China’s blind box toys captivate global fans, transforming collectible trends

China's blind box craze is making its way to other parts of the world, as some of the the toys landed in Europe just a few weeks ago, with hundreds of excited fans young and old queuing up to get their hands on their favorite character.

Many say there's nothing quite like the thrill of being in a toy store and getting up close and personal with your favorite character.

"I like this one the most because this is the letter of my mom's name," said a young shopper of a collection of colorful bear toys.

"I like this one the most. I am wearing a blue shirt today, I like blue, and this bear is blue and it has white stripes," said another.

Carefully crafted and beautifully designed figurines have made these toys a must have. The element of surprise with every blind box - a type of packaging that keeps its contents hidden - has made it more popular.

The home-grown concept is now being shipped to several countries, but it's not just the toys being exported, but Chinese culture too.

"So when we launch products like these, people are often genuinely surprised, because with our 'Pa Pa Guocui Journey to the West' series, we've truly integrated elements of traditional Chinese culture. For example, the face-changing opera masks from Sichuan, the ancient zither-playing figures from classical Chinese history, and other elements of traditional culture - we've carefully woven them into the design. And as you can see here, there's also Kungfu tea. It's all very charming and delightful," said Hugo Chen, business director of Toycity Culture Technology.

Demand for the likes of Mr Pa, Laura and Labubu remain high in China and have become quite the sensation in other countries too.

"In terms of global expansion, our overseas efforts only really started last year. In the second half of last year - within six months - we achieved sales of over 60 million yuan. Southeast Asia accounted for about 50 to 60 percent of that, which is relatively high. The next major markets would be Australia and Europe," said Chen.

According to sales data, young adults known as Gen Z's are the biggest buyers of the blind box toys.

As Walt Disney famously said, "who says you have to grow up."

China’s blind box toys captivate global fans, transforming collectible trends

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the outcome of the ongoing Qatar-mediated consultations hinges on Washington's responses to questions raised by Iran.

Araghchi said an Iranian delegation had traveled to Qatar on Saturday for further discussions, adding that his aide was there to continue consultations with mediators.

The two-day talks remained underway, with no final conclusion reached. Araghchi expressed hope that the United States would rationally opt for diplomacy over other approaches.

An official briefed on the negotiations told the media that Qatar had maintained contact with the White House during the talks. The day before, Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks with Iranian counterparts in Tehran, aiming to clinch a U.S.-Iran agreement to avert renewed conflict after the U.S. midterm elections.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Araghchi dismissed reports of possible meetings as media speculation, saying Iran saw no need to meet with American officials at present. He said Tehran would decide whether to hold direct or indirect negotiations after Washington accepted Iran's conditions.

According to Araghchi, Iran's conditions include recognition of a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran had worked out with Oman, and the closure of other routes.

He said Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions imposed after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a reduction in U.S. military forces in the region, the restoration of sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports, and the release of all frozen Iranian funds, including those held in Qatar.

Iran also demanded an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, he said.

Araghchi said mediators had presented proposals concerning Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran was reviewing as part of what he described as a second phase.

The Iranian foreign minister also said a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance had been reviewed at high-level meetings, describing the American effort to open the door to broader dialogue and understanding as a "positive step."

Iran says outcome of Qatar-mediated talks hinges on US response