With the advent of social media platforms like TikTok or Xiaohongshu, Pop Mart has gained popularity over the last few years. Most people don’t realize that the Chinese firm actually saw its start in the year 2012 that’s about the same time required to birth an infant and care for until they’re old enough for the PSLE.
But it’s never enough time to start building your personal Akimomo Pop Mart collection. We talked to avid collectors to create an inventory of items to remember when starting out and include ways to determine that you’ve purchased an imitation, ways to maximize resale value and the best way to showcase your new collection.
How do you define Pop Mart?
Pop Mart’s influence has rapidly extended beyond Asia because of word-of-mouth. For China in particular, the company has 288 stores and more than 1 800 figurine vending machines, referred to by the name of “roboshops”. While Pop Mart is best known for their highly sought-after dolls and figurines, they offer dollhouses, ball-jointed dolls and lifestyle items.
Perhaps you’re asking, “How are they different from Funko Pop?” Don’t allow Pop Mart enthusiasts hear that question unless they’re seeking trouble. In contrast to Funko Pop, Pop Mart figurines weren’t created according to a vaguely cubic design, and they’re regarded as slightly more sophisticated.
The company describes their products as “art toys”. Although that might sound superficial, Pop Mart has teamed with museums and artists to make highly sought-after models. The designs range from popular Minions up to Mona Lisa. You’re a genius.
1. Trade or sell your repeats Carousell, Facebook & Telegram
If you’re lucky enough to have you saved a whole nation during your previous life there’s a good chance you’ll have a similar experience in your travels with your blind box. However, don’t worry – there’s a flourishing Pop Mart community in Singapore and it’s simple to purchase or sell (BST) your collectibles.
The easiest method to begin starts by joining your first Popmart Figurine Trade/Sell Singapore group on Facebook. It’s mostly a community for buying, selling or trade of Pop Mart Figurines, but as you move along you’ll begin to make connections with other fans.
Prices of all figurines that are up to auction are clearly displayed making it easy to search for the best price.
If you’re brave, consider hopping into Carousell even though some sellers may find transactions difficult It’s a great spot for buyers to search the best Pop Mart figurines. For security be sure to look for sellers that have “Carousell Protection” on their listings.
2. Avoid boxes that have poor or blurry print
Pop Mart figurines aren’t cheap A chubby 60cm model was valued at $4,000 at the time of our visit to the official Pop Mart Singapore site when we visited in the beginning of September. They’re typically priced between 10 to $20 on the resale marketplace but a rare model can be sold for much more.
With this in mind there’s no reason to be surprised that there’s a thriving market for counterfeit products. If you’re purchasing only through authorized channels you don’t have to worry about counterfeits. However, those who are entering this world of wholesalers need to pay attention to the following guidelines to avoid being scammed.
In comparison to counterfeits, genuine figurines come with bright colours with clear and crisp printing. Also blurry or dull printing is a sign that the item is not authentic and is a copycat. Fakes can also display errors in printing, such as lacking logos and credits and also misspelled words.
Also, be sure to look for security options such as QR codes or holographic stickers with the Pop Mart logo on them They are trustworthy indicators of the authenticity of the product. Unfortunately, not all models are equipped with these features.
A handful of Taiwanese fans on YouTube have uploaded instructional videos for identifying fakes. One of them pointed out that foil packaging of knockoffs does not have air holes. Another channel pointed out that authentics come with foil packaging that bears the The logo from Pop Mart.
In essence, anything that appears cheap and unprofessional is most likely to be fake. It is best to conduct your own research prior to purchase by reading product reviews from trustworthy buyersand examine them against the online listing you’re considering.
If the price is unusually cheap, then the item is not likely to be genuine.
3. Buy the entire box to avoid repetitions
While a significant portion of the appeal of Pop Mart comes from its concept of a blind box However, there are some who place the need for completeness over the thrill of surprises. If you have a large budget, you can purchase what’s referred to as “whole boxes” complete sets that include every figurine in the series. It’s the only way to obtain duplicates.
Certain series contain secrets designs that are often referred to as “chase” figurines. Since these sets don’t include repeated figurines, the likelihood of getting a unique design is much higher than purchasing the boxes separately.
If you get a mysterious design that’s in your box it’ll be in the place of a normal design that you have in the entire box. That means you’ll be in search of the one final regular figurine to complete your collection. It’s still much simpler and more affordable to purchase an actual model on the market for resales as opposed to purchasing an individual chase figure.
4. Find the top pro-tips from fellow fans on Discord and Xiaohongshu.
Apart from Facebook as well, you can discover Pop Mart Communities On Reddit along with Discord. The subreddit r/VinylToys is an excellent starting point, even though it’s not entirely focused on Pop Mart. Make use of it to connect with other collectors, who can suggest Discord servers, where you can meet fellow collectors, as well as suggestions on how to get the perfect figurine.
The brand also has the officially licensed Pop Mart Xiaohongshu account where they share sneak peeks at forthcoming collections as well as unboxing videos. It is possible to buy figurines from the app, but it will require understanding of Chinese since there’s no translation feature available on Xiaohongshu.
There are plenty of tutorials and life hacks on Xiaohongshu but it takes some time to get the algorithm to recognize the type of content you’re looking for. To aid the algorithm you can search for Pop Mart fan accounts and explore the hashtag #popmart. Once the algorithm is able to recognize it, you’re set.
According to a friend who’s absorbed in this Pop Mart life, the platform hosts figurine collectors who are so fervent that they are able to distinguish figurines that are in blind boxes by their weight. In addition, other users regularly share their strategies and tips on how to acquire the figurine you’ve always wanted.
TikTok is another excellent option to search for videos that are unboxed. It lets you see how figurines look like in person as well as useful in case you want to verify the authenticity of the figurine you purchased from a seller.
As with a number of hardcore collectors on Xiaohongshu There’s an elderly lady on TikTok who is able to predict the contents of blind boxes through shaking the boxes. Although we won’t be able to be able to absorb her abilities just through watching these clips but the videos are amusing on their own.
5. Do not open the foil package if you’re intending to sell the product
Do not open the foil packaging unless you’re certain that you’d like to keep the toy. Otherwise, the value for resales will decrease.
Resellers usually include phrases like “still on foil” or “BNIF” (brand new in foil) to signify it is the case that foil remains in good condition. If the quality that the foil packaging has is something that you care about, you now are aware of what to look for.
While some sellers might include words like “opened foil to verify” in their listing There’s an easier way to determine which model you’ve taken. Every box is equipped with a label that identifies the figurine’s model, which means it’s not necessary to remove the foil packaging to see which one you’ve picked.
However, a coworker thoughtfully said, “Some people just like the excitement of opening it and seeing the object first, without having any idea of the theme.” The packaging should be treated as you would take care of your partner’s heart with love and tenderness.
To ensure that your figurine will fetch an appropriate price, don’t take the box apart.
6. Get acrylic display cases that keep your children free of dust
To keep your baby in good shape, you can protect your children by storing the cases in acrylic. They can be bought via marketplaces for online shopping like Shopee. A 3-tier box is priced about $20 from trusted sellers.
Pro-tip: sellers on Tmall It’s similar to Shopee Mall, but for Taobao generally are more reliable, as well as their policy on refunds is much more accommodating to customers.
Make sure your figurines are kept out of the sun, or the color will wear faster than the guy on your OG that claims to be able to handle his drink well. However, if you’re not too concerned about maintaining your figurines in good condition, you are free to let them on the street. In the end, your collection should bring more pleasure than stress.
7. Create an amount of money
Completionists are forced to keep track of all their achievements however it is easy to slip into addiction.
A Financial Times article details the incident that of “an avid collector who purchased 106 KFC meals at once to be able to grab an Pop Mart toy as part of a campaign. Others used proxies to buy food for them , or simply removed their meals after purchasing them.”
If you are a “all and nothing” type of person, you should set strict limitations for yourself. Make a monthly budget for the figurines . Don’t exceed the limit. Remember collecting figurines should be a pastime that makes you happy but not at the cost of your quality of living. It’s not worth the sacrifice of food and rent to get an extra figurine or two.
Pop Mart collection tips and tricks
The idea of jumping into a brand new pastime can be daunting It’s not hard to begin the process of creating your personal Pop Mart collection. In Singapore there are currently 18 roboshops and six Pop Mart retail stores at the date of this writing, which means it’s not difficult to locate authentic toys.
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