What Is a Blind Box?

Blind boxes originated from the Japanese lucky bags of the early 20th century. After incorporating elements of the gashapon (capsule toy) format of the 1980s, they spread to Europe and America, where they were named “Blind Boxes.” Initially focusing on anime, comics, and games (ACG) merchandise, they have now expanded to books, fresh produce, and many other areas, becoming a mainstream sales format.

A blind box is a sealed gift box containing randomly packaged dolls of different designs. Each series contains 4-10 regular designs, with some featuring rare hidden designs. Consumers cannot determine the design from the outer packaging; the core appeal lies in this unknown element before opening the box, adding a unique surprise to the collection. Furthermore, blind boxes are deeply integrated with popular IPs such as *Demon Slayer*, and the medium has expanded from figurines to include badges, acrylic standees, and other categories. As an upgraded form of lucky bag marketing, it has moved beyond simply clearing out inventory and has become a mutually beneficial format for both merchants and consumers.

So why are blind box figurines so popular?

1. High Cost-Performance Ratio + Diverse Themes

Catering to Fan Needs. Blind boxes collaborate with popular IPs and characters, offering affordable prices and excellent craftsmanship. Their cost-performance ratio far surpasses that of high-priced figurines, making them a top choice for collectors. Its themed designs, centered around holidays and scenes, create entirely new looks for characters, maintaining the core essence while stimulating collectability and encouraging fans to collect sets, thus increasing repurchase rates.

2. Blind Boxes + Hidden Items

Creating an Emotional and Social Experience. Blind boxes evoke a rich range of emotions, from anticipation before opening the box to tension during the opening and excitement of drawing a desired item, making blind boxes an immersive consumer experience that ordinary merchandise cannot replicate. Fan-created “shake-the-box” games, along with online tips and sharing of hidden item draws, generate frequent topics related to blind boxes, giving them strong social attributes and accelerating their spread and popularity.

3. Covering Less Popular Characters

Filling the Gap in Niche Collectibles. Traditional ACG merchandise tends to favor popular main characters, leaving less popular character merchandise scarce. To ensure randomness, blind boxes always include less popular characters in the same series; moreover, popular characters are often set as hidden items, significantly increasing the probability of drawing less popular characters. This allows niche fans to collect their favorite merchandise at a low cost, fully satisfying various collecting needs.

The popularity of blind box figurines is not a marketing gimmick, but rather a result of precisely meeting the collecting, emotional, and social needs of contemporary consumers, especially ACG fans. It is an inevitable outcome of combining IP value with innovative consumption patterns.