The Blind Box Trend
Chasing the High!
Art has the capability to cheer you up and calm you down, and my newest favourite form at this moment in time is the figure/toy collectable form. Commonly found in little ‘blind boxes’ which hide what you get inside.
These unique designs are created to be shared in the homes of anyone who so wishes. Due to their affordable, small and accessible nature. Available online for under £20.00 each, and perfect to fit on shelves, desks and on handbags as a keyring. These cute, and precious to look at trinkets are at every glance an excuse to smile. Releasing a playful rush of childish happiness.
The blind box craze also carries an aspect of enjoyment in simply the experience of buying and opening the collectible art. The concept of not knowing which of the varied pieces is inside provides itself a game to choose on the box which you’d most prefer and then to anticipate as you destroy the packaging what the outcome will be.
However, this has been widely speculated and compared to gambling and as it’s aimed at teenagers and young adults has been banned in some places of the world. Now if I was to share my own individual opinion on the subject, I’d argue that this concept has been common for a long time, the cause for worry has been because of the over consumption and target audience takeover from young adults. Those typically aged 18 to 25 have taken particular interest in the collectable blind box art that’s been surging in popularity since the Pandemic. Seeking a cheap thrill, if you will.
The experience of buying yourself an unknown gift and receiving something you may not have expected, rather than enticing you in to buy more boxes until you reach the one you want, is what I believe is the goal of the companies. These companies that are endorsing artists to keep creating these loveable characters and the artists themselves who enjoy sharing their little figures and spreading pockets of joy into people’s lives whether at their office desks, car or at home. It seems the access to these from adults with their own income is where the gambling can be argued, but it seems rather than gambling it’s greed that comes into play. The entire game of buying a blind box in itself is a gamble, except you’re paying for something that you will receive. You know you will receive a piece of art for your money everytime, that’s not gambling as your money is a transaction. It’s not the same as putting money into a claw machine knowing you’ll probably not win anything. It can be placed on a different scale due to the ‘which one will you get?‘ game of it all but not identified as gambling as such.
Let’s say you buy a blind box and feel so saddened by the one you got, so much that the one you had your heart set on is the only one you want. You simply MUST have it. What can you do?
Here are your options:
Shell out and buy an entire pack of the boxes, selling or giving away the ones you don’t want and keeping the one you did.
Buy online again for sometimes again a lot more money, but there are cheap sellers on sites like Vinted an opened box of that specific design
Not that I’ve been in the position, but I’d recommend the latter. This is a rare circumstance though as most people, from what I’ve heard and seen, are in it for the first time fun of the experience and whatever they receive is simply a reminder of the memory and feels more of a special gift born from the unknown chance of receiving that one. Which realistically won’t be that small, but it feels like a one off chance none the less.
I have now participated in collecting a couple of different blind box designs, these being Monday Bruce (my favourite) which is a little rabbit wearing a tie and sitting at an office desk in different scenarios and Smiski which is a little green man who can be doing absolutely anything, the possibilities of that one are endless. I am in awe of the artists who created these designs and the clever idea of making the participation part of the fun.
And so, in an age with AI generated art ruining the expression and beauty of human art I encourage you to support artists, not necessarily by buying, but appreciating and reminding yourself of the work that they put in. But if you do decide to buy, remember the golden rule, one is enough