A Guide to BEARBRICK: Everything You Need to Know
What is a Bearbrick and who created it?
Bearbrick was created by Tatsuhiko Akashi, who founded the Japanese company, Medicom Toy, in 1996. These are collectible figures comprising nine parts — a head, torso, hips, arms, hands, and legs with joints that can move — which come in a range of materials, although most frequently plastic.
Bearbrick The Beatles Anthology 1000%
The adorable figurine has become an icon in both fashion and art. Since it stepped into the scene in 2001, this was first released as a gift to visitors of the World Character Convention 12 in Tokyo. Not long after its initial debut, the Japanese-produced toy has been a fervently desired collectible — consistently on the top of collectors’ wishlist. Why? BE@RBRICK has attracted a wide array of collaborators, including Hiroshi Fujiwara, FDMTL, BAPE, Chanel, Disney, Daniel Arsham, Sean Wotherspoon, READYMADE, and Evisu — just to name a few. As a result of their limited production, and the participation of artists, Bearbricks are generally considered designer toys.
What are the Bearbrick sizes?
BE@RBRICK toys come in various heights, which are listed from 100% to 1000%. 100% is the smallest, coming in at 2-inches (5cm), while the biggest size, 1000%, is as tall as 27-inches (70cm). In general, the most popular sizes tend to be 100%, 200%, and 400%. Keep that in mind as you shop for your BE@RBRICK.
Why are they so exclusive?
No one can exactly point to what has made Bearbrick so wildly popular. But two factors that certainly contributed to its exclusivity are the uniqueness of its design and limited-edition figures.
A Bearbrick toy is like a blank slate on which anyone can draw anything. Imagine a video game where you can dress your favorite character in any way you like. Bearbrick is something like that.
How to start your own collection?
Bearbricks are launched by SERIES and TYPES. Each SERIES has four TYPES. The current is SERIES 42. The official site lets you browse Bearbricks by year and size. You can select 2001 from the drop-down menu and take your pick out of the many that were released then. You can also get yours at www.cul-de-sac.ph/collections/bearbrick.
Bearbrick is also available at Cul-De-Sac, L2 The Podium Mall, Ortigas Center, Pasig, Metro Manila.