Nudging the Collectible Market: Introducing the Behavioral Economics Funko Pop™ Collection That Doesn't (But Absolutely Should) Exist

In a world where Funko has immortalized everything from obscure anime characters to breakfast cereals, one glaring void remains in their vinyl empire: a collection honoring the irrational quirks of the human mind that behavioral economists have spent decades documenting with equal parts fascination and despair.

Had Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky lived to see the era of vinyl collectibles with oversized heads and dead-eyed stares, one imagines they might have appreciated the irony of their groundbreaking work on cognitive biases being transformed into impulse purchases displayed on the desks of people who should know better. Richard Thaler, still very much alive and presumably possessing at least one Star Wars Funko Pop gifted by a well-meaning graduate student, might even approve of this marriage between behavioral science and consumer culture—a self-referential object lesson in the very biases it represents.

Consider this a humble proposal: a limited-edition Behavioral Economics Collection that finally gives our cognitive shortcomings the vinyl commemoration they deserve. After all, what better way to remind ourselves of our systematic irrationality than through charming, collectible figurines we absolutely don't need but will inevitably purchase using money that should have gone into our retirement accounts?

Below, I present what such a collection might look like if described by the same marketing team that convinced you that buying tiny vinyl representations of your favorite fictional characters constituted a sound financial strategy.

Confirmation Bias

"Tired of changing your mind? Meet your new desk companion who never will! The Confirmation Bias Funko Pop doesn't waste time considering alternative viewpoints. With its specially designed perception filters, this collectible figurine expertly sifts through reality to find exactly what it already believes. Each purchase comes with a set of miniature blinders, perfect for avoiding inconvenient facts! Display proudly in your echo chamber or give as a gift to that friend who's always 'doing their own research.' Part of the limited-edition Cognitive Bias Collection—because who needs critical thinking when you have adorable vinyl certainty?"

Dunning-Kruger Effect

"Why spend years mastering a subject when you can just skip to feeling like you have? The Dunning-Kruger Effect Funko Pop brings the joy of unearned confidence to your collection! This adorable know-it-all has never met a complex topic it couldn't oversimplify. The special patented dial on the back allows you to increase the figurine's confidence as its actual knowledge decreases—fascinating to watch in action! Perfect for that friend who became an expert in epidemiology, geopolitics, and monetary policy all within the same Facebook session. Comes with miniature soapbox and megaphone accessories for broadcasting uninformed opinions! Part of our exclusive Cognitive Bias Collection—because nothing says 'intellectual humility' like vinyl figurines with disproportionately large heads."

Sunk Cost Fallacy

"Introducing the 'I've Come This Far' Sunk Cost Fallacy Funko Pop—the collectible you'll keep displaying long after you've stopped enjoying it! This remarkably stubborn figurine is programmed to continue pursuing diminishing returns with the dogged determination of someone who's watched seven seasons of a show that peaked in season three. Each purchase includes a miniature calendar marking the precious time you've wasted and a tiny balance sheet of emotional investments that will never pay off. The special 'commitment escalation' feature ensures that the more resources you devote to any bad decision, the more convinced you'll become it was the right choice! Perfect for the friend who's still holding cryptocurrency from 2021 'because it has to come back eventually.' Part of our exclusive Cognitive Bias Collection—where rational economic behavior goes to die, but in an adorable vinyl format!"

Anchoring Bias

"Ahoy, collectors! Drop your mental anchor with our Anchoring Bias Funko Pop—the first figure in our collection priced at just $79.99 (originally $999.99, what a steal!). This charming little cognitive distortion comes equipped with an immovable starting position and the remarkable ability to make completely arbitrary initial numbers seem eternally relevant. Watch in fascination as it clings to first impressions with the tenacity of a barnacle to a ship's hull! Each figure comes with adjustable perception settings that make any discount seem like an incredible deal, regardless of actual value. Perfect for the friend who always orders the second-cheapest wine on the menu or who thinks they "saved" money by purchasing something on sale they never needed. Part of our exclusive Cognitive Bias Collection—because rational decision-making is overrated when you can have an adorable vinyl reminder of your psychological vulnerabilities instead!"

Availability Heuristic

"Introducing the limited-edition Availability Heuristic Funko Pop—the collectible that's literally making headlines! Why trust boring statistics when you can base your entire worldview on whatever story dominated this morning's news cycle? This exceptional figurine comes equipped with selective memory circuits that automatically overweight vivid examples while completely ignoring base rates and probability. Watch in amazement as it panics about shark attacks while blissfully driving without a seatbelt! Each figure includes a tiny TV remote that can't seem to change the channel from 24-hour news. Perfect for the friend who's convinced air travel is more dangerous than their daily commute. Part of our exclusive Cognitive Bias Collection—because nothing stays with you quite like emotional anecdotes in vinyl form!"

Optimism Bias

"Meet the 'It'll All Work Out' Optimism Bias Funko Pop—statistically unlikely to be your favorite collectible, but don't tell that to its perpetually sunny disposition! This delightfully deluded little figure comes pre-programmed with the unshakable belief that it will be the exception to every rule and the winner of every lottery (despite mathematical impossibility). Each figure includes special risk-assessment glasses that make dangerous activities seem perfectly reasonable and long-shot opportunities seem like sure things! The patented 'comparative superiority' dial allows this figurine to believe it's a better driver, investor, and health manager than 90% of other figurines (spoiler alert: it's not). Perfect for the friend who never wears sunscreen because 'skin cancer runs in your family, not mine.' Part of our exclusive Cognitive Bias Collection—where realistic probability assessment goes to die with a smile! Note: This figure is convinced it's the rare variant, regardless of actual rarity."

A Collector's Rational Irrationality

Should this collection ever materialize beyond the confines of this thought experiment, behavioral economists worldwide would face their own cognitive dissonance: condemn these figurines as trivializing important research, or quietly order the complete set while telling themselves it's "for educational purposes."

Herbert Simon, who pioneered the concept of bounded rationality, might appreciate the bounded shelf space these figurines would inevitably consume in academic offices worldwide. Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler might see them as the ultimate "nudge"—a constant desktop reminder that our brains are perpetually cutting corners in ways that would make an efficiency expert weep with joy.

For the rest of us—those who've never read "Thinking, Fast and Slow" but have nodded knowingly when someone mentioned it at a dinner party—these figurines offer something far more valuable: the ability to recognize our cognitive biases without the burden of actually having to correct them. After all, awareness is the first step toward change, but as these vinyl monuments to our psychological foibles remind us, the remaining steps are entirely optional.

So while we wait for Funko to inevitably steal this idea without compensation, perhaps the real behavioral insight is recognizing that sometimes the most powerful economic lesson comes in a four-inch vinyl package with an oversized head and no mouth—silent witnesses to our continued irrational exuberance in the face of overwhelming evidence that we should probably just invest in index funds instead.

But what fun would that be?

Scott Wolfson is a behavioral economics enthusiast who has spent far too much money on collectible vinyl figurines while simultaneously maintaining a spreadsheet tracking the exact amount of joy each purchase has brought, measured against their declining retirement prospects. He is not affiliated with Funko Pop, though he wouldn't mind if Funko wanted to make this collection a reality.

NOTE: This article was thoughtfully crafted and co-created with Claude 3.7 from the brilliant humans at Anthropic