What is the art toy?
Art toys, also known as designer toys, are collectible items created by artists and designers. Unlike children's toys, art toys are generally intended for collectors aged 14 and older. These toys are either handmade by individual designers or artists, such as Tristan Eaton (whom we've collaborated with), or produced by independent toy companies like MEDICOM TOY, KIDROBOT, and MIGHTY JAXX—all of which we’ve worked with on numerous projects. Art toys are special-interest collectibles, often produced in limited quantities. Their exclusivity and craftsmanship contribute to their higher retail prices.
What is the art toy made of?
Art toys are made from a variety of materials, such as ABS, PVC, wood, metal, latex, plush and resin.
What is the vinyl toy?
The most popular art toys on the market are what we usually call vinyl toys. Vinyl is not the name of the material, but rather a production process; their material is still PVC.
What is the Sofubi?
Sofubi is a Japanese abbreviation for soft vinyl, also known as Japanese soft plastic. Sofubi not only refers to the material but also to the design style and finishing process. Classic Sofubi is produced using tooling, hand-painted or sprayed and decorated with brushes to create various designs.
The art toy is toy or art?
The debate on this point has never stopped. An art toy is not only an assembly line product; it is the embodiment of the designer's abstract thinking and ideas. The design of art toys often draws from children's cartoon images, but after secondary creation, they belong to a different adult market. They have become a personal interest, a display of taste and are no longer simply for playing with.
Does the blind box an art toy?
In my opinion, yes. Looking back at the definition and characteristics of art toys, blind boxes do belong to the category of art toys. If someone believes that a blind box is not an art toy, they might think the quality isn’t high enough. A blind box is the designer’s diversified creation of a character, usually serving as an entry-level product for well-known art toy works. Blind boxes lower the entry threshold for art toys, allowing more people to get involved. This is one of the reasons why art toys are so popular in the market.