Chavely Rodriguez held the small box carefully between her hands before tearing it open in the middle of the Urban Outfitters at Dania Pointe. She had spent over $60 on four boxes though she didn’t know exactly what was inside. Within seconds, she was smiling at the small, big-eyed Pucky Fairies’ Market figurine while her friends leaned in close to see which character she had gotten this time.
“I just like cute little trinkets,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a big interest of mine. I usually like to buy two or four boxes because I like the whole collection.”
For Rodriguez, and many other young consumers across South Florida, blind boxes have become more than just collectible toys. The sealed packages, which contain random figurines including Labubu, Skullpanda, Molly and Dimoohidden inside, have transformed into a booming trend fueled by social media, retail hype and the thrill of surprise. Costs range from $15 to $30 and thousands of people buy, even though they don’t know what’s inside.
What seems like harmless fun is also encouraging repeated spending and raising questions about how companies keep consumers coming back for more.
While mystery-pack collectibles have existed for decades in products like trading cards and toy capsules, the blind box trade started in China in 2010. It has recently expanded worldwide and the market has already surpassed $11 billion in 2026 alone.
Pop Mart, a Beijing-based toy and entertainment company, is widely recognized as the driving force behind the global rise of blind boxes, transforming them from niche collectibles into a mainstream retail trend. Known for its designer toy lines and limited-edition “chase” figures, the company has built a strong following through its focus on creativity, scarcity and social media marketing.
As Pop Mart’s success has grown, other brands have adopted similar blind box strategies to tap into the trend. Companies like Miniso, Tokidoki and Funko now offer their own mystery-pack collectibles, each with unique designs and themes that appeal to different audiences. While these brands may not match Pop Mart’s level of exclusivity or global influence, they help make blind boxes more accessible and visible in everyday retail spaces, including across South Florida shopping centers and malls.
Rodriguez is a 20-year-old Media & Communications student at Broward College who has been collecting figurines and other novelties since 2022. She first became interested in blind boxes after coming across blind-box “unboxing” videos on social media. Soon, occasional purchases turned into routine shopping trips, with the excitement of possibly finding a rare figure driving her to continue buying more.
“I’ve spent hundreds, probably even thousands on blind boxes,” Rodriguez admitted.
That same enthusiasm is reflected in stores across South Florida.
At the Urban Outfitters store in Dania Pointe, store manager Beverly Chiu says blind boxes have quickly become some of the retailer’s best-selling items.
“It’s safe to say it’s almost daily that we get customers coming in solely for these little trinkets,” Chiu said.
She added that demand has remained steady and continues to grow, especially among younger shoppers drawn to the excitement of collecting and trading the figures. According to the store’s sales tracker, sales of novelty collectibles at the Dania Pointe location have increased by 137% compared to last year.
“It’s easy money,” Chiu said when asked how the trend has affected business.
What makes the trend especially notable is that Urban Outfitters is primarily known as a clothing and lifestyle retailer. Despite that, collectible toys and blind boxes have become some of the store’s top-selling products, ranking within the top 25 items sold at the location.
Among the most popular are Smiskis, small green glow-in-the-dark figurines known for their quirky poses and bright yellow packaging.
The demand for these products is even more visible at Miniso, a global retail chain known for affordable lifestyle products, beauty items, snacks and collectibles.
Tora Ebanks, a sales associate at the Pembroke Lakes Mall location, says purchases can quickly become expensive.
“In one purchase, I’ve rung up a customer spending over $400 on just blind boxes,” Ebanks said.
Mayumi Takahashi, 20, is a current FIU student and collector that lives in Sweetwater. She has collected around 30 collectibles and has spent around $800 collecting figurines. Takahashi says much of the appeal comes from not knowing what is inside.
“It’s not just the toy you are paying for, it’s the element of surprise,” she said. “That is something I really enjoy.”
Each purchase carries the possibility of uncovering a rare or “secret” figure, making every box feel like a chance at something special. That uncertainty creates a rush that keeps collectors coming back, even when they do not always get what they want.
For others, the appeal goes beyond surprise and becomes about finishing a collection.
“I really find joy trying to collect all the things I can, even complete the set,” said collector Niko Bibizas, 23, collector of novelties, such as Funko Pops. He considers himself a big fan of superheroes, comic villains, video games and loves collecting his favorite characters. Niko admits to spending over $3,000 on collectibles.
With certain figures intentionally made harder to find than others, collectors often buy repeatedly, hoping each new box brings them closer to completion.
Psychologists say this behavior is not accidental. According to Narineh Hartoonian, a clinical psychologist at the Rowan Center for Behavioral Medicine, blind boxes operate on a system known as “variable ratio reinforcement,” the same mechanism associated with gambling, where rewards are unpredictable and therefore more compelling.
Instead of being motivated only by the item itself, consumers are driven by the possibility of getting what they want. Research also shows that the brain’s strongest dopamine response happens during the anticipation before opening the box, rather than after seeing what is inside.
This helps explain why the cycle can be difficult to break. Unlike traditional shopping, where a purchase satisfies a specific need, blind boxes keep consumers engaged in a loop of anticipation, reveal and repeat. The excitement fades quickly after opening, often pushing buyers to try again in search of that same feeling.
In South Florida, the craze continues to expand. Dolphin Mall is expected to open a dedicated Pop Mart store soon, highlighting the region’s growing interest in collectible culture. The toy and entertainment company has helped turn blind boxes into a global phenomenon.
The mall already features Pop Mart Robo Shops, vending-machine-style kiosks where customers purchase sealed boxes containing random collectible figures. Shoppers select a series, buy a box, and only discover which character they received after opening it, creating a sense of suspense that keeps many returning for more.
In a region where trends spread rapidly through social media, blind boxes have become especially popular among teenagers and young adults eager to collect rare figures, trade duplicates and display their collections online.
As the trend continues to grow across South Florida, blind boxes have evolved beyond simple toys. Collections are shared on social media, traded among friends and displayed as symbols of personal taste and identity. Rare figures can carry social value, giving collectors status within their communities.
The popularity of blind boxes also reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior, where shopping is increasingly tied to entertainment and experience. Rather than simply purchasing a product, consumers are buying into anticipation, surprise and the excitement of the reveal.
Rodriguez says she understands how easily the spending adds up. In March alone, she spent $485.61 on blind boxes and collectible items. Like many collectors, she often buys multiple boxes at once in hopes of finding a specific figure or completing an entire set.
For people like Rodriguez, the anticipation is what keeps her coming back for more.
