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As Pop Mart, one of the leading Mystery Boxes in China, was officially listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange last month, Mystery Boxes have once again become a hot property in the Chinese market. In recent years, Mystery Boxes have been gaining significant popularity especially among younger generations. According to a recent industry report, female white-collar employees and Z-generation college students in first-ties cities, like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, are the main consumers of Mystery Boxes. “China's millennials spend more on mystery toys than any other hobby, including designer shoes and e-sports.” according to a report from e-commerce platform Tmall. 

泡泡玛特可谓是中国盲盒市场领先的生产商之一，而随着去年12月泡泡玛特在港交所上市，“盲盒”一词再次成为人们热议的话题。 近年来，盲盒在中国市场越来越受欢迎，尤其是在年轻一代群体之间。根据近期的一份行业报告显示，一线城市（如上海、北京、广州等）的女白领和Z世代的大学生是盲盒消费市场的主力军。天猫平台的一份报告指出，中国千禧一代在盲盒上的花费高于名牌鞋和电竞运动。

什么是盲盒？

Mystery Boxes refer to packaged boxes containing a toy, which remains a mystery to the consumer until they open the box, some people also refer to it as a “blind box”. 

盲盒指的是包含着一个玩具的盒子，在消费者打开盒子之前，里面的玩具对他们来说是个谜，这也是为什么人们称其为“盲盒”的原因。

From a marketing perspective, it’s essentially a quirky gambling gimmick, you have the chance to either receive your favorite toy or a valuable collectable.

从营销的角度来说，这基本就像一场赌博，（如果你幸运的话）就有机会拿到你最喜欢的一款或者是更有价值的隐藏款。

Each toy costs RMB 59 (US$8.5), and each series includes 12 toys (amounting to over RMB 700 in total.) 

每个盲盒玩具售价59元人民币（约合8.5美元），一个系列有12个玩具，总价超过700元人民币。

盲盒为何近年如此火爆？

In recent years, it seems that dolls and toys are no longer deemed exclusive to the enjoyment of children, as many young adults have joined in on the craze of collecting these special toys. 

近年来，随着许多年轻人加入到收集这些玩具的潮流中，娃娃和玩具已不再视为只属于孩子的专属娱乐了。

In fact, it’s clear to see the emergence of this trend from the many automatic toy vending machines set up in shopping malls around the country, especially those belonging to the brand Pop Mart. Part of the success of Pop Mart comes from its cooperation with renowned designers or brands to create pop culture dolls based on some classic/popular characters, such as the Molly Series and the Dimoo Series. 

事实上，从许多大型商场里出现越来越多的盲盒自动贩卖机就能清晰看出盲盒潮流的兴起，这其中最有名的当属一个叫做泡泡玛特的自动贩卖机。泡泡玛特的一部分成功源于与那些知名设计师和品牌根据经典或是热门形象创造出来的娃娃，比如说Molly和Dimoo系列。

Moreover, they also work with popular IP, such as Harry Potter, Disney (Disney Princesses and Mickey Mouse). 

除此之外，泡泡玛特还和像哈利波特，迪士尼公主和米老鼠等热门IP进行合作。

The following are two potential reasons explaining why so many young people have become more attracted towards the Mystery Box trend.

以下两点解释了为什么年轻人越来越热衷于盲盒的潜在原因：

Mystery Boxes’ packaging doesn’t allow people to see what is inside at first sight, thus conveying a sense of curiosity and excitement for consumers. The most attractive prospect for Mystery Boxes lies in receiving a mysterious toy which is a rare commodity in the market. Many buyers spend a lot of time and money on these mysterious models if they are lucky enough to get one, then they may share and show it off on social media, or even exchange it for a better price on the market. 

强烈的好奇心

消费者在购买盲盒的时候一开始是不知道里面长什么样子的，因此给消费者带来了好奇和刺激的感觉。玩盲盒最吸引人的地方在于得到在市场上很难找到的隐藏神秘款玩具。买家们会花费大量时间和金钱来寻找隐藏款。如果他们足够幸运抽中的话，他们就可以在社交平台分享和炫耀，或者去市场换得更好的价钱。

For some enthusiasts the gifts in the Mystery boxes represent more than just simple toys, they may also be used for decorative or collectible purposes. Mystery Boxes are also seen as a way to deal with their every-day-life stress.

收藏文化与缓解压力

对于很多人来说这些小东西不仅仅是玩具而已，它们也会被用以装饰和收藏。玩盲盒也被视为缓解日常生活压力的方式。

未来盲盒的市场价值如何？

On the one hand, there is still a large potential space for the Mystery Box market in the future as its marketing mode has gradually diversified and broken into the mainstream in several other markets last year, such as cosmetics, books, and other trending categories. 

一方面，盲盒在未来市场仍有很大的潜在发展空间。这种营销模式已经逐渐多样化，去年开始也已经进入美妆、图书及其他潮流类主流市场。

On the other hand, the Mystery Boxes market is fiercely competitive, even for the famous toy maker Pop Mart, which is holding onto only 8.5% of the market share. However, the potential for growth is significant for all market players, as shown by the data from MobRearch ( data intelligence technology platform) which estimates that The Mystery Boxes industry scale is expected to double, reaching 30 billion yuan in the year 2024. 

另一方面，盲盒现在也面临着激烈的竞争。即使是像泡泡玛特这样的知名品牌，市场份额也仅占8.5%。对于所有的市场玩家来说，其潜在增长价值非常显著。根据Mob研究院发布的数据报告显示，到2024年，盲盒的市场规模将翻番，达到300亿元。