Christopher Smith and his wife, Cecilia Vavreck, launched Uptown Funko in March of 2025, originally operating online and at select trade shows while running the business out of their home in Lock Haven.

What started with roughly 200 Funko Pops has rapidly grown into a collection of well over 1,000 Funko Pops and other Funko-related items.

A Funko Pop is a stylized vinyl collectible figure, easily recognized by its oversized head and large black eyes, representing characters from nearly every corner of pop culture — including movies, television, comics, video games and music.

As longtime collectors themselves, Smith and Vavreck wanted to create a space that reflects the excitement and community that comes with collecting.

ASHTON PETERS/FOR THE EXPRESS Some of the items available at Uptown Funko, located at 18 E. Main St., Lock Haven, are pictured.

With that vision in mind, the couple recently opened their first brick-and-mortar location at 18 E. Main St., Lock Haven, located above State Representative Stephanie Borowicz’s office.

The new storefront allows collectors to browse in person, trade and connect with fellow fans — something the owners say has been a long-term goal since the business began.

Uptown Funko prides itself on being customer-focused, a value rooted in the owners’ own experiences as collectors first. In addition to Funko Pops, the shop plans to continue expanding into additional products in the future to better serve the community’s interests.

Uptown Funko is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The owners invite everyone — from longtime collectors to first-time buyers — to stop in and check out what Uptown Funko has to offer.

ASHTON PETERS/FOR THE EXPRESS Uptown Funko is located at 18 E. Main St., Lock Haven, on the second floor.