29/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 29, 2026 theSunday Special IX

A CROSS Malaysia, a growing number of Gen Z collectors are lining up in stores and refresh ing online pages for a chance to buy the latest blind boxes – sealed packages containing mystery FROOHFWDEOH ¿JXULQHV )URP GHVN GLVSOD\V to bag charms, these tiny designer toys have become more than just cute decora WLRQV )RU PDQ\ \RXQJ FROOHFWRUV WKH\ represent art, identity and the irresistible WKULOO RI VXUSULVH Blind boxes are designed around one VLPSOH LGHD

“I tend to buy things excessively when , UHDOO\ OLNH VRPHWKLQJ $ RQH WLPH SXU FKDVH UDUHO\ VWD\V DV RQH ,W XVXDOO\ PHDQV PXOWLSOH EOLQG ER[HV DORQJ WKH ZD\ :KHQ I am in that phase, I just go all in,” she VKDUHG That enthusiasm can lead to spending PRUH WKDQ SODQQHG “I do have these collecting phases where I splurge and honestly, it makes collecting feel easier because I can get most of what I ZDQW DW RQFH 7KHQ DIWHU WKDW , QDWXUDOO\ go into a cool-down p HULRG ,W FRPHV LQ ZDYHV IRU PH ´ $PLUD H[SODLQHG The blind box format also plays on a powerful psychological trigger: The hope that the next box might contain the FKDUDFWHU \RX ZDQW “I think what makes it hard to stop at just one is the curiosity of wanting to see ZKDW \RX¶OO JHW QH[W 6RPHWLPHV LI \RX get a duplicate or don’t get the one you wanted, it makes you want to try again,” : hile some collectors treat blind boxes as serious collectables – even reselling rare SLHFHV IRU SUR¿W ± RWKHUV VHH WKHP VLPSO\ DV DQ RFFDVLRQDO WUHDW ) or Aliaa, the appeal is mainly the H[SHULHQFH¶V IXQ “I would not say it is a full hobby or an LQYHVWPHQW ,W LV PRUH OLNH D IXQ WUHDW RQFH LQ D ZKLOH ´ Amira, however, worries that excessive reselling could change the culture of FROOHFWLQJ “ :KHQ ¿JXUHV EHFRPH KDUGHU WR DFFHVV because of reselling, it shifts the culture IURP DSSUHFLDWLRQ WR FRPSHWLWLRQ ,W starts to feel less about collecting what you genuinely love and more about who PDQDJHG WR JHW RQH ¿UVW ´ $PLUD VDLG : ith new series launching regularly and social media fuelling unboxing videos, the blind box craze shows little sign of VORZLQJ GRZQ ) or Gen Z collectors, the appeal lies in a mix of art, surprise and emotional con QHFWLRQ $IWHU DOO LQ D ZRUOG ZKHUH DOPRVW everything is predictable, opening a tiny sealed box and discovering what is inside VWLOO IHHOV OLNH D PRPHQW RI PDJLF $QG sometimes, that small spark of excitement is all it takes to keep collectors coming EDFN IRU DQRWKHU ER[ $OLDD KLJKOLJKWHG Hobby or hype?

Small box, big excitement

BY HAIKAL NAJWA

I think what makes it hard to stop at just one is the curiosity of wanting to see what you’ll get next.”

“As a designer, I am very particular DERXW GHVLJQ DQG GHWDLOV , DP TXLWH SLFN\ with what I c ROOHFW , DP GUDZQ WR LQWUL FDWH KLJK TXDOLW\ ¿JXULQHV HVSHFLDOO\ WKH FUDIWVPDQVKLS , SD\ DWWHQWLRQ WR WKH VPDOO details like what the character is wearing, WKH WH[WXUH RI WKH FORWKHV WKH ¿QLVKLQJ DQG KRZ UH¿QHG HYHU\WKLQJ ORRNV ´ VKH H[SODLQHG Amira also emphasises the importance RI RULJLQDOLW\ LQ WKH FROOHFWDEOH ZRUOG “ , GR QRW VXSSRUW NQRFN R̆ V EHFDXVH I value the work and originality behind WKH GHVLJQ ´ Blind boxes have also made designer WR\V PRUH DFFHVVLEOH $PLUD DGGHG ) or many collectors, the characters they FKRRVH DUH QRW UDQGRP 7KH\ RIWHQ UHÀHFW SHUVRQDO WDVWH DHVWKHWLFV DQG LGHQWLW\ Amira believes collections often mirror WKHLU RZQHUV¶ SHUVRQDOLWLHV “The characters someone collects often say a lot about who they are and their SHUVRQDO VW\OH ,W LV DFWXDOO\ UDUH WR VHH a collection that feels completely mis PDWFKHG ZLWK WKH SHUVRQ 0RVW RI WKH WLPH WKH ¿JXUHV UHÀHFW WKHLU DHVWKHWLF WKHLU WDVWH DQG HYHQ WKHLU PRRG ,Q WKDW VHQVH it feels very personal and intentional,” $PLUD SRLQWHG RXW Some collectors prefer quirky charac ters, while others gravitate toward soft pastel designs or emotionally expressive ILJXUHV %OLQG ER[HV KDYH HYHQ PRYHG EH\RQG GLVSOD\ SLHFHV 0DQ\ ILJXULQHV are now designed as bag charms, phone DFFHVVRULHV RU GHVN GHFRUDWLRQV

Aliaa

Tiny toys, serious design : hile the surprise element attracts buy HUV WKH DUWLVWU\ EHKLQG WKH ¿JXUHV WXUQV VRPH LQWR GHGLFDWHG FROOHFWRUV UI/UX designer Amira Nadia said she was instantly drawn to the craftsmanship EHKLQG EOLQG ER[ ILJXULQHV +HU ILUVW SXUFKDVH ZDV D VHW RI 6RQQ\ $QJHO ¿JXUHV DW .LQRNXQL\D ./&& “I was seeing them online around 2023 ZKHQ WKH\ ZHUH VORZO\ EHFRPLQJ SRSXODU :KHQ , VDZ WKHP LQ SHUVRQ , FRXOG QRW FRQWURO P\VHOI 7KH\ ZHUH VR WLQ\ DQG IHOW OLNH EDELHV LQ P\ KDQG ´ $PLUD VDLG “I ended up buying six boxes straight DZD\ , ZDQWHG WR H[SHULHQFH WKH VXUSULVH multiple times and see which characters , ZRXOG JHW ´ T KDW ¿UVW SXUFKDVH ZDV VXSSRVHG WR be just a tryout, but walking out with six boxes was when she realised it was the VWDUW RI KHU FROOHFWLRQ MRXUQH\ ) or Amira, the appeal goes beyond their FXWH DSSHDUDQFH

Amira emphasises the importance of not supporting knock-offs in the collectable world.

“I’m especially a fan of blind boxes that can be used as pendants because they make such cute accessories for bags,” $OLDD QRWHG The temptation to buy “just one more” Despite their small size, blind boxes can FRPH ZLWK VXUSULVLQJO\ KLJK SULFH WDJV Branded boxes can cost more than RM100 HDFK GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH VHULHV

With new series launching regularly and social media fuelling unboxing videos, the blind box craze shows little sign of slowing down.