When I first came across Sonny Angels, tiny, collectible cherubs with themed-headgear and accessories, I was left wondering many questions, including where is their clothing? Like many others that pay attention to pop-cultural trends, I was perplexed by the allure of blind-box trinkets that never seemed to stay on store shelves. Since then, the list of trinket characters, both new and reinvented, has grown immensely, with figurines adorning a vast amount of purses, backpacks and display cases. Yet, these cherished characters represent overarching themes of American culture and society: consumerism and environmental waste.
Sonny Angels dawned on the internet in 2023, despite being created by the Japanese toy designer Toru Soeya in 2004. The little cherubs with strawberries or fawn ears on their heads were just the tip of the iceberg. Since then, it’s felt as if every week a new character has entered the “trinket arena,” with Smiskis, Calico Critters, Miffy, Monchhichi, Snoopy and most recently, Labubu. Whether the figurine takes the shape of the contemporary, green-glowing Smiski or nostalgic, cartoon Miffy, many collectors feel wistful sensations akin to reminiscence and sentimentality toward their youth. This, in a sense, was part of why Sonny Angels were designed– to provide comfort to working-class Japanese women during a nationwide financial crisis.
This craze of adults buying, and even trading little toys is by no means new. Kewpie dolls, the 1920s precursor to Sonny Angels, have existed for over a century, and many millennials can recall the frenzy over Beanie Babies, which sell today for large sums of money. Even as a middle-schooler, I loved watching YouTube influencers unpacking Tokidoki and Kidrobot blind boxes. However, this wave of trinkets and keychains feels fresh, although the cost of collecting is certainly a product of the current era’s economy.
While Beanie Babies and similar toys of the past were resold shortly after the fad for massive returns, new blind boxes can be incredibly costly in 2025. On the low end, Smiskis and Miffy characters retail for about $12, while limited edition Labubus can run upwards of $250. With the latter selling out in Pop Mart vending machines, one of the only ways to find genuine Labubu, resellers have felt the agency to upcharge exorbitant amounts. Many people end up purchasing $50 or $100 Labubus because they feel compelled to keep up with trends, not to mention risk buying a fake Lafufu– counterfeit characters that may have less painted-on teeth or ears bent slightly the wrong way.
Whether it’s companies or resellers marketing the product, the sale of trinkets capitalizes on inner-child consumerism. Nostalgia and youth have always been integral to advertising, but it’s coming to dominate society when many young people are coming of age in uncertain times. The sale of commodities that aren’t just “vintage” or “retro,” but reflective of the consumer’s own childhood is a marketing tactic that continues to encourage price hikes. Plush keychains and characters straight from childhood cartoons can distract us from the constantly shifting lives we lead, which is exactly what toy companies want consumers to consider.
In addition, blind boxes might seem harmless (maybe not for your bank account), but there’s an environmental toll associated with them. Housed in cardboard boxes, the little trinkets are traditionally wrapped in plastic packaging as a second layer of suspense, while also contributing to unnecessary waste. Many characters themselves, such as Labubus, are made of PVC and ABS plastics manufactured with toxic chemicals. PVC notoriously degrades into microplastics, and poses significant health risks and environmental concerns. While I don’t think fans are going to automatically quit their collections, I think it’s important to consider the effects consumerism, even the sort that markets itself with cherubs and bunnies, has on the world around us.
New series of Calico Critters will be released and Monchhichi keychains will continue to occupy Urban Outfitters’ store-front windows. I myself will likely treat myself and fall victim to another Miffy-themed purchase. All the while, trinkets from your childhood are likely still either in your basement or already part of booths at local antique malls. It’s important to consider the purchasing power we have as consumers– whether that means not buying a Labubu, finding pre-loved characters in your own attic or supporting artists crafting their own trinkets. That rush of nostalgia doesn’t always have to come from a plastic commodity wrapped up in a cardboard box.
