Every toy-industry item we collected, newest first.
Summaries are AI-generated
The 2026 designer toy market shifts from LABUBU's mischief to CRYBABY's emotional storytelling. CRYBABY saw 21% sales growth from Q2 to Q3 2025 on resale platforms, with rare figures exceeding $200. Analysts project the market at $15 billion by 2026, emphasizing narrative-driven collections.
Global designer toy trends 2026 move past Labubu's massive 2025 run. Pop Mart's Monsters series, led by Labubu, generated $670 million in the first half of 2025 alone and drove total company revenue...
Collectors explore fresh options as Labubu hype from 2025 begins to settle. Pop Mart's Skullpanda and Hacipupu stand out strongly in 2026 with their distinct styles.
POP MART's new IPs received lukewarm responses, causing its stock to fall. In contrast, the 'Full Power' plush blind box series featuring classic IPs like SKULLPANDA and LABUBU sold over 100,000 units, while the 'Gold Rush Gallop' figure series sold over 10,000 units.
Shanghai shop owners face high rents, fierce competition, and inventory pressure, using consignment models to share risks and leverage inbound tourism.
Krockie observes that Douyin e-commerce, via content ecosystems and platform events, drives sales surges for new brands like SiiNONO, AYOR TOYS, and SHININGSOUL in the 'emotional Abebe' trend, with multiple brands exceeding 100 million yuan in sales in 2025.
2025年国内非对战式卡牌市场规模达235亿元，同比收缩26.8%。卡游、集卡社等头部品牌热销品数量下滑，但TCG、球星卡及影视综收藏卡等细分赛道表现亮眼，资本与出海布局持续加码。
LABUBU sales underperformed during US Black Friday, with resale prices dropping significantly. POP MART's stock has fallen nearly 44% from its August peak, raising concerns about overseas growth sustainability and the loss of IP scarcity.
Kotobukiya announced the “Kotobukiya Characters Illustration Contest” on Dec 17 2025, with free entry until Jan 12 2026 23:59 JST. The Grand Prize offers a ¥30,000 Amazon gift code, an ARTIST SUPPORT ITEM hand model, and a model kit, with winners expected to be announced around February 2026.
POP MART's stock has fallen over 40% from its peak, with a market cap loss of HK$200 billion and a 31% drop in institutional holdings. Labubu's hidden figures have seen a premium cut of over 50%, and regular styles are now trading below retail prices on second-hand platforms, with analysts predicting a shift from explosive to sustainable growth.
The LABUBU '1 AM' series blind box, priced at 790 yuan for a full set, saw no queues and plummeting sales on launch day, with secondary market prices falling below 600 yuan. Experts note that IP popularity is cyclical and brands must return to quality and user trust.
Co-created by Hong Kong studio How2Work and Dutch designer Kasing Lung, LABUBU became a global Gen-Z cultural trend in 2025. POP MART combined this with China's manufacturing strength to turn niche designer toys into mass-market cultural products, following a path similar to China's tech industry upgrade from OEM to brand.
A news story about an ACG girl hospitalized due to badge storage sparked widespread concern. Subsequent posts claimed merch contains formaldehyde and benzene. Marketing accounts spread rumors, causing conflicts between parents and players, and even fabricated videos, raising health and public opinion concerns in the ACG community.
The 'Dimensional Gala 2.0' at Jing'an Joy City sold over 10 million in 4 days, while POP MART's ZX created a sales record of over 500 million in 18 months. The article analyzes how Shanghai transforms anime merch consumption into a 'circle economy' model for physical retail through verticalization, differentiated positioning, and mixed formats.
'Goods' refers to merchandise from anime, games, and other IPs, with the economic phenomenon known as the 'Goods economy.' The article analyzes how Gen Z seeks emotional support and social identity through consuming 'Goods,' citing Miniso's Chiikawa pop-up store sales record and cross-industry collaborations with Pizza Hut and Uniqlo.
'Goods' refers to anime and game merchandise. China's market size reached 168.9 billion yuan in 2024, up over 40%. Domestic IPs like Genshin Impact and Arknights drive consumption, with female buyers rising to 78%. Badges are the most popular item. Malls in Qingdao and Shanghai boost footfall by introducing 'Goods' stores, with Shanghai's Bailing ZX creating a 3-8x increase in daily traffic.
LABUBU, the mischievous plush elf from Pop Mart, has become a global business phenomenon in the booming landscape of designer toys and collectibles.
The author shares practical tips for buying LABUBU, revealing the channels and tricks behind the toy craze.
LABUBU is a viral stuffed monster with devious eyes and a wide, toothy smile.
LABUBU is a blind box figure from POP MART that has gone viral due to celebrity endorsements from Lisa, Rihanna, and others. With over 300 variants, the official retail price is around US$32 per box, but limited editions can reach US$7,000 on the resale market. Some UK stores temporarily halted sales due to fighting, and the manufacturer is adjusting the release mechanism.
Created by artist Kasing Lung in 2015, LABUBU went viral in 2023 through keychain blind boxes, driven by celebrities like Rihanna and Blackpink's Lisa. In 2024, POP MART's revenue exceeded 13 billion yuan, with blind box toy revenue up over 1200%, with adult consumers as the main force.
LABUBU, a quirky monster doll by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, has sparked global demand. Despite its eerie appearance, its kind-hearted backstory has fueled a craze, leading to counterfeit flooding and advice to buy directly from POP MART.
Kayou secured the Nezha 2 license, and its first batch of products sold out quickly upon release. The second batch's online pre-orders exceeded 10,000 units. The company is ramping up restocks with its supply chain, holding a 70% market share in China's trading card sector.
The report notes China's ACG user base reached 503 million in 2024 with a market size near 600 billion. It analyzes nine new business ecosystems including themed dining, merch economy, fan creation, training, cosplay, virtual idols, concerts, city landmarks, and IP tourism.
Kotobukiya and Booklista are co‑hosting the First Digital Apparel Design Contest for university students, using CLO 3D software, with entries open from mid‑January to the end of March 2025. Winners receive cash prizes, virtual and real‑world productization, and exposure on Kotobukiya’s Akihabara Hall screen and official online channels.
The Thai art toy market is growing due to strong purchasing power from 'Kidult' consumers and creativity from local small manufacturers. Data shows Thailand's total toy exports reached $8.78 billion, with art toy exports at about $3.202 billion, accounting for 36.4% of total toy exports.
Kasing Lung, born in 1972 and raised in the Netherlands, was influenced by Nordic folklore. He transitioned from a children's book illustrator to a toy designer in 2010 and created LABUBU in 2015. In 2019, he signed an exclusive license with Pop Mart, leading to the character's rapid popularity. In March 2024, his work 'Mon' sold for HK$330,200 at auction.
Sid Chou is redefining designer toys and interactive art through creative technology. In a rapidly evolving world of creative technology and design, staying ahead of the curve while maintaining uniqueness is no easy feat.
Independent designer brand RedGuardian LLC, founded by Angel Martinez in New York, focuses on handmade art toys, enamel pins, and art card series. Its first lines include "The Creative Clown" and "Chunder", and it recently launched the "Can't contain us" containers in collaboration with Martian Toys, as well as the limited edition "Clown of Wall Street".
After its IPO, POP MART applied for defensive trademarks like 'PaoPao MaTe' to cope with the crowded toy market. The article compares the store expansion plans, IP strategies, and challenges faced by TOP TOY, 52TOYS, and X11.
