Not all Funko Pops are created equal. And we're not just talking about the different variations, like the glow-in-the-dark ones or those with a metallic finish. Besides being toys, they're collector's items, which makes some of them highly sought after and incredibly hard to find . That's why we're showing you the rarest and most difficult-to-find discontinued Funko Pops . If you have one, hold on to it—it's worth almost as much as Bitcoin.
The funko collector knows that his task is complicated. Some of the dolls come out as limited editions, making them extremely rare.
This means that exorbitant prices are paid for some of these dolls, while others can be obtained for less than 20 euros. With that being the case, what makes a funko valuable and hard to come by?
Why do some become so sought after and expensive?
The answer, in reality, is very simple: because the company only manufactures a few units of a model and never makes any more.
These are usually released in honor of special events, especially Comic-Cons, where Funko releases a commemorative figure for the event in very limited quantities. This means they can only be found there, and not in stores, so the most dedicated fans have to turn to secondhand markets to buy them and complete their collections.
Depending on the event and the Funko in particular, the doll can fetch prices of several thousand dollars.
Also, as we will see, some of the discontinued and hard-to-find Funko Pops are often metallic versions of a doll, others that glow in the dark, or special editions of the company's mascot, Freddy Funko.
The hardest to get discontinued funkos
Knowing this, we can now understand why these Funko Pops we're about to show you are so difficult to add to our collection. We'll start with what is probably the rarest Funko Pop of all in individual format.
Stan Lee, metallic red superhero version
Among the most difficult Funko Pops to obtain are some that portray the brilliant Stan Lee, and of these, we must highlight his metallic version in a red superhero suit.
This Funko Pop! is extremely rare because there are only 12 in the world . Released in October 2017, its value is estimated at around $8.000 . It's important that the figure isn't just the red superhero suit version (which is easier to find), but the metallic one.
Headless Ned Stark funko
Although it is not among the most expensive funkos out there, it is among the most sought after, because it is one of the most curious and rare figures in the funko collection.
This is a decapitated Ned Stark Funko Pop! Its head actually separates from its body . In fact, it even has a bloody neck and lifeless eyes.
Made just for Comic-Con 2013, it's a tricky gem to collect.
Silver Batman, edition of 108 figures
Several versions of Batman are among the rarest and most difficult to find discontinued Funko Pops. However, his all-silver version is one of the most sought-after.
The difficulty in acquiring it lies in the fact that only 108 of the dolls were made in 2015, and they were distributed exclusively among company employees . Since they were never sold in stores, this makes them extremely rare and difficult to obtain.
Its price, the few times it has been seen, has exceeded 1.500 euros.
Vegeta, planet Arlia version
Among Dragon Ball fans, the rarest figure is undoubtedly Vegeta in his Planet Arlia version , which came out in 2014. There were only 240 figures, which were distributed between two events: New York Comic-Con and Toy Tokyo.
Its current value is about 1.700 euros among collectors. As we can see, this shows that not only the number of figures determines the price or the difficulty of obtaining the funko.
Loki version Comic-Con 2012
One of the rarest Funko Pop! figures, which isn't metallic or glow-in-the-dark, is Loki from the Avengers . But don't be fooled, there are countless versions of Loki, and the rarest is the one made exclusively for Comic-Con 2012.
It's number 16 , and the box itself has a commemorative sticker for that event. When it briefly appears somewhere, it usually has a price tag of over a thousand euros.
Freddy Funko, Ace Ventura version
Freddy Funko is the brand's mascot, and Funko releases limited editions of him, each one dressed as a famous character from popular culture. This makes the different Freddy figures among the hardest to find.
Perhaps the most expensive Freddy Funko is, without a doubt, the bloody version of Jaime Lannister, which we already saw when we analyzed the most expensive funkos in history.
However, the rarest may be the Ace Ventura Freddy Funko , considering that only 12 units of the doll were manufactured.
Hopper, from Stranger Things, gold version
There is no doubt that the funkos made for Comic-Con are always among the most difficult to obtain. If you are not lucky enough to be at the event, and buy it the moment they come out, it is very difficult for you to get the doll.
That's why the golden version of Hopper , the endearing character from Stranger Things , earns a place on this list. Created for Comic-Con 2018, there are only 40 figures , making it incredibly rare… and valued at over $3.000.
Dumbo, made up and gold versions
The classic Disney character has two very rare versions: the one made up as a clown and the one that's completely gold. Given that only 48 figures of each type were made , it's no wonder they're among the most difficult to collect and also among the most expensive.
We are talking about more than 4.000 dollars, a small fortune.
Holographic Darth Maul
The number of Star Wars Funko Pops must be close to infinite by now. However, the rarest and most difficult to collect is undoubtedly the holographic version of Darth Maul.
Released for Comic-Con 2012, it's not among the rarest, as 480 figures were made. That's far more than the rest of the list, but as we know, Star Wars fervor knows no bounds. That's why nobody lets go of it and it's so hard to find.
So much so, that Funko price guides value it at over $6.600 , making it an extremely rare piece.
The golden ticket dolls from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In 2016, Funko celebrated Fundays. For the event, they chose a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme and did something similar to what they did in the book and movie. They distributed chocolate bars, 10 of which had a golden ticket.
You could exchange this for an exclusive box containing 2 golden Funko Pops: Willy Wonka and one of his faithful Oompa Loompas.
With only 10 existing in the world , they are probably the most difficult discontinued Funko Pop! to obtain (or Funko Pop! figures, depending on how you look at it).
The dolls have rarely been put up for sale by their owners, and one of the few that appeared to sell did appear to sell for $15.000. Almost nothing.
As you can see, collecting funkos is much more than a hobby. It's quite a feat if you want to get everyone. So if you have one of the hardest-to-find discontinued funkos we've shown you, hold on tight to it, it's your retirement plan.