If you walked into a GameStop or a Hot Topic today looking for a Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop, you’d probably leave empty-handed. It’s frustrating. Truly. You’re looking for Max in his iconic white wolf suit or maybe the towering, misunderstood Carol, but the shelves are instead packed with endless iterations of Batman or the latest anime protagonist.
Maurice Sendak’s 1963 masterpiece is a pillar of children's literature. It’s a story about rage, imagination, and the yearning for home. When Funko finally tackled this license years ago, they didn't just make toys; they captured a specific kind of childhood nostalgia that resonates deeply with adults who grew up "gnashing their terrible teeth." But here is the thing: they are vaulted. That’s collector-speak for "out of production," and it’s why the prices on the secondary market have gone absolutely bananas.
The 2009 Movie Connection and the Birth of the Pops
Most people assume these figures were released recently because Funko is everywhere now. Not quite. The primary wave of Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop figures actually traces its spiritual roots back to the hype surrounding the 2009 Spike Jonze film adaptation. While Funko wasn't the behemoth then that it is today, the aesthetic they chose for the figures leans heavily into that live-action, textured look of the Jim Henson Creature Shop suits rather than the flat, cross-hatched illustrations from Sendak's original book.
The lineup was small. Focused. You had Max, the king of all wild things, looking defiant in his crown. Then you had Carol, voiced by James Gandolfini in the film, who serves as the emotional anchor of the monster group.
Collecting these isn't like collecting Marvel. With Marvel, if you miss a release, wait six months and a new version will drop. With Sendak’s world, the licensing is notoriously tight. The Sendak Estate is very protective. They don't just hand out the rights to every toy company that asks, which makes the existing Funko versions even more precious to those who managed to snag them at retail prices back in the day.
Why Carol and Max Became Grails
Let’s talk about the secondary market because that is where the real drama happens. In the world of vinyl collecting, a "Grail" is a piece that is both expensive and culturally significant. The Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop series fits this perfectly.
Max (Figure #05) and Carol (Figure #06) are the big ones.
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Honestly, the prices fluctuate wildly. One week you might see a mint-condition Max going for $150 on eBay, and the next, a damaged box version sells for $80. Why? Because the supply is fixed. There are no more coming off the assembly line. If you find one with a "Vaulted" sticker or just the original branding, you're holding a piece of toy history.
What to look for when buying
You have to be careful. Fakes exist, though they are less common for this specific line than they are for something like Stranger Things or Dragon Ball Z. Look at the feet. Funko stamps production codes on the bottom of the feet or the base of the head. If the paint job on Max's whiskers looks blurry or the "Funko" logo on the box bottom uses the wrong font weight, walk away.
The box art is another giveaway. The original Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop boxes have a very specific earthy color palette. The brown and tan tones should be matte, not glossy. If the box looks like it was printed on a home inkjet printer, it probably was.
The Emotional Weight of the Wild Things
Why do we care about a 4-inch piece of plastic based on a 60-year-old book?
It’s about the "Wild Rumpus."
Sendak changed everything by acknowledging that kids get angry. Max isn't a "good boy" in the traditional 1950s sense; he’s a kid who sent himself to bed without eating because he was acting like a monster. Owning a Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop on your desk is a little nod to that inner child who sometimes wants to sail away to an island where they are in charge.
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It’s a design win, too. The scale works. Carol is naturally bulky, and the Funko "Pop" style—with the oversized head and large black eyes—actually complements the creature designs from the book. The monsters in the story already had big, expressive heads and somewhat soulful, staring eyes. It’s one of the few times the Funko template feels like it wasn't a forced fit.
The Rarity Problem and the "Vault"
When Funko "vaults" a series, they essentially retire the molds. For Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop, this happened years ago.
There are rumors every few years that a new wave will drop—perhaps a "Book Version" that looks more like the pen-and-ink illustrations—but so far, it’s just talk. This scarcity creates a "gatekeeping" effect. It’s hard for a new collector to jump in without dropping $300 to $500 for a full set of the main characters.
Is it worth it?
If you’re a completionist, yes. But for the casual fan, the price of a Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop can be a tough pill to swallow. You’re paying for the license rarity. You’re paying for the fact that Warner Bros. and the Sendak Estate haven't played ball on a refresh in over a decade.
How to Source These Without Getting Scammed
If you’re hunting for a Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop, stop looking at big-box retailers. They are gone. Your best bets are:
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- Whatnot Auctions: This app has become the wild west of Funko. You can see the box in real-time on video. Ask the seller to show the bottom of the box.
- Local Toy Cons: Skip the massive Comic-Cons where prices are marked up 40%. Go to the small, local swap meets. That’s where you find the guy who is selling his personal collection and just wants the shelf space back.
- Facebook Collector Groups: Look for groups specifically dedicated to "Vaulted Pops." These communities are usually pretty good at self-policing. If someone tries to sell a fake Max, the comments will eat them alive within minutes.
Actually check the "sold" listings on eBay, not just the "active" listings. Anyone can list a Carol Funko Pop for $1,000. It doesn't mean it's selling for that. The "sold" data is the only truth in the hobby.
Actionable Steps for the Serious Collector
If you are ready to add these to your shelf, don't just rush into the first listing you see. Start by setting up a saved search on Mercari and eBay with notifications turned on.
Join the Funko app and add them to your "Wishlist." This gives you a baseline "trending value," though keep in mind the app is often a few weeks behind the actual market spikes.
Check for box damage. A "mint" box for a Where the Wild Things Are Funko Pop is incredibly rare because the cardboard used in that era of Funko production was slightly thinner than what they use today. Minor creases are normal. Total crushed corners are a reason to ask for a 30% discount.
Finally, consider the "Out of Box" (OOB) market. If you don't care about the cardboard, you can often find Max or Carol for half the price if the seller lost the box. They still look great on a bookshelf next to the actual book.
Go find your wild things. Just be prepared for the hunt. It's a jungle out there, and the monsters are getting more expensive every year.