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Blind boxes: hidden figures, full set boxes and genuine Labubu

A blind box is a sealed box with one figure from a series, and you only see which figure you got once the box is opened. Each series has a number of regular figures and often one or more hidden figures that are much rarer.

Quick facts

What it is	A sealed box with a random figure from a series
Regular figures	Often twelve per series, with the same chance for each one
Hidden figure	One or more rare figures, sometimes only one in 144
Full set box	Every box in the series with no duplicates, where the manufacturer sells one
Origin	Japanese capsule toys, gashapon
Genuine Labubu	Nine teeth and a QR code that can be checked

Hidden figures

In Pop Mart's series the regular figures have the same chance, about one in twelve, while the hidden figure can be as rare as one in 144, and some series have a super hidden that is even rarer. With Smiski the hidden figure is estimated to be in one box in 144, and Sonny Angel's hidden figure is called Robby Angel, an animal of unknown species that changes its appearance from series to series.

The format comes from Japanese capsule toys, known as gashapon, and from fukubukuro, bags with random contents sold at a fixed price. Pop Mart turned the blind box into a market of its own for art toys.

Full set boxes and packs

Pop Mart also sells full set boxes, which contain every box in the series with no duplicates. Funko's Bitty Pop! is sold in packs with three regular figures and one hidden figure, in an acrylic case, and Re-Ment's miniatures are sold in displays of 5 to 12 boxes, with an information sheet in each one.

Genuine or copy

Labubu has been copied on a large scale, and the copies are called Lafufu. A genuine Labubu has exactly nine sharp teeth, while copies often have more. Genuine figures have a QR code on the label that can be checked with Pop Mart, while the QR codes on copies are often blurred or invalid and the Pop Mart marking is missing.

The series you will come across

Here are the manufacturers and series, with what sets them apart. Pokémon is available in blind boxes from several manufacturers, including Re-Ment, Funism and Funko.

Pop Mart

Pop Mart was founded in China in 2010 by Wang Ning and has its headquarters in Beijing. The company is regarded as the one that created the market for art toys in blind boxes, and its own figures include Labubu, Molly, Skullpanda, Dimoo, Hirono and Crybaby.

Labubu

Labubu was created by the illustrator Kasing Lung, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the Netherlands, as a character in the illustrated stories The Monsters, with roots in Nordic folklore. The first figure came out in 2015, and since 2019 Labubu has been sold through Pop Mart. The figures are sold mainly in blind boxes, both as vinyl figures and as pendants, in series such as Exciting Macaron and Have a Seat and in collaborations such as The Monsters x One Piece, and each series has rare hidden figures.

Smiski

Smiski comes from the Japanese company Dreams and was launched in 2015: figures of six to eight centimetres in a material that glows in the dark, with a round head and the same calm expression. Each series shows the figures in an everyday situation, such as Bed, Yoga and @Work, and the hidden figure is estimated to be in one box in 144.

Hippers

Hippers are figures that hook onto the edge of something, such as a laptop, a picture frame or a desk. The format exists with Smiski and Sonny Angel and with licensed figures such as Chiikawa, Hello Kitty and Monchhichi, and they are sold in blind boxes like the other series.

Sonny Angel

Sonny Angel figures are small cherubs by Toru Soeya, CEO of the Japanese company Dreams, which also makes Smiski. The first one came out on 15 May 2004 as an 18-centimetre doll and later shrank to seven centimetres. Each series has twelve regular figures and one hidden figure, Robby Angel, and collectors swap figures with each other to complete their series.

Funko Bitty Pop

Bitty Pop! is Funko's smallest figure range, about 2.5 centimetres tall, and was first shown at the London Toy Fair in January 2023. A pack has three regular figures and one hidden figure in an acrylic case, in series such as Pokémon and DC, and Mystery Bitty Pop! is sold one at a time in blind boxes. Funko is an American company founded in 1998, known for its Pop! figures.

Funko Mystery Minis

Mystery Minis are Funko's blind boxes with a random mini figure from a series, in a style of their own that differs from the Pop! figures, with licences such as Stranger Things, Five Nights at Freddy's and One Piece. Like Funko's other figures they have chase variants: rare versions with a different pose, flocking or glow in the dark.

Re-Ment

Re-Ment is a Japanese manufacturer of miniatures, founded in 1998 and based in Tokyo, and the name comes from “reform the entertainment”. The company is known for detailed miniatures of food and furniture, such as the Puchi Sample series in 1:6 scale, and since 2008 it has made licensed series with partners including Disney, Sanrio and San-X, as well as Pokémon series such as Terrarium Collection. The miniatures are sold in displays of 5 to 12 boxes.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see which figure is in the box? No. The box is sealed, and that is what makes it a blind box.
What is a hidden figure? A figure outside the regular figures of the series, often much rarer than the others.
What is a full set box? All the boxes in a series at once. At Pop Mart it contains every box in the series with no duplicates.
How can I tell that a Labubu is genuine? Count the teeth – there should be nine – and check the QR code on the label.