The Problem With Blind Boxes (And Who It Matters For)
The blind box mechanic is borrowed from Japanese gashapon capsule machines — the same psychology as a vending machine lottery. You pay a fixed price for a random figure from a set. The fun is in not knowing. The frustration is in paying for the same figure multiple times while trying to pull a specific variant, or giving up and paying 2-5x retail on the secondary market for the piece you wanted.
For gift buyers, blind boxes are particularly problematic: you might spend $20 on a box that the recipient has already purchased, or a variant they explicitly don't want. The open-edition format eliminates this entirely. For budget-conscious collectors, the expected cost to complete a set through blind box purchases alone is significantly higher than buying individual pieces you want on secondary market post-release.
The counterargument — that blind boxes create community through trading and that the uncertainty is part of the fun — is real. But it applies to collectors who are already embedded in the community and value the social ritual. For new collectors and gift buyers, the lottery element is often just a cost-inflating inconvenience.
The Best Open-Edition Art Toys in 2026
Voxelyo's four Labubu editions are the clearest example of the open-edition alternative model done right. Duck Bubu, Snow Wing Bubu, Angel Bubu, and Pink Fang Bubu are each sold at $49.90 as individually identified figures — you choose the edition, you know what arrives. No duplicates, no lottery, no secondary market markup. The trade-off is that they're not part of the blind box community experience, but for collectors who prioritize certainty, this is a feature not a bug.
Bearbrick's open-edition releases are among the most collector-respected in the category. While Bearbrick does produce series with random elements, their core open-edition lineup — specific colorways sold at fixed prices — is where most serious collectors build their collections. The 100% and 400% sizes are both available in identifiable configurations through authorized retailers.
Kaws' AllRightsReserved releases are entirely open-edition — every figure Kaws sells at retail is a known, specific piece at a listed price. This is consistent with Kaws' fine-art market positioning where certainty of what you're purchasing is fundamental. The prices are higher than the blind box tier ($150-500 for standard release pieces) but you get exactly what you paid for.
How to Get Blind Box Figures Without the Lottery
If a figure you want exists in a blind box series, the most efficient path is almost always to wait for secondary market availability. Within one to three weeks of most series releases, individual figures from the set become available on Mercari, eBay, Whatnot, and dedicated toy trade platforms at prices typically 20-50% above retail for non-secret variants. Compare this to the expected cost of pulling a specific figure through blind box purchases — usually 150-250% of retail including duplicates — and secondary market buying is often the rational choice.
Pop Mart's own app has a direct-purchase option for many figures outside of blind box format, including 'open edition' figures from major IP. Checking the Pop Mart app before resorting to third-party secondary market can sometimes surface direct purchase options at retail pricing.
Some series offer 'whole set' purchases where you buy the complete set of all variants at a fixed price, guaranteeing every figure in the run. This is available for some Pop Mart series and beats the average cost of random box purchases for collectors who want the full set rather than a specific figure.
Building a Satisfying Collection Without Blind Boxes
The open-edition approach to collecting creates a fundamentally different relationship with your figures — every piece on your shelf is there because you deliberately chose it. There's no 'acceptable' or 'trading fodder' category; every figure in an open-edition collection is a first-choice pick. Many collectors who switch from blind box to open-edition report higher satisfaction with their collection per dollar spent, even if the total number of figures is smaller.
The community element doesn't disappear entirely in open-edition collecting. Art toy communities on Reddit, Instagram, and Discord welcome collectors regardless of how they acquired their pieces. The trading dimension is less present, but the appreciation, photography, and conversation elements of the community are fully accessible.
Open-edition buying also enables longer planning horizons. Instead of the rapid-fire excitement of a blind box release window, open-edition collecting rewards patience — you can wait for the right edition to become available, make deliberate additions to your collection, and invest more per piece with full certainty of what you're getting.