Studio Brillantine began selling blind boxes over 20 years ago and with the exciting and recent wave of viral videos from social media a new explosion of collectors and toy culture enthusiasts have emerged in Canada. Collecting blind boxes and mini figures have now become one of the most popular and upward trends of Japanese pop culture surfacing all over North America as new enthusiasts in turn become steadfast collectors and become aware of this fun and enjoyable hobby and pastime.

What is a Blind Box figure? Blind boxes are mystery collectible toys or figures sold in sealed packaging, meaning you do not know which character or design you will get until you open it. The different figures one may get range from 4-12 variations per series as well as "secret" figures which are not as common in the ratio distribution per box.

What is a Capsule Toy [or Gachapon, Gacha] figure? Capsule Figures [Gacha] were first introduced by Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai in 1978 and is part of the Japanese toy collecting and miniature collecting culture which is prevalent in all age groups. In Japan they are sold in Capsule machines which dispense them randomly enclosed in a 2 piece sphere -- so in contrast to blind boxes by being able to hold and select the box of your choice-- they are random. There are usually 4-6 variations and are usually highly-detailed and this feature of toy collecting culture is related to Japan's cultural history and interest in highly-detailed miniatures. [Note: The brand name "Gachapon" is the onomatopoeaic sound of the capsule ball machine when it is turned "gacha" to dispense the capsule ball packaging].

[image courtesy Wikipedia]

What to Collect? When starting a collection we recommend that you choose figures and themes that interests you as well as what series or themes bring you happiness -- after all, collecting is in a way a reflection of your personality and interests. Studio Brillantine stocks blind boxes that are mainly cute, adorable, humorous and especially fun in its offering and 95% of the blind box and capsule toys we stock are from Japan. There is a wide range of themes in our blind box and capsule toy collection selection -- cats, dogs and animals, plants, classic anime characters, cartoon characters, humorous collections, etc. Most of the items are limited editions as we are interested in the more special, highly-curated and unique figures to offer our customers.

Starting a Collection: The best advice is to choose what you like, what your passion is, one has to remember to collect ones that bring you joy as they will be on display in your living space. Single blind boxes typically cost between $10-$25 so choose well and do not buy everything in front of you...select what excites you to make you happy! It is easy to get highly-enthused especially if there is a series that excites you but also keep a budget in mind and to choose well.

Display: We recommend to keep away from sunlight as this prevents the colours from fading. Some of our display suggestions:

• Simply create a scene on your desk or nightable
• A narrow shelf to display in a row
• Wall-mounted shelves for easy viewing
• Glass display cases for a high-end look
• Shadow boxes for a creative layout
• Custom acrylic boxes for specific areas of your room

Note: For the more serious collectors we also recommend keeping the original box and to be careful when opening the blind box so that the box does not get damaged or ripped in the excitement of opening.

Add Rolife DIY Kits to Display: Once you have several figures in your collection a nice way to display them is with DIY kits which have a relatively close size proportions and scale to most figures. We stock many Rolife DIY kits to house and display your blind box and capsule figures.

Beware of Fakes: Ensure that you only purchase through authorized retailers for specific blind box collections as the online market is also flooded with counterfeit figures. Images and online information showing lower than usual prices may suggest that you are getting a deal but keep in mind that there is also another collector's market for copies and fake versions of the figures. Blind box counterfeit figures look terrible as they are made from molds taken from the original and so the detail and colours are substandard to the real and authentic version. Paint colours chip and colour vibrancy of the figure is also compromised. In total some of the joy in collecting a small surprise is lost since a large part of the allure is the highly detailed and colourful figures which the toy designer or artist envisioned. Studio Brillantine only stocks authentic blind box and capsule toy figures.

Social Media: As social media has influenced all aspects of our lives now this exciting and recent phenomenon of collecting blind box and capsule-gachapon figures has exploded in North America. With great demand in blind boxes the launch of new companies and distribution channels from Japan, US, China and Korea are opening up the are more available for enthusiasts and collectors. In addition, especially with Sonny Angel and Smiski from Dreams Japan -- there has been a resurgence with new and previous collectors from over 20 years ago [Sonny Angel was first released over 20 years ago in 2005] as new series and limited editions are released.

Limited Edtions: When one is a collector Limited Editions play a special role in expanding ones collection to make it more special. Most of the time due to more demand than what is available -- limits to purchase quantitites as in 2x per customer -- are in place as to ensure that as many collectors may have access to these highly sought-after limited editions. Studio Brillantine has made available numerous limited edition for our blind box collectors. 

Join Collecting Communities: Trading is a big part of blind box collecting. Join online forums, Facebook, Instagram groups, or local collector events in Toronto to trade duplicates and complete your sets. If by chance you get doubles of a figure that you already have or prefer to have another one -- there are many online communities that collectors exchange and trade.

Embrace Your Inner Child: Enjoy in being a collector, kidult, enthusiast in whichever form your collecting. This is your collection and choose designs that bring you joy and happiness and ones that make you smile. Why not enjoy these small surprises that make one happy and positive -- these feelings are to be nurtured. When looking at your collection does it not make you feel warm & fuzzy? and if so you are on the right track...

Choice of Over 100+: Studio Brillantine currently has over 100 different Blind Box and Capsule Toy [Gachapon, Gacha] figures available for our customers. We carry mainly joyful, humorous and positively inclined themes or series to add a little bit of joy and happiness in a small surprise full of wonder. The biggest challenge now for collectors is that the demand is so much greater than what is available so that the unavailability and limits per purchase makes the passion for collecting even more challenging and sought-after.

Surprise!: The excitement of not knowing what you will get is one oft he main reason that blind boxes have taken the world of collectibles by storm, offering a thrilling mix of surprise and exclusivity. Whether one is just starting or looking to build an impressive collection, our recommendations hopefully assist you navigate the exciting world of blind box figure collecting.

The Rise of the "Kidult": Being a kidult is an adult whose interests or media consumption is traditionally seen as more suitable for children. There is no reason to feel self-consciousness as to what brings one joy or happiness. Adults or the Kidult market -- now make up the ever-growing market of toys and collectibles not only geared towards children but also and more directly to the adult who collects toys and other collectibles [which include blind boxes and capsule toy figures].

Enjoy Your Collection: Blind box collecting is an exciting hobby that combines mystery, art, and fun. Whether you're hunting for rare figures or just enjoying the surprise -- keeping these suggestions in mind will help you start your collections in the right way!

[Images 2-9 © Studio Brillantine]

Happy collecting!