Mystery toys take over holiday aisles

NEW YORK:

While US consumers scramble for the elusive Pop Mart Labubu, toy makers are rolling out their own cheaper, easier-to-find “blind box” products ahead of the holiday shopping season, aiming to capitalise on the craze sparked by the fuzzy mini monsters.

Hot gift lists from stores such as Walmart feature a new crop of blind box figurines and trading cards, and companies including Hasbro and Mattel are selling versions of toys like Furby and Barbie in mystery packaging.

These products conceal the specific toy inside, encouraging shoppers to keep buying until they collect the full set. Labubu drove excitement for the trend this summer, quickly selling out and later appearing on resale sites like eBay for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Because of their cost and scarcity, they are not featured on major toy lists. But now aisles at holiday destinations such as Target are packed with mystery-wrapped goods. Retailers and analysts predict blind box toys will be big sellers because they are low-cost, addictive, and appeal to both kids and adults.

Target has doubled its assortment for the holidays, including items from Baby Three, MGA Entertainment’s Miniverse, Zuru’s Minibrands, and Aphmau. “When people buy it, they don’t buy one, they buy 10, and 30. There’s the chase,” said Juli Lennett, US toy industry adviser at Circana.

Many blind box toys remain affordable despite rising overall toy prices due to tariffs on goods from China. Fans like Ashley Harseim, 29, of New York, enjoy the surprise element. “The surprise is cool, it’s a nice little dopamine boost and who doesn’t need that now?” she said, noting she spends $6–$10 on cat-themed blind boxes.

Collectibles, including trading cards, helped drive toy sales growth in the first nine months of 2025 after two stagnant years. But blind box toys may have limited impact on overall holiday spending, as many were already sold year-round as impulse buys. Circana anticipates unit sales for overall holiday spending may fall by as much as 2.5% in November and December.
Specialty retailers such as Miniso, Ohku, and Showcase, which sell authentic Labubu and other blind boxes, are preparing for record holiday sales. “Blind boxes are going to be very big,” said Showcase CEO Samir Kulkarni. “This Christmas will be a record Christmas for that reason.”