WWE: 15 Rarest Wrestling Figures Worth An Absolute Fortune
Honourable Mentions
Before we get to the list itself, there is a small list of incredibly rare figures that are *possibly* worth an absolute fortune but did not fit the criteria to make the main list - either because they were discontinued, limited editions released only in certain territories (or exclusively kept off the main market) or because they're a different thing entirely, like the wrestling ring sets above. Though the main list is populated only with figures, it would be remiss to ignore the market for accessories, like the Battle Royal variants above, which each go for around $1000 - $1200 each.
Rhythm And Blues Greg Valentine (Hasbro)
Considered to be one of, if not the, rarest wrestling figure of all time, Hasbros Greg Valentine decked in Rhythm and Blues gear was first seen in a ToysRUs ad for the WWF Hasbro line in the March 1991 edition of WWF Magazine. The figure was never released, apparently because the Rhythm and Blues tag team of Honky Tonk Man and Greg The Hammer Valentine broke up just months before the ad went out. The Honky Tonk Man figure was eventually released, but Greg Valentine no longer had the same gimmick, so this particular version of his figure was scrapped. While various other unreleased wrestling figure prototypes spanning from LJN to the current Mattel line have eventually found their way into collectors' collections, this figure never even made its existence known to the public outside of that 1991 ad, until recently when a single Greg Valentine Rhythm and Blues Hasbro prototype was put up for sale. Current WWE superstar, and wrestling memorabilia collector himself, Zack Ryder bid $12,000 for the figure, though the figure currently remains unsold with a $55,000 asking price.
The British Bulldogs: Davey Boy Smith And Dynamite Kid Single Packs MOC (LJN)
The figures in this LJN tag team 2-pack set were also released on single cards or individually packed, and the singled-carded tag team members are considered some of the rarest wrestling collectables ever released, though the only way to prove these figures were the single-carded version would be if they remain Mint On Card. While the box set of the British Bulldogs tag team goes for a couple of hundred dollars, the MOC singled-carded versions, released in limited amounts exclusively in Canada, have an asking price of a couple of thousand.
Classic Superstars ToyFare Employee Only Exclusives (Jakks Pacific)
In the mid-2000s a number of extremely limited run of the Classic Superstars figures were made, in conjunction with Jakks Pacific and ToyFare, for Employees Only, including just 25 Ric Flair in a Rhinestone Robe figures and 20 Roddy Piper with Golden Gloves and though they were not released to the general public they have sold for more than $1500. So, now on to the main list...