The Silent Language of Plastic Figures

In a Shanghai apartment, twenty-three LABUBU figures stand arranged by color along a bookshelf that holds no books. Their mischievous grins and oversized teeth create a silent chorus that speaks volumes about contemporary collecting culture. This isn’t merely about accumulation—it’s about the stories these plastic ambassadors carry, the emotional landscapes they map, and the quiet revolutions in consumer behavior they represent. Across East Asia and increasingly worldwide, Pop Mart’s blind box phenomenon has transformed how people relate to objects, community, and even themselves.

The Cultural Canvas of Character Design

Molly’s distinctive blank eyes—often described as ‘soulless’ by Western observers—actually reflect a specific aesthetic tradition in East Asian character design. This deliberate emptiness creates what Japanese media scholar Hiroki Azuma calls ‘kyara moe,’ where simplified features allow for deeper emotional projection. The 2016 ‘Molly the Painter’ series, featuring just four color variations, demonstrated how minimalism could generate maximum cultural resonance. Each figure’s slight tilt of the head or subtle hand position communicates distinct personality traits without explicit narrative.

This design philosophy extends to LABUBU, whose monstrous cuteness draws from multiple folk traditions. The character’s fanged smile and asymmetrical eyes reference both Japanese yōkai and Chinese mountain spirits, creating what design historian Dr. Li Mei describes as “transcultural familiarity.” In her study of character economics published in the Journal of Material Culture, Li notes how these designs “activate collective memory while feeling utterly contemporary.”

Pop Mart’s designers employ what they term “emotional blank spaces”—intentional gaps in characterization that invite personal interpretation. A Molly figure holding a paintbrush becomes whatever aspirational identity the collector projects onto it: artist, dreamer, or innovator. This strategic ambiguity explains why identical figures can hold radically different meanings across collections.

The evolution of character design reflects broader cultural shifts. Where earlier collectibles often featured highly detailed backstories and fixed personalities, Pop Mart’s approach embraces what curator Dr. Aminah Wong calls “interpretive flexibility.” This allows characters to evolve with their collectors, becoming personal rather than prescriptive companions.

The Psychology of Surprise: Why Blind Boxes Captivate

The physical act of opening a blind box creates what anthropologists might recognize as a contemporary ritual space. ‘There’s this breathless second when the plastic wrap tears,’ notes collector Lin Wei, who owns over 80 Pop Mart figures. ‘It’s not about what you get, but about participating in something larger than yourself.’ This momentary suspension bridges ancient traditions of fortune-telling with modern consumer experience.

Neuroscience helps explain the appeal. The dopamine release triggered by uncertainty makes blind box unboxing neurologically rewarding. According to WHO reports on behavioral addictions, the intermittent reinforcement schedule—where rewards are unpredictable—creates particularly strong habit formation. This doesn’t necessarily indicate pathology; rather, it explains why the experience feels so compelling.

The shared language of ‘pulls’ and ‘dupes’ creates community bonds that transcend the objects themselves. Online forums buzz with trading strategies and commiseration over duplicate figures. “Getting three identical Forest Musicians in a row felt frustrating initially,” admits Beijing university student Zhang Wei, “but those extras became trading currency that helped me connect with collectors in three different countries.”

This social dimension transforms what could be solitary consumption into collective experience. Local meetups, international trading networks, and digital communities have emerged around the shared practice of unboxing. The ritual extends beyond purchase to include documentation, display, and exchange—creating what sociologists call “communities of practice” around these plastic figures.

Collecting as Identity Construction

‘My first LABUBU was the Zombie Baby variant from 2019,’ says Taipei-based teacher Chen Yiling. ‘I didn’t understand why this slightly grotesque creature appealed to me until I realized it mirrored the tension between cute and unsettling in traditional Chinese folklore figures. These aren’t toys—they’re cultural artifacts that happen to fit in your palm.’

Collections often serve as externalized self-narratives. The arrangement of figures—chronologically, by color, or by emotional significance—becomes a tangible autobiography. A shelf might document a year of personal growth through acquired figures, or represent different aspects of the collector’s personality.

Pop Mart understands this psychological dimension. Their limited edition releases often coincide with cultural moments or holidays, allowing collectors to mark time through acquisitions. The 2020 “Healthcare Heroes” series, created during pandemic lockdowns, became symbolic gratitude tokens for many buyers. “That series helped me process the anxiety of those early lockdown months,” recalls San Francisco nurse Maria Gonzalez. “Each figure represented someone who’d helped our community survive.”

The identity work extends beyond personal expression to generational signaling. For many younger collectors, these figures represent a break from previous generations’ collecting habits. Where parents might have collected stamps or coins, these plastic characters embody contemporary values around play, aesthetics, and community.

Practical Collecting in a Digital Age

For those entering the blind box ecosystem, several strategies can enhance the experience while maintaining financial and emotional balance:

• Set clear boundaries before purchasing—whether budget limits or collection themes
• Join trading communities early to exchange duplicates efficiently
• Research series odds through platforms like Pop Mart’s official app
• Consider the display as part of the experience—creative arrangements extend enjoyment
• Document your collection digitally to track its evolution
• Attend local trading events to build community connections
• Learn basic customization techniques to personalize common figures

Seasoned collectors often recommend focusing on specific characters or themes rather than chasing complete sets. “I only collect LABUBU’s floral variants,” explains Hong Kong accountant Marcus Tan. “This focus makes each discovery more meaningful and prevents compulsive buying.”

Digital tools have transformed collecting practices. Apps that track collections, trading platforms that facilitate international exchanges, and social media communities that share display ideas have created what one collector called “a hybrid physical-digital hobby.” The physical figures anchor digital interactions, while digital platforms enhance the physical collection’s value and meaning.

Global Expansion and Cultural Translation

As Pop Mart expands internationally—with stores now in over twenty countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia—the company faces fascinating cultural translation challenges. Western consumers initially puzzled by the minimalist aesthetics are gradually developing their own relationships with the characters.

According to UNESCO’s 2022 report on global cultural flows, “character-based commodities represent one of the most rapidly growing cross-cultural exchanges.” The report notes how these objects often serve as “accessible entry points to aesthetic systems that might otherwise remain foreign.”

In London’s Covent Garden Pop Mart store, British collector Sarah Jenkins describes her introduction to the phenomenon: “At first I found Molly’s expressionless face unsettling, but now I appreciate how her mood changes depending on my own. She’s become a sort of emotional mirror.”

The globalization of blind box culture involves not just product distribution but cultural adaptation. Pop Mart’s international releases often incorporate local cultural references while maintaining core design principles. This balancing act—between cultural specificity and universal appeal—represents one of the company’s most significant challenges as it expands.

Economic Impact and Market Evolution

The blind box market has grown from niche hobby to significant economic force. Statista projects the global collectibles market will reach $60 billion by 2025, with blind boxes representing the fastest-growing segment. This growth has inspired both imitation and innovation, with companies across industries adopting surprise mechanics.

Yet the market’s expansion raises questions about sustainability and overcommercialization. Some collectors express concern about series proliferation diluting the specialness of individual figures. “When new series launch monthly, it becomes impossible to maintain emotional connections with each character,” notes longtime collector Kenji Yamamoto from Osaka.

Pop Mart has responded to these concerns through initiatives like their recycling program for unwanted figures and collaborations with environmental organizations. The company’s transparency about production odds—now clearly displayed on packaging—represents industry progress toward responsible practices.

The economic ecosystem extends beyond primary sales to include robust secondary markets, customization services, and even insurance for rare figures. This maturation signals the market’s transition from fleeting trend to established collecting category with its own infrastructure and conventions.

The Future of Tangible Connection

In an increasingly digital world, the physicality of blind boxes provides counterintuitive appeal. The weight of the box in your hands, the sound of plastic cracking open, the texture of the figure itself—these sensory experiences create anchors in dematerializing environments.

Educational institutions have begun recognizing the cultural significance of these objects. Singapore’s National Museum recently added a 2018 “Molly Astronaut” to its design collection, curator Dr. Aminah Wong noting that “these figures document evolving notions of cuteness, community, and commercial ritual in the 21st century.”

As technology advances, the blind box format continues to evolve. Augmented reality features in newer series allow figures to “come alive” through smartphone cameras, bridging physical and digital collecting. Yet the core appeal remains the same: the human desire for surprise, connection, and objects that carry meaning beyond their material form.

The integration of digital elements suggests future directions for the hobby. Near-field communication chips embedded in figures could connect physical collections to digital experiences, while blockchain technology might authenticate rare variants. These technological enhancements aim to deepen rather than replace the tactile pleasure of physical collecting.

The twenty-three LABUBU figures on that Shanghai bookshelf represent more than plastic and paint. They’re physical manifestations of stories waiting to be told, conversations yet to happen, and identities in constant formation. In their silent chorus, we hear echoes of ancient human practices—storytelling, ritual, collection—reimagined for contemporary life. As these plastic ambassadors continue their global journey, they carry with them not just commercial value but cultural meaning, connecting people across boundaries through shared experiences of surprise, beauty, and the simple joy of holding something wonderful in your hands.