If you’re into pop culture, you probably know what funko pops are. The question is, are funko pops worth collecting?
Not long after Funko introduced these toys back in 2010, they became some of the world’s most popular collectibles.
For almost a decade, these Chibi-style toys have been going strong. For more information about the rise of funkos, check out this Rolling Stone article.
Before we answer the question of whether funko pop figures are worth collecting or not, let’s have a look at the 12 most sought after Funko Pops of all time. This will help you put the worth of these valuable collectibles into perspective.
There are thousands of funkos out there. Funko isn’t exactly shy when it comes to making those cute little toys. You can find a funko figure for everything from Mickey Mouse to Biggie Smalls. However, not all of these toys are equal.
Some Funko Pops are notorious for being difficult to find and above all, for being worth a lot of money. While most funko pops will cost a few dollars, the most valuable funko pops that are worth collecting can cost you thousands of dollars if you want to add them to your collection. And that’s if you can find them in the first place.
If you own any of the following Funko Pops, you’re one of the lucky few!
12. Silver Superman ($700)
This funko is a Hot Topic employees’ exclusive. Just like the Silver Batman figure, the Silver Superman funko figure was given to outstanding employees. In fact, there was also a silver Harley Quinn in that collection. Superman and Harley Quinn have 144 pieces though, which is more than the 108 copies of Silver Batman. The slightly more common Silver Superman fetches around $700.
11. Flashpoint Batman ($900)
Looking like Gotham’s Dark Knight is always a common theme for valuable funkos that people love to collect. This time though, this is a New York Comic-Con release. This 2011 pop is remarkable for its red accent colors. This includes the eyes, belt, and Batman symbol on the figure’s chest. These funkos go for around $900 on average.
10. Metallic Blue Batman ($1,000)
As you can see, SDCC’s exclusive releases are some of the most sought after funko pops of all time. And this Batman figure is no different. Funko showed off this metallic blue Batman figure at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con before releasing multiple other Batman models.
It has been quite a few years since this the release of this model. Add to that that there are just 480 of this model and the popularity of Batman and you’ll have a funko that commands anything in the $1,000 range. Even though Funko released another full-metallic-blue version of Batman in the 2017 San Diego Comic Con, it sells for less than half that price. Old is gold!
9. Freddy Funko in Boba Fett Armor ($1,300)
This little guy is Funko Pop’s mascot. After the company became such a hit in the pop culture world, Freddy Funko became an icon himself. Funko released plenty of fun releases that feature Freddy disguised as another character.
In this super-limited, 24-piece Funko Pop release, Freddy Funko is dressed as the notorious Star Wars bounty hunter, Boba Fett. If you want to add this super-rare Funko Pop to your collection, it’ll set you back anything between $1,200 – $1,400.
8. Shadow Trooper ($1,400)
Another San Diego Comics Con Star Wars pop that made our list. Storm Troopers are known for being some of the most iconic Star Wars characters. Since the release of the Storm Trooper funko in the 2011 SFCC, funkos weren’t as popular as they were today. Once they became such phenomenal collectibles, people started noticing that Shadow Trooper pop, which can fetch a price in the $1,400 range. Check out this post for more Star Wars Funko Pops that you can get for a reasonable price.
7. Black Suit Batgirl ($1,500)
It’s not only Batman that has an expensive Funko Pop. Batgirl has something going on for her as well! The Black Suit Batgirl pop was released in the 2010 San Diego Comic Con as one of the first Funko Pops showcased at that event.
Despite having just 240 pieces of this limited edition funko, it commands $1,500, which is more than the Metallic Blue Batman. Good job, Batgirl!
6. Silver Batman ($1,600)
There is a simple reason why this Batman funko figure is one of the rarest ever, which is the fact that it was never released. These releases were never sold to the public, as they were exclusive designs for Hot Topic so they can give as a reward to its outstanding employees.
There are just 108 models of these ever made and the only way to get one is to buy it from the Hot Topic employees who got them as a reward. Tough one to get indeed, and expect to pay around $1,600 for one of these.
5. Glow-in-the-Dark Green Lantern ($1,800)
A Green Green Lantern sounds like a typo. However, it’s not. This funko was released at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con and has become an all-time favorite due to its cool glow in the dark effect and awesome green color. To become the owner of one of the 240 GITD Green Lanterns, you’ll have to shell out around $1,800 for it. Who knew that green Green Lanterns could be so valuable!
4. Planet Arlia Vegeta ($1,900)
This Dragon Ball Z funko toy was an exclusive release of the Toy Tokyo New York Comic Con. Since it was released back in 2014, this figure has increased in price and became very difficult to find. Expect to pay something in the $1,900 range if you plan on adding this funko pop to your collection.
3. Gold & Clown Face Dumbo ($1,500)
It would be a stretch if we say that Dumbo is one of Disney’s most popular characters. Perhaps this was in the past but not anymore. What’s insanely rare and sought after in the Funko Pop! World though is the gold and clown face versions of Dumbo.
Only 48 of these were ever made and they sell for $1,500. Looks like Dumbo has got a price tag that matches his gigantic ears!
2. Holographic Darth Maul ($3,000)
San Diego Comic-Con is well-known for its limited-edition collectibles. If you’re one of the 480 people who bought this Star Wars Funko Pop in the 2012 San Francisco Comic-Con, you’re super-lucky. If you want to get your hands on one of these today, expect to pay a price in the $3,000 range. The scarcity of this model and the popularity of Star Wars collectibles, in general, made this funko pop a slam dunk for people who bought it.
1. Signed Metallic Superheroe Stan Lee ($18,000)
While there are different Funko Pops of the godfather of superheroes, Stan Lee, these two are by far the rarest. The signed version of this Funko Pop commands a small fortune of $18,000, which is 1200 times the price of your average funko pop.
There are two reasons why the signed version of this funko is super-valuable. The first is the fact that the Metallic Superhero versions (gold and titanium) are a limited edition release. The second is the sad fact that Stan Lee is dead.
So, if there are just 100 of these signed limited edition pops, that’s all there will ever be. which makes this the rarest funko pop. Not to mention the fact that Stan Lee is a legendary pop culture icon.
What makes these Funko Pops so valuable?
When you look at the most sought after/rare pops, you’ll notice that they’re all limited edition releases in one way or another. So, it’s basically a matter of supply and demand.
Most of these are comic con releases, or were part of a limited batch that was custom made for a specific company (Hot Topic!) as employee gifts. If you want to add the next most sought after funko pop to your collection, make sure to stay sharp in those comic cons!
So, are Funko Pops worth collecting?
Deciding whether funko pops are worth collecting or not depends on your reason for collecting them.
If you want to own a part of your favorite movie series, animation or any other thing that falls under the “pop culture” category, that’s a great way to do it. The vinyl funkos come in a massive variety and allow you to own your favorite characters for a small amount of money.
Compared to many other collectibles, these small toys are an incredible value for money. Collectors get high-quality models of their favorite characters at reasonable prices, which makes funko pops worth collecting for many people.
So, if your goal is to collect pop culture figures that you’re proud of, then the answer is an astounding YES! Funkos are definitely worth collecting. In fact, this doesn’t only apply to pops, it applies to most collector items.
With the insane prices of the figures on the above list, many people are tempted to buy funko pops as an investment. And when it comes to that, there are good and bad reasons for doing it!
The Good: Funko pops are worth collecting as a FUN Investment
That’s a great idea!
If you’re into pop culture and love to collect toys that appreciate in value, funkos —old and new— are a great choice.
There are plenty of reasons why these cute toys are one of the most popular collector items. One of the most important reasons that make funko pops worth collecting is THE VAULT!
What’s the Funko Pop! Vault?
The vault is where funko pops go to retire! Here is how it works:
Funko designs and releases a pop figure. Let’s assume that they made 3000 pieces of that particular model. They release it to the market and after some time -depending on the model, it’s vaulted.
When Funko vaults a model, they no longer produce it. It’s retired.
Most importantly, they will NEVER make it again in the future. That’s what being “vaulted” means.
So, the result is that Funko Pop! models are of limited quantity. For collectible items, limited quantities equal scarcity, which translates into more value. It’s basic supply and demand economics!
Funko Pops value: Supply and demand!
Of course, not every vaulted funko pop figure is worth a fortune. Not even close.
There are many different figures out there and not all of them are scarce, or in high demand. The reason for this is simple, which is the fact that Funko doesn’t make all the pop figures in the same quantity.
Some limited edition figures might have less than a hundred in existence. Some common models might have thousands of copies. You’re also never sure when Funko will vault a specific figure. The run duration for different models depends on their popularity.
This result in limited-quantity collectibles that are fun to own and can appreciate over time, which is pretty cool!
The Bad: Collecting Funko Pops as an investment ONLY
This is where things start to get complicated…
It’s true that some funkos do appreciate in value. In fact, some rare releases appreciate hundreds of times, fetching thousands of dollars when sold to the right collector. For figures that typically sell in the range, that’s a pretty good return on investment.
However, if you want to buy Funko pops MAINLY as an investment, we don’t advise you to do so. There are much better -and safer- ways to invest your hard-earned cash than action figures.
While some funko pops appreciate significantly, many of them don’t. Even for the ones that do, it happens over many years, and it’s not guaranteed. If you look at the most valuable Funko Pop! figures, you’ll notice two things they have in common: scarcity and high demand.
Asides from being super-limited edition figures -or ones that Funko releases during special occasions, like the San Diego Comics Con, expensive figures must be in high demand. In other words, being rare only won’t cut it.
Will Funko Pop Figures appreciate in value?
While REAL commodities like precious metals have preserved their value for many years, this isn’t the case with Funk Pop! figures.
A rare Funko Pop! figure might fetch hundreds -or even thousands- of dollars today and become worthless tomorrow. So yeah, the chance of retiring by selling your Funk Pop collection is pretty slim.
Another thing to keep in mind when collecting Funko pops solely as an investment is the reissued vaulted models. While vaulted funko pops are NEVER reissued with the exact same design, they ARE reissued with a slightly different design/packaging.
Funko did ,however, reissue some Star Wars figures with different packages. So, they’re not the kind of “investment” that you think they are. Fun must be a part of why you do this.
Don’t quit your day job yet!
Understanding what makes a Funko Pop! Model worth adding to your collection will help you make smarter choices.
Some of the best selling models -like Batman #01- have been in production for YEARS, and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. After all, Funko is a business that needs to make money. Vaulting a model that’s selling like hot cakes doesn’t make any sense for a company that wants to remain profitable.
Popular models that Funko makes in large quantities are worth buying ONLY if you like them. They’re not expected to appreciate -or even be vaulted- anytime soon.
The Bottomline
Funko Pops that have value as a collector’s items are usually the ones that Funko vaulted after a short period, or limited-edition figures. These are the models that you can expect to appreciate in value and are worth collecting.
As we mentioned earlier, the most important thing about collecting anything is having fun. Collect the stuff you love and you’re guaranteed to get the best value for your money. Valuable is a matter of perspective and after all, fun is priceless!
To see Funko Pops from a hardcore collector’s perspective, check out this awesome blog post.
