If you’ve ever been to New York or San Diego Comic-Con, you know the deal. The crowds are insane, the panels are packed, and the exclusives? Forget about it. But in the middle of all the madness, there’s one collectible that’s gotten hotter every year, custom enamel pins.
They’re small enough to fit in your pocket, flashy enough to cover your lanyard, and rare enough to send fans sprinting across the floor like it’s the 100-meter dash. At this point, Comic-Con pins are more than merch, they’re a badge of honor.
And while there are hundreds released every year, a few have reached legendary status. These are the pins fans still talk about, still chase, and still brag about whenever they get the chance.
Marvel’s Infinity Stone Pins (2019)
Let’s start with the one that caused absolute chaos. In 2019, right after Avengers: Endgame had blown everyone’s minds, Marvel dropped a set of six pins, each one representing an Infinity Stone. Collect all six, and you basically had a gauntlet you could wear across your lanyard.
Fans camped out overnight just to get them, and by the end of the con, full sets were selling online for hundreds of dollars. Even now, collectors treat them like the holy grail of Comic-Con pins. The timing was perfect. Marvel was at its cultural peak, and everyone wanted a piece of that moment.
Funko’s Spider-Man Pop! Pin (2022)
You can’t talk Comic-Con exclusives without bringing up Funko. They’ve got lines wrapped around the building every year, and in 2022, their Spider-Man Pop! Pin became the one everyone wanted.
It looked just like their famous Pops, but shrunken down into enamel pin form. Fans lined up hours before the floor even opened, hoping to snag one. Blink and you missed it. By the second day, they were nearly impossible to get.
It’s a perfect example of why pins work so well at these conventions. They’re smaller and cheaper than full figures, but they carry the same hype and exclusivity. Plus, who doesn’t want to wear Spider-Man on their jacket?
Mondo’s Godzilla vs. Kong Pin (2023)
Mondo has always been known for turning collectibles into art, and their enamel pins are no different. In 2023, they dropped a limited-edition Godzilla vs. Kong pin designed by an independent artist. It came in fancy packaging, was individually numbered, and sold out faster than you could say “atomic breath.”
Kaiju fans lost their minds over this one. To this day, it’s one of the most traded and talked-about pins in collector groups. Owning one doesn’t just mean you love Godzilla, it means you scored one of the rarest pieces of Mondo merch out there.
Disney & Pixar Crossovers
While Marvel and Funko hog the spotlight, Disney has quietly been producing some of the most collectible pins at Comic-Con. Their Pixar crossover pins are especially sought after, with Toy Story designs leading the pack.
One standout was a retro Buzz Lightyear pin released in 2017. It was limited, clean in design, and hit fans right in the nostalgia. To this day, that Buzz pin pops up in collector circles as a grail item, usually with a hefty price tag attached.
Grogu With Boba Tea (2024)
Not every grail pin comes from the big studios. In 2024, an indie artist in Artist Alley released a pin of Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) sipping on a bubble tea. Cute, simple, and perfectly timed.
Word spread like wildfire on TikTok and Instagram. Fans swarmed the booth, and by Saturday morning, the entire run was gone. Collectors still talk about it as one of those “you had to be there” moments. It’s a reminder that Comic-Con isn’t just about the major studios. Sometimes the coolest stuff comes from the smaller tables.
DC’s Batman 80th Anniversary Pin (2019)
DC had its big grail moment in 2019 too, when they dropped a black-and-gold pin celebrating Batman’s 80th anniversary. It was sleek, classy, and limited. A trifecta for collectors.
Fans lined up early each morning just to get their hands on one, and by the time the convention wrapped, the pin was already considered a must-have. For Batman fans, it wasn’t just merch, it was a piece of history.
Stranger Things Demogorgon Pin (2018)
In 2018, right as Stranger Things mania was sweeping the world, Netflix brought a limited run of Demogorgon enamel pins to Comic-Con. Creepy, blood-red, and instantly recognizable, the design perfectly captured the Upside Down vibe.
But here’s the twist. You couldn’t just walk up and buy it. You had to go through the Stranger Things maze activation to get one. That made the pin feel more like a trophy than generic merch. To this day, it’s one of the most unique pins because it wasn’t just about the design, it was about the experience you had to survive to earn it.
Star Wars Mandalorian Helmet Pin (2019)
The year Disney+ launched The Mandalorian, Star Wars fans got a Comic-Con exclusive pin that became an instant grail. The sleek silver Mandalorian helmet. Simple but bold, the design said everything it needed to without a single word.
Fans lined up early each morning at the Lucasfilm Pavilion just to score one. By the end of the weekend, they were practically impossible to find. Collectors call it one of the cleanest Star Wars pins ever released at Comic-Con, and prices on resale sites haven’t slowed down since.
Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan Goku Pin (2017)
Anime fans know how tough it can be to grab exclusives at Comic-Con, but Bandai’s 2017 Dragon Ball Z pin drop still stands out. The enamel pin of Super Saiyan Goku, hair blazing gold, was only available in limited numbers each day. And once they were gone, they were gone.
The pin’s bold colors and iconic pose made it a centerpiece for anime collectors, and demand went through the roof almost immediately. Even years later, DBZ fans trade stories about waiting hours in line just to snag one.
What Makes a Pin a “Grail”?
So, what separates a good pin from a legendary one? Part of it is exclusivity. If it’s a limited run or a numbered edition, collectors know they have to move fast. Part of it is design too. The custom pins that really pop are the ones that feel like art or capture a specific fandom moment. And part of it is timing. Marvel’s Infinity Stones wouldn’t have hit as hard if they’d released years later, but in the wake of Endgame, they were lightning in a bottle.
Collectors don’t just wear these pins, they frame them, display them, and trade them like sports cards. Some even talk about them the way sneakerheads talk about Air Jordans. Not just as collectibles, but as cultural trophies.