Which blind box IP is the most profitable? From POP MART, 52TOYS to new designers, a complete guide to the most collectible dolls

Preface:

Welcome to the fascinating world of trendy toys! In recent years, trendy toys (Art Toys/Designer Toys), especially dolls in the form of blind boxes, have evolved from a niche hobby into a cultural phenomenon sweeping the world. These IP (Intellectual Property) characters carefully created by artists and designers are not only toys, but also collectibles that carry unique stories, emotions and artistic value. Whether you are a veteran collector or a novice who has just stepped into this colorful world, understanding the background and charm of major popular IPs is a key step in starting your collection journey.

This article will provide you with an in-depth analysis of the popular IPs created by well-known brands such as POP MART, 52TOYS, TOP TOY, FINDING UNICORN, TNTSPACE, Letsvan, and independent designers, allowing you to explore the inside scoop!

[In-depth analysis of core IP]

1. LABUBU (POP MART)

• Background: LABUBU is one of POP MART's most representative original IPs, created by the famous Hong Kong toy designer Kasing Lung. The inspiration comes from the image of elves in the Nordic forest.
• Features: LABUBU is not a single character, but a general term for the core members of the "The Monsters" series created by Kasing Lung. This series contains many elf characters with different personalities, each with a unique appearance and distinct personality traits. LABUBU's most iconic features are its mischievous grin, fangs showing and furry texture.
• The appeal: LABUBU's designs are full of playfulness and fantasy, successfully capturing the spirit of adventure and curiosity, and are loved by fans around the world. According to Pop Mart’s 2024 financial report data, THE MONSTERS series, including LABUBU, generated an astonishing revenue of 3.04 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 726.6%, which shows its super high popularity and money-making ability. Recently, it has collaborated with brands such as Vans and Luckin Coffee to continue expanding its influence.

2. MOLLY (POP MART)

• Background: MOLLY is a billboard-level representative IP of POP MART, created by the famous Hong Kong designer Kenny Wong (Wang Xinming). The inspiration came from a little painter he met with a pouting mouth and a stubborn look in his eyes.
• Features: MOLLY's most distinctive features are her iconic pouty mouth and a pair of big eyes full of confidence and curiosity. Her personality settings are rich and varied, including stubborn, cute, smart, etc. MOLLY has many theme series, such as career series, space series, palace series, etc., constantly changing the style to satisfy fans' sense of freshness.
• Charm: MOLLY's designs capture the innocence and adventurous spirit of childhood, while also having a hint of a little bit of tsundere personality. This unique temperament has attracted a large number of young collectors. As one of POP MART's earliest successfully commercialized IPs (the first MOLLY constellation series was launched in 2016), MOLLY has maintained strong vitality in the market, contributing 2.09 billion yuan in revenue in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 105.1%.

3. DIMOO (POP MART)

• Background: DIMOO is a trendy toy series carefully created by mainland Chinese artist Ayan Deng.
• Features: DIMOO is a little boy with cotton candy-like cloud hair. He is shy and introverted, but full of curiosity. He loves traveling through mysterious and dreamy worlds, growing up with all kinds of friends, and sharing adventure stories. DIMOO's eyes are always full of curiosity and explore every corner of the world.
• Charm: DIMOO's journey is full of unknowns and surprises, and her gentle and dreamy style has healed the hearts of countless fans. Every encounter with DIMOO is like a journey of spiritual growth. DIMOO is also one of POP MART's main IPs, with revenue reaching 910 million yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 23.3%.

4. HIRONO ONO (POP MART)

• Background: HIRONO is another popular IP under POP MART, designed by artist Lang.
• Features: HIRONO is a special child who looks lonely and alienated, but has an extremely rich and wonderful inner world. His images often have emotional expressions, sometimes melancholy and sometimes contemplative. The designer explores emotions, loneliness and the inner world through HIRONO. The shape of the dolls often presents a miniature of life and the narrative of the inner world.
• Charm: HIRONO, with his unique emotional depth and artistic expression, has touched many fans who are seeking inner peace in a noisy world. Opening HIRONO's blind box is like walking into Ono's story, triggering resonance and thinking. Its market performance is also good, with revenue of 727 million yuan in 2024.

5. NANCI (TOP TOY)

• Background: NANCI (娴茜·林深不知处) is a top IP under TOP TOY, a cute character with a tilted head, closed eyes, and blowing snot bubbles.
• Features: The design inspiration comes from a "slacking off" meeting of the designer, where he closed his eyes and daydreamed, with snot bubbles coming out of his nose in a relaxed and lazy state. This state is exactly the peace and relaxation that many modern workers and young people dream of. The name NANCI comes from Suzhou culture, reflecting the designer's deep affection for his hometown and tribute to traditional culture.
• Charm: NANCI accurately hits the emotional needs of contemporary young people with its unique "healing feeling" and "relaxation feeling". The image of tilted head and closed eyes makes people feel calm and relaxed, and has become an emotional comfort on the desks and bookshelves of many people.

6. PANDA ROLL (52TOYS)

• Background: Panda Roll is a new original healing IP launched by 52TOYS in 2021.
• Features: Based on the national treasure baby panda, it provides insights into the "raising cub" mentality of young people who watch giant pandas online. Panda Roll presents the panda's daily life with a lazy and cute posture. The shapes are changeable, sometimes dancing, sometimes sleeping, and sometimes interacting with friends.
• Charm: Panda Roll aims to bring everyone a daily experience like a panda keeper. Its cute, round and healing image satisfies people's love for cute things and the emotional sustenance of "cloud pet raising", and quickly gained widespread attention in the market.

7. FARMER BOB (FINDING UNICORN)

• Background: FARMER BOB is a star IP character under FINDING UNICORN, created by Korean designer FARMER.
• Features: FARMER BOB is set as a farmer, but he subverts people's traditional impression of the farmer. From the original classic look with a big beard and a hat to the later macaron-colored and trendy images, BOB's look is extremely fashionable and artistic. Its core concept is "just be yourself, don't cater to others", which interprets a life proposition of not catering to others and being free and without limits.
• Charm: FARMER BOB, with its unique sense of fashion, artistic atmosphere and "be yourself" attitude, has attracted many young consumers who pursue individuality and freedom, becoming a unique presence in the trendy toy industry.

8. DORA (TNTSPACE)

• Background: DORA is a well-known IP character under TNTSPACE.
• Features: DORA became popular for her cute and fierce appearance and cool personality. She says no to traditional beauty standards, rejects stereotypes, and encourages people to be themselves and not be defined by the world. DORA's image is always with a slightly frowned brow and a pouty mouth, showing a "not to be messed with" but cute attitude.
• Charm: DORA’s slogan is “I’m not a bad girl, I’m just being myself”. This attitude of breaking the traditional stereotype of girls “must be gentle and cute” has resonated with many young people who pursue independence and individuality, and has become a trend symbol for expressing self-attitude.

9. OZAI (Hey one)

• Background: OZAI was born on April 19, 2022, and is a representative IP under Hey one Chaowan.
• Features: OZAI is a native of the wonderful planet, a little guy who lives in his own inner world. When faced with external disturbances, he would only say "oh". Over time, everyone started calling him "Ohzai". Ohzai represents the most innocent side of each of us, and it is also the spiritual pure land that everyone wants to protect.
• Charm: OZAI, with its cute and innocent image and the setting of "living in its own world", touches people's deep yearning for a simple and pure state, and provides an emotional sustenance to escape from the hustle and bustle of reality.

10. WAKUKU (Letsvan)

• Background: WAKUKU is a classic IP character under Letsvan Heyfan Culture.
• Features: The catchphrase is WAKUKU~! (The translation means "run wild"). WAKUKU was born in an ordinary family in the wilderness, and has shown extraordinary courage and wisdom since childhood. He loved hunting and often went deep into the jungle alone to deal with various wild beasts. Gradually, he became a hunting master in the tribe. However, WAKUKU is not satisfied with the status quo. He is eager to learn about the world outside the tribe and is curious about the future.
• Charm: WAKUKU represents a spirit of bravery, exploration, and unwillingness to settle for the status quo. Its cute furry appearance hides wildness and curiosity, attracting players who like adventure stories and unique settings.

【Charm and trends of the trendy toy market】

• Huge market potential: Taking POP MART as an example, its annual revenue in 2024 increased by 106.9% year-on-year to 13.04 billion yuan, and its net profit increased by 185.9% year-on-year to 3.40 billion yuan. This shows the booming development and huge commercial value of the trendy toy market.
• IP is king: A strong IP is the core competitiveness of trendy toy brands. Top IPs such as THE MONSTERS (LABUBU), MOLLY, and DIMOO contributed the vast majority of revenue, demonstrating fans’ high loyalty and spending power towards specific characters.
• Collection and emotional value: Trendy toys are not just consumer goods, but also a kind of spiritual sustenance and collection investment. Exquisite design, limited release, the sense of surprise brought by blind boxes, as well as the stories and emotional connections behind the IP, together constitute the unique charm of trendy toys.
• Diversified development: Trendy toy brands are no longer limited to blind boxes, but have begun to expand to MEGA collection series (Big Baby), figures, derivative peripherals, offline theme parks (such as Pop Mart City Park), cross-border collaborations and other forms, constantly enriching the IP ecosystem.

Conclusion:

The world of trendy toys is full of infinite possibilities, and each IP has its own unique story and charm waiting for you to discover. Whether you want to add a touch of childishness to your life, find emotional resonance, or embark on a collection journey full of surprises, there is always a trendy toy here that can touch your heart.

Take action now, explore our trendy toys section, find your destined IP, and start or enrich your collection!