What Are Funko Pop Grails And Where To Get Them

We’ve received a lot of questions from collectors about Funko Pop Grails. To help you understand, we’ve put together a guide that explains the definitions and jargon collectors use when describing expensive Funko Pops.

A Funko Pop Grail is a rare and highly sought-after Funko Pop that collectors hold in the highest esteem. It can be subjective, but it’s usually the one Funko Pop that a collector considers the pinnacle of their collection.

These Pops are in high demand but low in supply, and other collectors often wish they had them too.

The cost of a Funko Pop Grail can vary widely, but generally, it represents the epitome of a collector’s collection, much like the Holy Grail of Arthurian legend.

Typically, a Funko Pop Grail meets the following criteria:

It’s vaulted, meaning it’s no longer in production.
It’s worth a lot of money.
It’s hard to find or obtain.
It’s limited or a special edition, and may be one of a kind.

However, it’s important to note that whether a Funko Pop is considered a Grail is subjective and up to the Funko community.

Additionally, it’s impossible to predict with certainty which future Funko Pops will become Grails.

Collectors of Funko Pops use a variety of terminology that you should know.

While you can make educated guesses about whether a Funko Pop may become someone else’s holy grail, you can’t guarantee it.

Funko Pop Grails Manadalorian with Grail

What Makes a Funko Pop a Grail?

One factor is the popularity of the character. It may seem counterintuitive, but even popular characters can become Grails if their Funko Pop is a limited run.

For example, the Stranger Things Funko Pop Eleven With Eggos Chase is a more likely Grail than the standard Eleven with Eggos figure, despite the popularity of the Kingdom Hearts franchise and the character of Sora.

We’ve previously discussed what makes a Funko Pop rare, including how nostalgia can contribute to a Pop’s popularity among collectors.

Collecting Funko Pops is all about being part of an authentic and supportive community. We often receive questions from new collectors wondering if they have a Grail Funko Pop.

While it’s subjective, there are certain figures that are widely considered Grails by the Funko Pop community.

Which Funko Pops became Grails before release?

The Bakugo My Hero Funko Pop and the Thor (Asia Exclusive) #286 were both anticipated Grails within the community before their release.

Collectors knew they needed these figures in their Funko Pop collections.

How does the community predict what will become Grails?

The Funko community often requests Funko Pops that don’t yet exist. When Funko releases a Pop that wasn’t requested, the community voices their opinion.

Funko listens and creates the requested Pop, which may take months or years to finalize.

Once the design is leaked through blogs, Twitter, and Instagram, hype builds around the Pop, making it easy to project demand.

This is especially true when it’s clear that the Pop will be a limited run.

Funko Pop Grails Monopoly Man Stock market

Where To Buy Funko Pop Grails?

eBay: You can find rare Pops here, but competition can be fierce.
Amazon: Offers a vast selection and guaranteed order fulfillment.
Mercari: Has less competition than eBay but may have a more limited selection.
Local Facebook groups/marketplaces: Here, you can connect with other collectors in your area and even trade Funko Pops.

What Exactly is a Funko Pop Grail?

Funko Pop Grails are typically rare, valuable, often difficult to find, and limited edition.

And more often than not Vaulted!

One example is the Specialty Series Funko Pops, which are unique and highly sought after.

Expensive vaulted Funko Pops can also be considered grails.

Use these criteria to help determine if a Funko Pop is a grail.

1. Is The Funko Pop Vaulted?

To start, Funko Pop grails are often vaulted, but keep in mind that this is just our criteria and not a strict rule. There are non-vaulted Funko Pops that can also be grails.

That being said, we believe a Funko figure must be off the market to be considered a grail based on our criteria.

So unfortunately, the Eastbound & Down – Kenny Powers 2021 Spring Convention Exclusive doesn’t make the cut (but keep in mind the term “exclusive” for later).

This first rule has greatly reduced our grail list. We can’t give you exact numbers because new Funko Pops are released every day. Now let’s apply the next rule.

2. Is the Funko Pop Worth a Lot of Money?

For the next criterion, we’ll set a minimum arbitrary value of $100 for a Funko Pop to be considered a grail.

For instance, Marvel #442 Drax First Appearance Special Edition Exclusive may be a popular figure but since it can be purchased for around $40, we won’t classify it as a grail.

However, Captain America (Black & White) [Gemini Collectibles] valued at around $1600 and Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Quake (Daisy) worth $200 on Amazon qualify as grails.

3. Is the Funko Pop Hard to Find or Buy?

Some Funko Pops won’t make the cut despite being expensive since they are readily available on Amazon. Captain America (Black & White) is harder to find, as it’s not always on eBay.

To illustrate, search for “Coulson with Lola Pop Figure” on Amazon and eBay. Amazon yields no results, while eBay has a rare find – the Pop Funko #12 Director Coulson with Lola – with an estimated value of $140, making it a highly sought-after Funko Pop collectible.

Just because a Pop Vinyl is available on eBay but not on Amazon doesn’t make it a Grail.

Some Grails can’t be found on either platform, and you might need to be fortunate enough to come across them in small, lesser-known comic stores or local Funko Pop retailers.

One of our Funko Blog readers found a Funko Grail that they couldn’t find anywhere else by doing just that!

4. Is the Pop Limited or a Special Edition?

As mentioned in criterion #1, a Funko Pop Grail must be limited and special edition. Therefore, despite briefly being considered, Coulson doesn’t qualify.

However, Captain America (Black & White) with the Gemini Collectibles stamp can be considered a Funko Pop Grail. However, it may not be the ultimate Marvel Grail.

That distinction could belong to the authentic signed Stan Lee Superhero Red Metallic Funko Pop, which is valued at $45,000.

Funko Pops can increase in value when a celebrity signs them, and with a legendary celebrity like Stan Lee, this can elevate a Funko Pop to Grail status.

We’ve established that a Funko Pop Grail must meet two criteria: it has to be expensive and hard to acquire.

This can be a bummer because the primary reason for your search is to add to your collection.

Let’s Find Out How To Get Funko Pop Grails!

It’s possible that you already own a Funko Pop Grail without even realizing it.

To find out, take another look at your Pop collection and search online to see if you have any vaulted Funkos that you may have overlooked.

One surprising tip for finding a Funko Pop Grail is to pre-order upcoming figures for popular TV shows that may not be relevant in the future.

If the figure is exclusive to a store, it’s even better.

For example, while Funko will likely continue to produce Batman Pop figures, they may not continue to produce Wanda from Wandavision if the show becomes irrelevant in the future.

This is similar to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Pops mentioned earlier, such as Daisy, Coulson, and Melinda May, which are all now vaulted, rare, and valuable.

These figures are now rare because the TV show they came from has ended and Funko stopped producing them.

What’s The Best Way to Know If You Have Funko Pop Grails in Your Pop Collection

Be patient and pick a character you like that may not be popular yet.

Check where it stands in your collection in a few years or look at social community boards for predictions.

Other users can be a great source of research in finding a Funko Pop grail.

Check out Speculation Saturday for Pop Figures speculated to increase in value and become grails.

PROTIP:

The newly released first wave of Bitty Pops are definitely Funkos that could be worth a lot of money in the future!

What Are the Most Popular Funko Pop Grails and Where To Buy Them?

The most popular types of grails come from the most popular brands are:
Marvel: Massively popular Funko Pops, well-known, and constantly more produced.
Disney: Not as in demand Funkos, but collectors still pay large amounts for these grails.
Anime: A wide range of anime allows for plenty of Funko Pop Grail status potential.
T.V. Series: As above, the wide range gives this Funko Collection lots of potential.

We’ve gathered some examples of popular grails from these brands.

Check out our other posts on the most rare and expensive Funko Pops: