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THE CULTURE:
In recent years, the store Miniso has risen in popularity due to its cute stationery, cosmetics and collectibles. Of these, one of the more prominent items shoppers pick up is the blind box. The craze started when Miniso gave customers the chance to choose from select items to receive a free blind box for their birthday. However, beginning March 31, Miniso will stop its blind box reward and replace it with a 20% discount instead.
Of course, we can’t change this decision, and it reflects the sad reality of blind box culture. One thing we know for sure is that these collectible items in blind boxes are as overpriced as they can be. Along with Miniso, PopMart is another company notable for selling Labubus, Skullpanda, Crybaby and Hirono. Prices range from $20 for smaller items to $50 for more popular, larger items. If you thought that was expensive, you can also choose to individually buy items for up to $150 on its website.
Despite the high prices, individuals can’t help but be drawn to the intricately designed characters. Another fact to consider is that blind boxes are random, meaning the chance of pulling the specific collectible you want is very low. Because of this, people are more likely to go back and buy yet another expensive blind box.
When collaborations occur, fans are eager to buy more blind boxes to add to their collections. Some frequent collaborations with popular companies have been with Sanrio, Disney, My Little Pony and even Marvel. Miniso is most notable for its Hello Kitty and Disney collaborations, which drew in even more customers. Blind box companies not only have their own devoted customers, but fans of these franchises will also continue to buy from them.
It’s a great marketing tactic.
These blind boxes from PopMart, Miniso, TokiDoki and 52Toys always sell out fast and are always in high demand. As for the stores that can sell their items in person, lines can be seen out of the store, causing many consumers to be subjected to hours of waiting just to get their hands on a blind box.
THE HIDDEN COST:
Collecting culture has become even more popular due to the influence social media has on the public. Younger generations have access to TikTok videos where influencers open these cute blind boxes, which results in children collecting these expensive items. One thing to note is that these aren’t toys meant to be played with. Most figurines are meant to be displayed, such as Smiskis, Sonny Angels and Calico Critters.
We can also think back to collector items such as Precious Moments, which peaked in popularity from the 1970s to the 1990s. Collector culture has always been a thing, but it has become mainstream and unique with these amazing designs. However, items have always been expensive. Precious Moments range from $40 to $400 on average. A Calico Critter set is about $60 just for the characters and a Funko Pop, which can go as low as $5 if you find the right store, can be up to $20.
This is all without mentioning resellers, who take advantage of the public and their desire to obtain these figures and collectibles. When resellers notice an item is extremely popular or doing well online, they price it insanely high. This forces customers to spend extra money since the original item may be sold out. Resellers commonly take rare items and price them at extreme rates. It can get to the point where the prices are excessive and not worth paying.
For example, on the popular peer-to-peer market app Mercari, the new Skullpanda x My Little Pony collectibles are being resold for around $50 plus shipping. This is $10 more than the original blind box itself. The rare collectibles have been around $200, which is ridiculous when you realize the figure was bought for the same price as any other blind box.
If you’re buying online, you may also have to pay a shipping fee, or even a fee for using the app itself. This could lead to an additional $20 in fees. It is important to take time to look over all aspects of a resold item, and not rush into a purchase because of excitement. It is just as important to make sure you aren’t getting scammed to have the best satisfaction after receiving your item.
THE CONCLUSION:
At the end of the day, it is completely OK to indulge and spend money on these types of collectibles and figurines every once in a while. But sometimes we need to take a step back from reality and take a moment to analyze if a mere piece of plastic could be worth the amount of money you’re spending. You should also ask yourself, “Will I regret buying this one week from now?” Remember your value as a customer and consumer; you don’t deserve to be scalped into buying overpriced items.
Nobody should be shamed for spending their money on things they enjoy. In fact, it’s great to see people share their unboxing online with genuine smiles and joy on their faces.
But we must ask ourselves, what will we do when trinkets and collectibles become so expensive that we have to work extra hours to afford just one? It seems companies realize their customers are willing to pay an extremely high price for their products, so the prices will never be lowered; they will only rise with demand.
Know the signs of a scammer and always take your value as a customer into account.