Determining the rarity of a Funko Pop involves inspecting several key characteristics, including the production run number, packaging stickers denoting convention exclusives or shared retailer releases, and vault status indicating the item has been permanently discontinued by the manufacturer. Collectors also examine serial numbers stamped on the bottom of the figure box, compare items against trusted online collector databases, and look for rare chase variants featuring unique metallic, glow-in-the-dark, or flocked finishes.