Bearbrick is on the rage now. It is a clever design that seamlessly combines the simplicity of a plastic toy with the aesthetic impressionability of modern art and dynamic luxury fashion. If you’re thinking about starting a new Bearbrick collection or expanding an existing one, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a list of the best places where to buy Bearbrick of the highest quality. So keep reading on!
I. What is so special bout Bearbrick?
At first glance, the BE@RBRICK may appear simple. It’s essentially just a plastic bear-shaped figurine that comes in a variety of sizes and colors, designed by Japan’s Medicom Toy. Despite this, the toy has found its way into art galleries and is adored by everyone from Pharrell Williams to Grace Coddington and Ben Baller. It’s not a stretch to say that these vinyl toys have evolved into canvases for modern expression, playing an important role at the intersection of style, art, and fashion.
Bearbricks has grown in popularity and public affection over the last 21 years. We saw a steady rise in demand for the toy and a surge, particularly in the last year when Covid-19 hit the market, making Bearbrick collecting an increasingly expensive hobby.
So, what is so special about Bearbrick, and what makes it so unique and desirable?
1.1. The first Bearbrick started as a freebie in Japan
The first Bearbrick, released on May 27, 2001, was a swag item in the goodie bag given out to World Character Convention attendees in Tokyo, Japan. The white bear was emblazoned with a Bearbrick logo in the shape of a blue bear with a red “@.” This was the standard 100 percent size of Bearbricks, measuring 70mm.
Surprisingly, Medicom was initially commissioned to create a gift based on its Kubrick toy, a Lego-like humanoid figure named after the legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Due to a large number of orders and the short turnaround time, founder Tastuhiko Akashi had to get creative.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of teddy bears, he merged the Kubrick and teddy bear forms, giving birth to Bearbrick. Bearbrick was designed as an anthropomorphic bear figurine with a potbelly and movable parts. It was an instant success, and the rest, as they say, is history.
1.2. Bearbricks come in different sizes and are referred to in percentages
The Bearbrick figure is made up of nine parts with five joints and is available in three sizes: 100 percent (70 mm), 400 percent (280 mm), and 1000 percent (1000 mm) (700 mm). You’ve probably seen the 50% (35mm) keychains.
1.3. Bearbricks come in “Series” and “Types”
There are two drops of Bearbrick during a year, one in the summer and one in the winter, and they are divided into “Series” and “Types.” Here’s a quick rundown of what’s available for the uninitiated:
- Standard – This is the most common Bearbrick form. They are released under a variety of recurring “themes.”
- Basic – Each figure is emblazoned with a letter that spells out “BE@RBRICK.” There are a total of nine designs.
- Artist – A collaboration with an artist is referred to as an artist.
- Secret – Unreleased, rare designs that may include collaborations. You may want to know what is the rarest Bearbrick. That was designed in 2007 by Karl Lagerfeld. Only 1,000 pieces were made, and they were displayed in the boutiques of the luxury fashion label.
- Jellybean – Translucent plastic with a solid color.
- Pattern – As the name implies, the design has a unique pattern.
- Flag – A representation of a country’s flag.
- Horror – Bearbrick figures are made based on a character on a character from the horror genre.
- SF (Science Fiction) – Inspired by a science fiction theme, typically a film
- Cute – A cute figure.
- Animal – Figures are made in animal shapes.
- Hero – Includes superheroes from DC Comics.
1.4. The most expensive Bearbrick sold for $230,000!
But how valuable are Bearbricks? Is it merely a toy? According to Zhaoyong, the most expensive Bearbrick ‘Qiu Tu’ 1000 percent, created by Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun in 2008, was auctioned off for around $230,000 a few years ago.
The Chanel 1000% Bearbrick produced in 2006, Bearbrick’s first notable foray into the world of high fashion is another notable ‘grail’ piece among collectors. This was originally used in Chanel window displays worldwide before being gifted to VIP clients and was designed by Karl Lagerfeld with signature Chanel elements such as a monochrome tweed suit, pearls, sunglasses, and a Camellia flower.
In 2007, a 1000 percent version of this design (with a limited edition of 1000) was released for a charity event in Hong Kong. Despite this, the Chanel Bearbrick remains one of the most elusive and highly collectible Bearbricks on the market, with the current asking price on StockX (as of November 2021) being upwards of $100,000 – a more than 50-fold increase from the original selling price!
1.5. Bearbricks’ appeal is boosted by pop culture.
You would have seen international celebrities, media personalities, artists, and designers showcasing their own Bearbrick collections not only in interviews and social media but also in music videos. Bearbricks may not have been mentioned explicitly by these artists, but fans with keen eyes would have noticed them in the background as an accessory or display. G-Dragon, Pharrell Williams, JJ Lin, Ben Baller, and others are among the notable Bearbrick collectors.
II. Where to buy Bearbrick – Best websites to buy Bearbrick
2.1. Official Bearbrick site
When looking around for where to buy Bearbrick in Japan the first place you should look for are at auctions. That’s where you’ll find the rarest of the rare Bearbricks. A general collection, on the other hand, can be started by purchasing at Bearbrick shop Tokyo or from the official Bearbrick site. However, you should be aware that purchasing from the official Bearbrick website can be difficult at times. It is because new products are totally sold out in a matter of a few minutes.
Bearbricks are launched on the website in SERIES and TYPES. There are four TYPES in each SERIES. The current version is SERIES 42. Bearbricks can be browsed by year and size on the official website. You can select 2001 from the drop-down menu and choose from the many that were released at the time.
2.2. Yahoo Japan shopping
Many of you have probably used Yahoo’s search engine and email service. But did you know it’s also an online store marketplace?
Yahoo Shopping is a Japanese web giant company’s e-commerce store. It provides customers with offers and benefits from various Japanese brands in order to provide the best e-commerce experience possible. As a result, you’ll find a diverse selection of items that appeal to a wide range of tastes!
2.3. Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce giant
Yahoo is not the largest e-commerce site in Japan, despite its long dominance in the auction sector. Rakuten is the leader in this category.
In Japan, Rakuten is without a doubt Yahoo Auctions’ most serious competitor. It is the largest e-commerce website in Japan, offering everything you want. The limitation is your imagination. In other words, whatever you find from pots and pans to the most recent Japanese toothbrush, from Japanese cosmetics to minimalist fashion for the entire family, from most popular things to the rarist items like bearbricks.
Especially, Rakuten’s business is not limited to Japan, as its main sales platform is available in over twenty countries. Furthermore, the Japanese market leader acquires large foreign e-commerce sites in order to gain a faster market share outside of Japan.
2.4. Mercari – a well-known C2C marketplace
Mercari is the face of this new e-commerce trend. This Japanese market was founded in 2013. It quickly rose to prominence as Japan’s most popular retail-to-private sales application. Mercari is now a well-known C2C marketplace where you can find rare and one-of-a-kind collectibles, clothing, and a variety of other items. Every month, more than 10 billion yen is traded on this app.
2.5. The Amazon of Japan
You can get almost anything from Amazon Japan, just like you can from Amazon.com. They sell a lot of items that can only be found in Japan. You can buy figurines, books, music, and other items here. There are many third-party merchants there, so you might find that one-of-a-kind item you’ve been looking for!
Amazon Japan can ship some of its items to over sixty countries worldwide. Unfortunately, not all sellers make use of this feature. This is especially true for second-hand resellers or small businesses. They don’t always understand how to ship products to the United States or Europe. As a result, the product you desire may be ineligible for international shipping.
2.6. Janbox
You may be aware that it can be difficult to obtain Japanese goods, including Bearbrick, when you live abroad, even if you shop on the four websites listed above. That’s where Janbox, an easy-to-use proxy-buying service, comes in to save the day.
We’ve integrated the most popular Japanese online shopping sites, such as Rakuten, Yahoo! Japan Auctions, Amazon Japan, and many more. As a result, hundreds of products are available on Janbox. All of the products on the website are of high quality and are imported from Japan. Janbox is a great place to start if you’re looking for a website where you can buy affordable, high-quality Japanese products.
Especially, Janbox offers a shipping delivery to over 220 countries across the world at reasonable shipping costs. Furthermore, we provide you with free order collection and consolidation services. We will notify you via email when your package arrives at Janbox Express. All item arrivals are pre-checked and repackaged to ensure you receive what you ordered in the stated condition.
Our website values information security and employs best practices to protect your personal information and financial transactions. During the payment process, your information will be encrypted to ensure its security.
III. How to buy from Janbox – Buying guide on Janbox
Now we’ll show you how to use Janbox to get your products from Amazon Japan, Rakuten, and a variety of other websites that provide you with Japanese goods. And we must say that the process is super easy and safe regardless of whether your shipping address is in a foreign country.
Step 1: Search or browse Janbox massive range
Janbox has millions of high-quality Japanese items just waiting to be discovered, shopped, and brought home.
Do you have a specific item in mind that you want to look for? In the top menu, click the Search hourglass and type in your keyword(s). Our powerful search engine will sift through item names, descriptions, and other data and populate the search results page with all relevant results. You can sort the results by relevance, price, and listing date.
Step 2: Add products to your cart
On any product page, click the Add to Cart button to add that item to your shopping cart. You can manually add single units or edit the number in the Quantity box to add multiple units at once.
Step 3: Choose your shipping and paying methods
The next step is to select an international shipping method from our list:
- Janbox Express is the most cost-effective option. You just have to pay 1500-2000 yen for a package
- EMS and FedEx are more expensive, but you will receive your product in a matter of 3-5 working days.
Then select how to pay for your order, and what currency to use. On Janbox, we offer you three different paying methods, including:
- Paypal
- Janbox wallet
- VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Maestro
Please be aware that you may be directed to the payment gateway’s website to complete your transaction (it may differ, depending on which payment method you choose).
Step 4: Wait to get your packages delivered
After you’ve completed the three steps above, all you have to do now is wait for your package to be delivered to your door.
Conclusion
Look no further for information on where to buy Bearbrick from Japanese online stores. Make use of Janbox! It serves as a dedicated link between you and Japan — you could say we’re your personal shopper in the Land of the Rising Sun! Shopping in Janbox, in particular, is simple and secure. As a result, more than 96 percent of our customers are satisfied.
So, what are you waiting for? Pay a visit to the Janbox website to have the most enjoyable shopping experience.
