潮流玩具是近年來新興的玩意，我猜很多人提到潮流玩具，就會聯想到這幾年在亞洲地區火熱的泡泡瑪特（POP MART），很多人特地請假排隊，只為了拿到限量版的泡泡瑪特，這現象還上過新聞，如今，無論是在百貨公司、文創園區，甚至海外大型商場，都能看見販賣泡泡瑪特的店面，除了泡泡瑪特之外，還有眾多我聽都沒聽過的潮流玩具品牌，不過，還是有為獨特美學買單的死忠粉絲。
這展區的前半段有三麗鷗、蠟筆小新、寶可夢等耳熟能詳的知名角色，在這裡粉絲們可以一次採買限量版盲盒，盲盒這種機制，往往讓消費者在購買前，不知道盒子裡究竟是哪一款角色，這種像抽獎般的刺激感，讓人產生期待與蒐集慾望，不過，我也有朋友痛恨這種玩法，因為他往往為了想要的造型或喜歡的角色，需要花更多的錢才能抽到。
展區的後半段是美式街頭風格的 Skater JOHN、色彩藝術潮玩 PLOPPYZ、主打療癒感的 NOKONOKO 3個潮流玩具品牌，這三個品牌各有特色，Skater JOHN 有全台最大規模的專區，將美式街頭風格完整呈現，搭配精心設計的打卡場景，我覺得喜好美式街頭文化的朋友，應該會想要一隻 Skater JOHN 的公仔，此外，Skater JOHN × MLB Players × RYNO SPORTS 的跨界合作，更將潮流與運動元素完美結合，提升整體收藏價值。
再提到泡泡瑪特，前幾天的新聞剛好指出，泡泡瑪特的二手市場價格出現明顯回落，部分款式甚至跌破發售價，我猜是之前炒作太過了，粉絲們也更理性消費了，這樣的情況，其實對泡泡瑪特或潮玩產業比較好，雖然金融市場，如股市等，屢創新高，不過，我覺得人們的經濟狀況，沒前幾年好，潮流玩具應該要回到合理的價格，這樣年輕人才有辦法進入這個市場。
Designer toys are kind of a new trend in recent years. I think when many people hear the term “designer toys”, they immediately think of POP MART, which has become extremely popular across Asia over the past few years. Some people even take time off work just to line up for limited-edition POP MART releases, and this phenomenon has even made the news. Nowadays, whether you visit department stores, cultural and creative parks, or even large shopping malls overseas, you can easily spot stores selling POP MART products. Besides POP MART, there are also many designer toy brands I’ve never even heard of before, but they still have loyal fans who are willing to pay for their unique aesthetics.
The first half of this exhibition area featured famous characters that almost everyone knows, such as Sanrio characters, Crayon Shin-chan, and Pokémon. Fans could buy limited-edition blind boxes all in one place. The whole blind box system means customers don’t know which character they’ll get before opening the box. That sense of mystery feels almost like gambling or drawing lottery tickets, which creates excitement and makes people want to collect more. However, I also have friends who absolutely hate this system because they often need to spend a lot more money just to get the specific design or character they actually want.
The second half of the exhibition focused on three designer toy brands: the American street-style themed Skater JOHN, the colorful art toy brand PLOPPYZ, and the healing-style brand NOKONOKO. Each brand had its own unique style. Skater JOHN had the largest themed section in the entire venue, fully showcasing American street culture vibes. Combined with carefully designed photo spots, fans of street culture would probably want to own a Skater JOHN figure. On top of that, the crossover collaboration between Skater JOHN, MLB Players, and RYNO SPORTS perfectly blended street fashion with sports elements, making the collectibles feel even more valuable.
Speaking of POP MART again, a recent news report mentioned that prices in the second-hand market have started dropping noticeably, with some items even falling below their original retail price. I personally think the market was overly hyped before, and now fans are becoming more rational with their spending. Honestly, I think this situation is healthier for both POP MART and the designer toy industry overall. Even though financial markets like the stock market keep hitting record highs, I feel like many people’s financial situations are not as good as they were a few years ago. Designer toys should return to more reasonable prices so younger people can actually afford to join the hobby.