AITA For opening up a Funko Pop on Christmas?

Jonathan Hours
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Picture a festive Christmas morning: a twinkling tree, hot cocoa steam swirling, and a 17-year-old girl’s eyes lighting up as she unwraps a rare “chase” Funko Pop from her big sister. Joy turns to chaos in a heartbeat—her 21-year-old sister, a die-hard collector, erupts when the teen pops the figurine free from its box, shattering the sacred “keep it pristine” rule. The living room, once aglow with holiday magic, now crackles with tension.

This isn’t just about a plastic toy; it’s a clash of values—fun versus value, freedom versus obsession. The teen’s baffled, hurt by her sister’s fury and near repossession of the gift. Did a simple unboxing derail Christmas? Readers, you’ll feel the sting of this sibling showdown. Let’s unwrap the drama, dive into Reddit’s take, and find some clarity amid the tinsel.

‘AITA For opening up a Funko Pop on Christmas?’

I’m 17F, my sister is 21F. She normally lives on her own but was over for Christmas with me and my parents. My sister is really into collecting Funko Pops (in case anyone doesn’t know what they are they’re plastic figurines of different characters from video games or movies or whatever). Like she has hundreds of them, all in their boxes, and she’s always obsessing over completing her “set” or whatever.

Personally, I don’t see them that way. I own a few myself but they’re just plastic toys and a convenient/cheap way to get figures of my favourite characters. Anyways, Christmas morning came and she gave me a Funko Pop of a character I liked for Christmas.  It was also a “chase” edition which is more rare. I was excited and immediately opening it up to pull the figurine out.

And she flipped! She was super mad at me for opening the box because it was a chase edition and apparently you should never open Funko pops anyways. I told her I always took them out of the box, and it wasn’t like I was going to sell a present from her so why keep it in the box?  This ended up being a bigger fight where I put it back in the box and she tried to take the present back because I didn’t “appreciate it”.

Our parents had to intervene and told her she can’t take back a present, but then pulled me aside later and said I should have just kept it in the box until she left. Either way this was a much bigger conflict than it should have been. I feel like I’m going crazy here, Christmas morning was literally ruined because of a plastic toy. AITA?

A gift unwrapped, a sister’s wrath unleashed—this Funko Pop fiasco reveals a quirky rift. The 17-year-old saw a toy to enjoy; her 21-year-old sister, a collector’s gem to preserve. The teen’s excitement clashed with the sister’s rigid “box stays on” mantra, turning a merry moment sour. Was this a misjudged gift or a teen’s reckless rip?

Gift-giving carries weight beyond the wrapping. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, notes, “A gift is a tangible object that says, ‘I was thinking of you,’ but the receiver’s perception matters too” (from Psychology Today, 2020, source). Here, the sister’s intent—gifting something rare—missed the teen’s vibe: toys are for play, not display.

This ties to a bigger quirk: the collectibles craze. A 2023 HobbyDB report shows Funko Pop values vary—chase editions might fetch $30-$50, rarely more. The sister’s panic over “lost value” feels overblown, a satirical nod to collector zeal. Still, her feelings hint at a deeper need for control or connection.

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Advice? The teen’s fine to unbox—her gift, her rules. The sister could’ve clarified her hopes upfront. A calm chat, maybe with hot cocoa, could mend this. Dr. Chapman’s site (source) offers tips to align love and gifts.

Here’s what Redditors had to say:

Reddit jumped in with gusto, tossing out takes hotter than a Christmas fireplace. Did this sister overstep, or is unboxing a Funko faux pas? Here’s the crowd’s unfiltered vibe:

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[Reddit User] - NTA, she doesn’t decide how you use her presents. And then tied to take it away? And, I’m going to assume you didn’t know she thinks that they should be in the box, and if so, you’re I the clear. Edit: Didn’t expect this post was to blow up, getting replies from here every 5 minute.

ohreally86 - NTA, this is basically like the beanie baby craze that happened when I was a kid. They're toys and people collect them and in ten years they'll still be toys. Do what you want with it.

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valerian_spiel - NTA. You are correct to treat Funko Pops as cheap, fun items. If your sister labors under the delusion that they'll be mega-valuable someday, I fear she is sadly mistaken.

SquishySpark - NTA, they’re freaking toys.

lyan-cat - My MIL tried to pull this with my daughter and collectable Barbie dolls. My daughter was old enough to understand that Gran didn't want her to open them, just put them up high and keep them safe. So she did, for maybe three years. And then when she was cleaning out her toys and downsizing her sprawl those got donated. She said she only kept them that long because her grandmother made her feel obligated to,

and that she has nothing but bad feelings and memories about them. My MIL was 'disappointed' (furious) and my daughter told her that she shouldn't have done that to a 'little kid' in the first place, because toys are for playing when you're a kid and once you give a gift it doesn't belong to you anymore.. So NTA, and even an eight year old can see through that b**lshit.

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raerae6672 - NTA It was your gift and you had a right to open it. Your sister is like most collectors, they like to keep the objects pristine and in their original packaging untouched. You didn't do anything wrong. Your sister should have kept it and gave you something else if it was that important to her.

[Reddit User] - Ok... as someone with a massive collection of funko pops... collectors don’t take them out of the box. It decreases their value. Chase editions are rare (usually 1/6), she probably felt like she got you something special, and now it was worthless. Personally, I don’t see any issue with taking them out of the boxes, but people get onto you about it.

If I do take a pop out of the box, it’s usually a common one, or I save the box. Many collectors consider the box part of the item. Tbh the obsession with boxes is dumb usually. It matters for rarer pops but honestly, a lot of pops won’t be worth much. You’re NTA.

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If it was an extremely rare pop worth a few hundred or thousands (they exist) I’d be inclined to judge you more harshly (because it would personally upset me to see something I consider valuable destroyed just as someone might not like seeing a piece of art they valued destroyed), but this chase is likely worth under $50. It could become more valuable tho. It’s possible. It’s your stuff in the end.

rightobobo - NTA It's yours. I open all my funkos. I don't keep them to sell, I keep them to display. It's your choice what you do with your property

[Reddit User] - NTA. Enjoy your toys how you want.

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not_so_littlemermaid - Hi, child of a toy collector here!! I've learned a long time ago, always take the toy out of the box, it takes away it's power to control you!! But all kidding aside, if your sister bought a gift for herself, that she would enjoy, and expected you to treat it just as she would treat it. That's not how gifting works!! NTA, and keep ripping those damned funkos out of their boxes. Destroy their power!!!

These Reddit roasts are spicy, but do they nail the truth? Maybe the teen’s a rebel ripping boxes, or the sister’s a collector clutching dreams.

A Christmas morning unboxing spiraled into a sibling saga, pitting a teen’s toy-loving heart against a collector’s boxed-up ideals. Parents stepped in, but the holiday glow dimmed over a Funko Pop’s fate. Reddit cheers the teen’s freedom, experts nod to gift misfires, and we’re left chuckling at the absurdity. Is a toy’s joy worth more than its “value”? The teen’s holding her ground, box or not. What would you do if a gift came with strings—or a box—attached? Drop your thoughts, laughs, or tales below—let’s sort this festive mess!

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