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One of my favorite things about Taiwan is also the worst thing for my budget -- blind boxes and capsule toys. If you've ever been to Japan, you've no doubt seen the prevalence of vending machines and capsule toy dispensers. For someone from a place where the only vending machines were for drinks and snacks and were mainly found in school or office buildings (see High School Deb getting her daily Sprite fix), the sheer volume of machines and novelty of their content is exhilarating. I spent a lot of yen on silly little pins and plastic toys.
Related to these vending machines are blind boxes. I saw a few when I was in China, but they seem to have really exploded in popularity in the last few years. Not only can you find them in toy stores or game stores, but you can also find them in grocery stores! Some of the boxes have a series of toys you can collect. I have been trying to collect the Fat Tiger and Baby series. (The links are all for shops, btw -- they aren't sponsored links, just the links I could find.) I have gotten the water drinking option three times now. 😑 It's cute, but I only need one.
Yesterday when I was shopping, the fancy grocery store had a whole shelf full of different boxes. There were some fat tigers (which is how I got the third water drinking set), some Disney and other character sets. I bought a mini motorcycle model for one brother and a fighter jet model for another. But the boxes that really intrigued me were the blind boxes for little rooms! For example, there is a set for building your own barber shop! Each box contains a few items, and once you collect the whole set, you have your little room. There is also a ramen shop and an office.
I LOVE the idea of these little rooms. However, blind boxes cost anywhere from 5-10 USD each, and I cannot in good conscience waste a minimum of $80 trying to make a miniature barber shop. I'd rather just buy individual miniature pieces to furnish the dollhouse set-ups I have. But I am sorely tempted every time I see them.
I imagine these boxes and capsule machines will spread in the US and farther afield. They do have little capsule machines in most grocery stores in the US, but the toys are the same crappy things that have been there since I was a kid. I hope they will improve someday because it is fun to treat yourself to a little animal figurine once in a while.
Related to these vending machines are blind boxes. I saw a few when I was in China, but they seem to have really exploded in popularity in the last few years. Not only can you find them in toy stores or game stores, but you can also find them in grocery stores! Some of the boxes have a series of toys you can collect. I have been trying to collect the Fat Tiger and Baby series. (The links are all for shops, btw -- they aren't sponsored links, just the links I could find.) I have gotten the water drinking option three times now. 😑 It's cute, but I only need one.
Yesterday when I was shopping, the fancy grocery store had a whole shelf full of different boxes. There were some fat tigers (which is how I got the third water drinking set), some Disney and other character sets. I bought a mini motorcycle model for one brother and a fighter jet model for another. But the boxes that really intrigued me were the blind boxes for little rooms! For example, there is a set for building your own barber shop! Each box contains a few items, and once you collect the whole set, you have your little room. There is also a ramen shop and an office.
I LOVE the idea of these little rooms. However, blind boxes cost anywhere from 5-10 USD each, and I cannot in good conscience waste a minimum of $80 trying to make a miniature barber shop. I'd rather just buy individual miniature pieces to furnish the dollhouse set-ups I have. But I am sorely tempted every time I see them.
I imagine these boxes and capsule machines will spread in the US and farther afield. They do have little capsule machines in most grocery stores in the US, but the toys are the same crappy things that have been there since I was a kid. I hope they will improve someday because it is fun to treat yourself to a little animal figurine once in a while.
