re shipping off a gift to a friend, getting ready to move your prized grails from one house to another, shipping out an exclusive to another country, or just looking to swap and transport collectables, you always run the risk of damaging them in transit.

There’s nothing quite worse than opening up a box only to find out that the item inside has been creased, crushed, torn or otherwise tarnished during its journey. Today we’ll be showing you the best way to pack your collectables to keep them in mint condition no matter where they’re headed!

Included below are the four steps plus some handy images to help you out, straight from the Ozzie warehouse. Take a look at how we perfectly pack our collectables!

Step 1) Pick the right box.

Sometimes preventing damage can be as simple as selecting the right box to ship your collectable item out in. This includes ensuring that your box is not too big or too small, but sized so that it fits your collectable item with not too much room on either side. If the box is too spacious, your collectable item is more likely to be knocked around during transit, and may become damaged.

For this same reason, we recommend that you find a box with the right cardboard thickness. A little extra padding goes a long way.

Step 2) Cushion the inside of your box.

This is a big one, and can mean the difference between receiving a crushed box and a mint condition item. Old newspaper, scrunched up plastic wrap, foam, and tissue paper are among some items you can use to internally cushion your box. The key is to prevent as much movement as possible and create a barrier between the walls of your box and the collectable item inside. Use these padding materials to frame your item and keep it stationary as close to the centre of the box as you can manage, as well as preventing as much damage as possible in the case of the outer box being dropped or thrown.

TIP: Go the extra mile when transporting Funko items and place them inside of a Pop! Protector case before packing. 0.5mm cases work the best, but the regular 0.35mm cases can work just as well with the right style of packing, and you can grab them starting at only $2 here.

Step 3) Seal your box.

This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s one that a lot of first timers seem to forget. Investing in a proper roll of packing tape that is strong enough to seal up the corners of your box can make a world of difference. We recommend using a tape gun to line the open edges of your box, folding over the corners to ensure that your collectable is packaged away with maximum security.

Step 4) Finishing touches.

Finally, it’s time to ship out, move, or transport your collectable item. If you won’t be handling it yourself, then we recommend even going the extra mile of including some Caution or Fragile tape to let the person handling it know that there are some delicate goods inside! This can be especially important for shipping items across long distances, as your box is likely to be handled by many people. This ensures that everyone gets the memo that your item needs to be handled carefully, preventing maximum damage.

Once your box is as secure as can be and ready to go, we recommend shipping only with the trusted major postal service in your area: one that can provide you with tracking info so that you can keep a close eye on your box in transit and be notified once it has arrived safely. Most postal services will notify you if any major damage occurs to the box whilst in transit, but as an added layer of security, we recommend taking some photographic evidence of the item, including internal and external boxes, before it ships out. This way, if any damage occurs on the trip, you can find out exactly where it took place.

The best part? All of these painstakingly perfect steps are included when you shop with Ozzie. Free Pop protectors, free signature, free tracking and minty fresh collectables. Try it out and place an order!

We hope these four easy steps are able to help you out in packing, shipping, or transporting your own collectable items. Let us know in the comments if we missed a step or if you have any other tips for aspiring collectors.

Until next time, happy collecting!