When I got my first Sonny Angel (the Cherry Blossom Series: Hanami Edition) for my 19^th birthday, I did what other people do when opening blind boxes — closed my eyes and felt the plastic containing the mystery figure. I remember wanting the sheep, but I got the parrot instead. Even though I didn’t get what I wanted, I still felt a thrill. Opening my first blind box was fun.  

Blind boxes are packaged toys containing a figurine from a specific series. The figurine you get is a mystery until you open the box. A notable blind box series is a Labubu, a furry bunny-looking monster with a mischievous smile. They became popular after Lisa from Blackpink, a famous K-pop girl group, posted her Labubus on Instagram.

Sonny Angel, another prominent mystery collectible was inspired by the Kewpie Doll, which was based on a comic created by Rose O’Neill in the early 1900s, but you might recognize from the packaging on Kewpie Mayo. Many people, including the founder of Kewpie Mayo Toichiro Nakashima, were drawn to O’Neill’s cute and mischievous character. Like the original Kewpie dolls, Sonny Angels are naked and have big eyes, but Sonny Angels also wear headpieces. The Sonny Angel with pink bunny ears is one of their most desirable designs.

Although the little plastic figures are expensive, I get their appeal. I see how they bring my friends joy and have experienced that joy myself. So how much money is Gen Z willing to spend on blind boxes and why do they collect them?

Toru Soeya, the inventor of Sonny Angels, created the “pocket boyfriends” in 2004 to give joy and comfort to working young women. These little figurines gained popularity around 2022, and they retail for between $15 and $40, depending on the design.

Various colourful blind box collectibles are displayed all over Alaiza Mendoza’s bedroom. Several Nommis, plush dolls in fluffy animal outfits, hang on her window trim. As I went inside Mendoza’s room, her Sonny Angel figurines were laid-out on her window ledge. Other Sonny Angels sit next to her framed awards on a shelf.

“I like to collect them because they look good in my room. I like to feel childish,” said Mendoza.

Mendoza started collecting Sonny Angels, her first foray into blind boxes, in 2024. She would purchase them from places like Riley Grae — a Winnipeg-based store that sells stationery, plushies, and gachapon — or at Showcase, a chain store that sells snacks, home goods, and toys.

The 21-year-old said she would spend almost all her income from her part-time job buying collectibles.

“If I only have $30, I will spend it on a Sonny Angel,” said Mendoza.

Mendoza regularly treats herself to a blind box, up to three times a week. For seven months, she was addicted to buying Sonny Angels on Facebook Marketplace.

“At first, I was happy when I started buying, but now even if I get six Sonny Angels in one day, I will start feeling guilty,” she said. “I’d spend so much [on blind boxes] just for my happiness to be over the top.”

While she says that money could’ve been used for her student loans, it went to the little plastic figures instead.

The Drive

Mystery collectibles have been around for ages. Think of toys inside a cereal box or a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. These mass-produced toys use surprise as a motivator. While cereal box and Happy Meal toys are targeted towards children, Pop Mart, the biggest blind box retail company, markets their products to young adults. Atlantis Press did research on the consumers of blind boxes and found most of them are women in their 20s.

Blind boxes have been trending since 2022, and there are numerous factors for their popularity.

Mendoza mentioned one of the other reasons she collects blind boxes is because she felt FOMO — the fear of missing out — as a kid. Growing up, she didn’t have the same interests (like Minecraft and Pokémon) as many of her peers. And even if she had, she wouldn’t have been able to afford buying items associated with those interests. As a kid, she was into blind bags, but she couldn’t afford them either.

Mendoza said that buying blind boxes is a way to heal her inner child.

A study done by Santa Monica College on the interconnection of the inner child, nostalgia, and trauma, found people use the art of play to reconnect with their inner child. Memories are tied to emotions, and recreational activities like playing an old video game or toy can remind people of positive feelings.

Brenda K. Wiederhold, clinical psychologist and author says adults who collect toys are part of the “kidult” culture — when adults use child-like things such as toys and TV shows targeted for children to feel a sense of nostalgia. This term was coined by TV executives. Adults face a lot of challenges and financial pressure, and experiencing activities you’ve done as a kid allows a temporary escape from reality. It’s like a little treat.

Treat Yourself

A Fortune magazine article on “treat culture” discusses how the treat trend became mainstreamed through Gen Z. They say the trend is driven through people who post about their small treats on social media. It’s considered the modern version of the “lipstick effect”, according to a Business Insider article.

The “lipstick effect” was coined by former Estée Lauder chairman, Leonard Lauder, after consumers kept buying small indulgences like lipstick during an economic downturn. This effect was largely seen during the 2008 recession. People do this to feel a sense of control or normalcy.

A New York Times piece on Gen Z’s spending habits says big purchases like housing feel unattainable due to the high cost of living and the elusive job market. But for an affordable price, you can treat yourself to a blind box for a quick boost of dopamine. Nonetheless, those sparks of joy can be costly. Justifying impulsive purchases can cause some consumers, like Mendoza, to go over budget.

Riley Grae often holds blind box events; either for a new series drop or a trade event. I went to their Trick-Or-Trade event near the end of October 2025. As I went up to the second floor, I saw one of the staff holding an engraving pen. She was tattooing a blind box figurine. I’d never seen a blind box doll customized before.

The ability to customize a blind box figurine to fit a person’s aesthetic gives people a sense of control. While scrolling through Instagram Reels, I saw someone painting the hair and clothing of their Sonny Angel Hippers (this sticks at the back of your phone) to look like Justin Bieber. You can buy a Sonny Angel and transform it to look like yourself. Customizing blind boxes adds another layer of engagement for consumers.

I met Brooke Abejuela at the event.

Abejuela likes to keep an unopened blind box in her house to open if she feels sad. She saves blind boxes from hauls she gets in cities like Toronto and makes purchases in large quantities to unbox on her YouTube channel, @JustBaabs.

“Filming YouTube videos makes blind boxes feel like it serves another purpose,” Abejuela said.

She has a separate room at her house filled with her large blind box collection, but she also displays her figurines in her living room. They range from franchise-based characters like Kuromi to Sonny Angels. Abejuela got her love of collecting trinkets and figurines from her dad.

“I choose a blind box based off of vibes,” she said.

Abejuela doesn’t impulsively buy a blind box on her payday. She works a full-time job and owns a house. After a specific blind box series catches her attention, she researches the artist behind the blind box to find out the meaning. If she likes the meaning of the series, she buys them. When it comes to pricing, Abejuela waits for the item to go on sale if they’re too expensive initially. She also sometimes looks out in Facebook groups to see if users are selling them for a cheaper price.

When I met her at the event, she was there to treat herself to a blind box.

The Hype

Lining up for a toy isn’t a new concept at all. In the ‘90s, Beanie Babies, pellet-filled plush toys, and Treasure Trolls, tiny figurines with colourful updo hair, had people lining up for hours.

In October 2025, a long queue of people formed on the second floor of Riley Grae. At the back of the store, there was a small stand where people could grab a box of the newly released Sonny Angel Pumpkin Patch Series. The store was packed with people trading figurines, unboxing blind boxes, and taking photos of their new collectibles.

One of the store co-owners says Sonny Angel collections specifically get sold out within three hours, much faster than other releases.

Brooke Waldmo, 22, says she doesn’t mind lining up to get the newest Sonny Angel collection. Sometimes, she buys a set with hopes of getting the secret figurine.

“They’re cute and fun to collect,” said Waldmo.

Since Waldmo was young, she has been collecting mystery figures. Her first collection was Moshi Monsters — tiny creatures in blind bags that also feature in an online game. She discovered Sonny Angel through her friends and social media.

All blind boxes have a shape of the figurine with a question mark on it, called a secret. The secret figurines from blind boxes differ from limited edition items. Secret figurines are considered a rare item. The odds of getting one are 1/144 boxes. The mystery element adds to scarcity and sends consumers on a hunt, fueling their dopamine.

This is different from limited edition items like the pop culture collectibles Funko Pops, which have a clear plastic film in front so people know what they are buying. They function like the Golden Ticket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Typically, when an item is presented as a limited edition, it won’t have any more releases once it’s sold out.

Secret figurines also continue to increase in value after they are sold for the first time. One of the sought-after secret figures is the grey Big Into Energy Labubu which resellers sell for over $200. However, the common figures will retain their value or even depreciate.

Counterfeits are widely sold. One of the blind box series that’s getting duped is a Labubu; the fake product is called a Lafufu. To spot a counterfeit, consumers can visit Pop Mart’s authenticity check.

Unwavering fans, like Waldmo, who only want the real thing, are willing to put time as well as money into their collections.

“I would sometimes come in late to work if there’s a new drop,” said Waldmo. “I am that dedicated.”

Waldmo is an avid collector of Sonny Angels and has more than 70 figures. She also collects Calico Critters, which are fuzzy animals with playsets. Most Calico Critters come in clear packaging, but some do come in surprise bags.

“It’s one of the hobbies I’ll never grow out of,” said Waldmo.

Surprise bags come from a Japanese New Year tradition called Fukubukuro (lucky bags), where mystery bags are filled with random goods like clothes or beauty products and sold at a discounted price. A BBC article on the craze couldn’t find the exact origin of Fukubukuro, but it has been around since the early 1900s. Another similar concept is a gachapon, a coin-operated machine containing little trinkets like mini figurines or keychains in a capsule. You crank the turn handle and a capsule containing a mystery will drop.

While blind bags and gachapon are related to blind boxes, Time magazine’s analysis on Pop Mart found blind boxes are deemed to be higher-quality because of how they’re marketed. Pop Mart’s prospectus for investors says their success is a result of how their toys are designed. The company collaborates with artists around the world to create “high-end” toys, making the figurines artful.

Blind box figurines are built to be displayed. Many of the collectibles can be hooked on a bag strap or stuck to the back of your phone. Some people hang a plush collectible like a Labubu on their belt loops. There are even functional blind box items like a phone holder such as the Miffy Sofa Phone Stand Series.

TikTok influencer @androozee has a series on his page called “BEHIND THE CHARACTER,” where he does character analysis of figures from blind boxes. One of the blind box characters he analyzed was Nyota. Nyota is a girl with brown hair and big circular eyes. She is designed to exude calmness and mindfulness. Pop Mart even released a short-animated series featuring Nyota to encourage viewers to take a break and breathe.

Influence

Social media is one of the biggest factors in the popularity of blind box. According to a report from the Aquinas International Academy, unboxing videos and sharing posts stimulates the consumers desire to buy a blind box. Blind box videos follow online trends. Many blind box videos on Instagram or TikTok start with someone tapping their fingernails onto the box, ASMR style. Then they shake the box, eventually looking away or closing their eyes as they pull out the plastic containing the mystery collectible, hoping they get the one they want. If they do, their face beams with excitement.

Most of the people who do unboxing videos are adults. An article on Labubus from The Guardian reported that more adults are buying toys for themselves in recent years: “in the first half of 2025, the number of toys bought for grownups increased 18% – and in 2024, adults bought more toys for themselves than for preschoolers.” 

For many people, once they start buying blind boxes, it can be difficult to stop. So what’s the line between blind boxes and gambling?

In 2022, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued guidelines for businesses that sell blind boxes. These guidelines were created to minimize young adults becoming exposed to gambling-like products and prevent youth from over spending. A knowledge snapshot, put together though a partnership between Greo and the Knowledge Mobilization Unit at York University, says in China, it is illegal for children under eight to buy a blind box. Young people between the ages of eight and 18 need to have parental or guardian consent to buy a single blind box.

China’s guidelines also ask blind box companies to disclose the probability of getting a rare figurine; companies are not allowed to change the probability of rare collectibles to get more people to buy blind boxes. The line between gambling and blind boxes is blurry, but one way blind boxes are like gambling is in the idea of chance. Consumers can’t get a refund if they don’t like the mystery figurine they got — they can only return the item if the toy is defective.

Blind boxes may seem harmless, but the connection to gambling is real, and can cause consumers to experience the sunk cost fallacy — choosing to buy another product because they’ve already invested so much in it, even when stopping is a better option. If a consumer isn’t happy with the design they got, it could drive them to go back and get a new blind box in hopes of getting what they want.

The Appeal         

People buy blind boxes because of their appeal. Whether it is a healthy habit or a bad one depends on a person’s budget and their ability to stop buying when they reach its limit.

A $25 blind box can feel like bliss, a little treat that gives people a sense of control. They are a product that can provide a rush of satisfaction. Blind box marketing takes advantage of psychological tricks like instant gratification and other techniques found in games of chance. Pop Mart uses these factors to drive the blind box trend.

Blind boxes are also a way of expressing belonging. Anika Guchait from Psychology Today says people use trends to communicate with each other through sharing each other’s interest. Talking to my interviewees and attending these blind box events made me realize how fun the community is.

When I visit Riley Grae, I see groups of friends opening a blind box together creating a shared bond. Seeing all of these colourful figures around me made me buy a blind box for myself. When I unboxed the Chiikawa Pajama Party Sitting series, I realized how strong that pull was.

Maybe the next one I get will be even better.

Try it yourself.

The blind box is food themed in a shape of a cloud. You can either get a macaron, cherries, taco, and or the secret.