#ArtToyMovement

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Popmart, moda efímera o renacimiento silencioso del vinilo artístico. ¿Estamos viviendo una nueva era del coleccionismo de Art Toys?

Descubriendo las historias, los creadores y la cultura detrás de los #ArtToys

El Boom de los Art Toys: ¿Popmart marca una nueva era del coleccionismo?

Hace no tanto, coleccionar figuras de vinilo era visto como una excentricidad con complejo de Peter Pan o una rareza estética propia de galerías con pretensiones de galpón industrial. Hoy, sin embargo, el coleccionismo de Art Toys ha cruzado el umbral del nicho para convertirse en fenómeno cultural. Pero cuando un artefacto cultural salta de lo alternativo a lo popular, inevitablemente surge la pregunta: ¿es esto un despertar genuino o simplemente otra moda de temporada con fecha de vencimiento?

La reciente mesa redonda con Ron English y compañía —ese panel donde brillaron Mumbot, Clutter, Sucklord y Lev de Toy Tokyo y publicado en YouTube el 7 de mayo de 2025: “Ron English's Big Genius Toy Designers Panel Podcast” en el  canal POPagandaTV.— fue menos un debate que un termómetro: uno que marca fiebre alta en el ecosistema creativo de los Art Toys. Entre aranceles de importación y algoritmos de saturación, lo que quedó claro es que el mercado no se está muriendo… está mutando. Y como toda metamorfosis, es incómoda, caótica y profundamente reveladora.

La llamada “saturación” de Art Toys —esa palabrita que los pesimistas pronuncian con el mismo dramatismo con que los antiguos anunciaban plagas— no es una amenaza. Es un filtro. Un colador cósmico donde se quedan atrapadas las piezas sin alma, las réplicas vacías, los muñecos que nacen sin historia. Porque si algo nos enseña el arte (ese que resiste siglos en museos y retinas), es que el exceso no anula el valor; lo expone. Como una ola que arrastra espuma, pero también perlas.

La aparición de Popmart ha sido, para algunos, una especie de señal del Apocalipsis. “Demasiado plástico, demasiada oferta, demasiada accesibilidad”, claman con el ceño fruncido. Pero, ¿desde cuándo democratizar el acceso al arte es un problema? Murakami lo hizo con sus figuras de museo en miniatura, y nadie lo acusó de vulgarizar el Superflat. Más bien, lo aplaudimos por hacer del coleccionismo algo más cercano al acto de mirar —con asombro— que al de invertir —con frialdad.

Lo curioso es que aquellos que hoy critican la entrada masiva al mundo de los Art Toys suelen olvidar cómo llegaron ellos mismos. ¿Acaso no empezamos muchos con un blind box, una figura misteriosa que compramos por impulso y terminamos amando con devoción? El viaje del coleccionista es menos una carrera que una peregrinación: algunos se quedan en los souvenirs; otros llegan al altar.

La antítesis está servida: el mercado crece, pero se depura; el precio baja, pero el criterio sube; se produce más, pero se exige mejor. Lo que antes era una élite de entendidos, ahora es un terreno fértil para el descubrimiento. Y sí, quizás haya ruido, pero también hay resonancia. Cada figura sin sentido que inunda el mercado pone en evidencia la que sí lo tiene. La que conmueve. La que cuenta algo.

Como Apple en el diseño o Comme des Garçons en la moda, los verdaderos artistas de Art Toys no compiten por volumen, sino por visión. Y en tiempos de inflación estética, donde todo parece valer lo mismo, el único valor que sobrevive es el de lo auténtico. Esa figura que no necesitas explicar porque se explica sola. La que, como un buen poema, dice sin decir y se queda contigo mucho después de que la vitrina se apague.

Sí, lo sabemos bien: ha habido tiempos de especulación. Ha habido inflación sin justificación. Pero el castillo de naipes empieza a caer, y no es una tragedia: es justicia poética. Porque cuando todo vale, nada vale. Y ahora, con un público más informado y un coleccionismo más consciente, las piezas huecas empiezan a sonar... como eso: huecas.

Así que no, esto no es el final de los Art Toys. Es su segunda infancia. Esa donde ya no se juega por jugar, sino para construir. Y como toda infancia, está llena de preguntas, entusiasmo y caídas. Pero también de descubrimientos. Porque, al final, lo que algunos pueden ver como una caída del mercado —y es legítimo que lo piensen, por supuesto— otros lo vemos como una decantación. Un proceso natural donde solo permanece lo que tiene algo que decir.

¿Estamos pues ante una moda pasajera? Una moda que, tal vez, cree nuevos coleccionistas por accidente. Quizás. Pero si lo es, es una moda de lo más elocuente. Una que nos está obligando a preguntarnos qué coleccionamos… y por qué. Una que, como todo gran Movimiento cultural, empezó con figuras pequeñas, pero está dejando una huella grande. Y quizá, solo quizá, hará que dejen de mirarnos con sorna cada vez que hablemos de “juguetes” para adultos.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

Por cierto…

❌ Si te conformas con coleccionar lo que Instagram te diga. ❌ Si crees que “edición limitada” todavía significa algo. ❌ Si te da igual la historia real detrás de los Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, pinturas y esculturas…

NO TE SUSCRIBAS A NUESTRO NEWSLETTER AQUÍ.

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Movement: History of Art Toys #17 Questioning Art Toy Gama #17

Can we pinpoint the moment when Art Toys became the artistic disruptors of their time—when a boutique in Harajuku and a street artist in Hong Kong unknowingly set off a global movement, proving that limited-edition vinyl figures could hold the same cultural weight as a painting in a Sotheby’s auction?

¿Podemos considerar el momento en que los Art Toys se convirtieron en los grandes disruptores artísticos de su época—cuando una boutique en Harajuku y un artista urbano en Hong Kong, sin saberlo, encendieron un movimiento global, demostrando que una figura de vinilo en edición limitada podía tener el mismo peso cultural que una pintura subastada en Sotheby’s?

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

Bounty Hunter Art Toys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com/

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Movement: History of Art Toys #2 Questioning Art Toy Gama #2

Can we pinpoint that the Art Toy Movement had 2 epicenters at its birth: Hong Kong and Tokyo, which independently and unintentionally, gave rise to an artistic and creative phenomenon that spread throughout the world, giving rise to a new type of Art? ¿Podríamos considerar que el Movimiento de los Art Toys tuvo 2 epicentros en su nacimiento: Hong Kong y Tokio, que de manera independiente y sin intención, dieron inicio a un fenómeno artístico y creativo que se expandió por todo el mundo, dando lugar a un nuevo tipo de Arte?

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

Art in photo by Dhani Barragan fro Spain. Produced by Mot Museum from Indonesia and Art Toy Gama Collective from Spain

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com/

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #90: Tim Tsui: When Toys Grew Teeth. How one Hong Kong artist turned vinyl into Rebellion

Uncovering the Stories, creators and culture behind #ArTToys

🦍 Tim Tsui: When Toys Grew Teeth How one Hong Kong artist turned vinyl into rebellion

Before the ape. Before the diamonds. Before “urban” became a marketing buzzword—there was KING.

Tim Tsui didn’t come from sculpture. He came from noise. From G.I. Joe joints, illustration pads, and the flicker of Hong Kong neon. He didn’t wonder what Toys could do. He wondered why none looked like the street he walked every day.

That question didn’t fade. It exploded.

So he built Da Team Bronx. Not a brand. A tribute. To hip-hop. To resistance. To the Bronx—the birthplace of rhythm, graffiti, and rebellion.

In 2002, he dropped KING. Not a monkey. A man. Not a toy. A posture.

Removable vest. Interchangeable sneakers. Packaged in a 12-inch spray can that looked like a protest waiting to happen.

Because Tsui didn’t believe in packaging. He believed in context.

KING debuted in Japan’s World Character Convention. Then Plug-In Xmas Toycon in Hong Kong. And with him, something shifted.

But Tsui wasn’t done. He wanted mutation. He wanted DAPE.

🧬 DAPE: The Vinyl Mutation

2003  

Graffiti crew. Chemical explosion. The spray cans ignite. Humans mutate. Apes emerge—torn clothes, wild stares, and the same street-hardened spirit.

DAPE wasn’t “designed.” He was set loose.

Inspired by a documentary claiming monkeys enjoy music, Tsui pushed further: If they loved rhythm—why not graffiti?

And so, DAPE was born. A mutant ape soaked in hip-hop mythology, dressed in "bling bling" absurdity. Packaged in a tote bag. Most figures were adorned with Swarovski crystals—a collision of elegance and anarchy.

But a few select editions? Embedded with real diamonds.

Not for luxury. For shock.

Tsui said it clearly:

“I wanted to make the most expensive vinyl toy in the world—just to see what happens.” What happened? They sold out. Immediately.

Because Tsui doesn’t sculpt toys. He sculpts paradoxes.

Diamond-studded rage. Streetwear masquerading as fine art. Graffiti turned mythology.

His spirit? Pure Dalí—not for the mustache, but the mindset:

“An artist is not one who is inspired, but one who can inspire others.”

And Tim Tsui inspires obsession. Confusion. Conversation.

He didn’t wait for urban vinyl to become a genre. He made it one. Out of contradiction:

Apes + spray cans. Vinyl + diamonds. Hong Kong + the Bronx.

These aren’t collectibles. They’re coded messages. And if you hold one long enough, you’ll hear the streets whisper his name.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#ArtToyMovement #WhoMakesArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #84: Pete Fowler and the Parallel Universe Where Art Toys Make Music Too.

Uncovering the Stories, creators and culture behind #ArTToys

 The Illustrator Who Gave Monsters a Home

Some artists design Art Toys. Pete Fowler builds worlds for them.

You’ve probably seen his work—without knowing it. A record sleeve for Super Furry Animals. A towering mural. Maybe even behind the decks of a DJ booth. But what makes Fowler a pillar of the Art Toy Movement isn’t just style. It’s story.

His figures don’t just exist. They belong. Each one carries a backstory, a place to live, a mood. He doesn’t create characters. He creates inhabitants.

Take Monsterism Island. It started with sketches. Then came paintings. Then sculptures. Then collectible vinyl toys. Now? It’s a mythos. A strange archipelago teeming with monsters, each one dripping with personality.

No templates. No factories. Just pencils, smudges, torn-up drafts—and a devotion to the weird. Fowler’s process is more jam session than assembly line. He starts with a vibe and ends with a Universe.

And here’s the twist: Art Toys aren’t just about nostalgia. They’re not about childhood. They’re about imagination with teeth. Fowler doesn’t just make creatures you can Dis(Play). He makes companions.

They don’t sit on your shelf. They move in.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#ArtToyMovement #WhoMakesArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #80: Art Toys, Paintings & Fine Art Prints: When Collecting Becomes a Manifesto of Memory and Identity

Realities Behind the Act of Collecting #ArTToys 13

Your shelf isn’t decor. It’s a declaration.

In 2005, Mark Nagata opened a box sent by his aunt in Japan.

Inside: Vintage kaiju toys. Worn. A bit dusty. But still glowing with strange mythic energy.

To most, they’d look nostalgic. To Nagata, they sounded like a call.

That moment sparked Max Toy Company — a Soft Vinyl Rebellion not born for profit, but for Memory.

Funny, isn’t it? How the quietest objects can scream the loudest truths.

An Art Toy? A small Painting? A Fine Art Print?

Not ornaments. Not “cute things.”

Sometimes, they’re how we process grief. Or joy. Or history. Or survival.

At Art Toy Gama Collective, we believe collecting can be Resistance.

Not a hobby. A Strategy. A Story.

Because what you collect says more about you than your résumé ever could.

Collecting isn’t about filling space. It’s about filling gaps in Meaning.

Not about trends. But about echoes. About Memory that doesn’t ask for permission.

Art Toys aren’t trophies. Paintings aren’t wall candy. Fine Art Prints aren’t background noise.

They’re Memory tools. Identity anchors. Emotional compasses in a world spinning too fast.

We say: Dis(Play) is the New Memory.

To play is to reclaim your joy.

To display is to declare your version of the truth.

Collectors don’t just accumulate. They edit Memory. They Rewrite Narratives. One object at a time.

Shelves become timelines. Rooms become cultural archives. Desks become altars to the self.

Artists don’t just create. They perform Rituals of Resistance. They encode stories into plastic, paint, and pigment.

Their work fights against the great eraser: forgetting.

Galleries, shops, museums — they’re not just display cases. They’re custodians of meaning. Context architects. Legacy builders.

So next time you place a piece on your shelf, ask yourself:

Am I decorating? Or am I telling a Story?

Because when you collect from Art Toy Gama, you’re not buying a thing. You’re investing in a Memory.

You’re not filling space. You’re Making Yourself Visible.

You’re saying: I remember. I resist. I matter.

👉 Collect pieces that don’t decorate — they resonate. Explore Art Toys, Paintings & Fine Art Prints crafted to preserve what the world tries to erase.

🧠 Feel something shift inside you? Subscribe to the newsletter that curates culture, not noise:

Join the Signal

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#ArtToyMovement #ArtToyCollecting

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #78: Goto-san: The Rebel of Kaijus and Art Toys Who Has Made History in His Workshop

Uncovering the Stories, creators and culture behind #ArTToys

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Art doesn’t need permission. And Goto-san knows it better than anyone. With over 70 years of experience, this master painter of Kaijus and Art Toys has not only painted over a million figures but has redefined what it means to be an independent artist in the world of collecting. How did he do it? By working solo, with no dependencies, no formulas—creating from his workshop where every stroke tells a story. A workshop that, if it could speak, would reveal the secrets of a man who, had he chosen another life, would have been a carpenter. Not by accident: Goto-san’s art is about construction, about building something with his hands and soul.

What few know is that when Goto-san started, brands like Bullmark and Marusan didn’t even exist.

And the best part? He didn’t need them.

It was his skill and unique perspective that allowed him to build relationships with these brands over time, who, eventually, would recognize his talent to transform simple vinyl figures into unmistakable works of art.

His legacy is not just in the giants of the industry; it’s in the independent artists who consider him their mentor and source of inspiration.

Goto-san didn’t just work for brands—he worked for the Movement, for the dreamers and rebels who want toy art to be more than just shelf products.

And he does it without fear, without anyone telling him what should or shouldn’t be. Like his pieces, Goto-san doesn’t follow a predictable formula; he invents it. Having created over a million pieces, he’s had to find magic in the everyday. And he’s done it. Each piece he paints tells stories—not only of the artists he collaborates with but also of those who acquire his pieces.

They, the collectors, become part of that story. Because what Goto-san creates isn’t just a toy. It’s a work of art that survives time, speaking in the future about passion, dedication, and independence.

Goto-san’s story isn’t just one of success. It’s the story of how Kaiju and Art Toy art can go beyond the industry, becoming a mirror of the dreams of those who appreciate it.

In every figure, in every stroke, Goto-san encourages, justifies, alleviates, confirms, and throws stones at the enemies of conformity.

His pieces are screams of freedom, a resounding “no” to what the world expects of artists. And that’s the true power of Art Toys.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Goto-san: El Rebelde de los Kaijus y Art Toys que Ha Hecho Historia en su Taller

Descubriendo las historias, los creadores y la cultura detrás de los #ArtToys

Aquí va una verdad incómoda: el arte no necesita pedir permiso. Y Goto-san lo sabe mejor que nadie. Con más de 70 años de trayectoria, este maestro pintor de Kaijus y Art Toys no solo ha pintado más de un millón de figuras, sino que ha redefinido lo que significa ser un artista independiente en el mundo del coleccionismo.

¿Cómo lo ha hecho? Trabajando solo, sin dependencias, sin fórmulas, creando desde su taller en el que cada trazo cuenta una historia. Un taller que, si hablara, revelaría los secretos de un hombre que, de haber elegido otra vida, habría sido carpintero. No por casualidad: el arte de Goto-san es sobre “construcción”, sobre crear algo con las manos, y con el alma.

Lo que pocos saben es que cuando Goto-san comenzó, marcas como Bullmark y Marusan ni siquiera existían.

Y lo mejor de todo: no necesitaba que existieran.

Fue su destreza y su mirada única las que le permitieron forjar relaciones con estas marcas que, con el tiempo, reconocerían su talento para transformar simples figuras de vinilo en piezas de arte inconfundibles.

Su legado no está solo en los gigantes de la industria, sino también en los artistas independientes que lo consideran su maestro y fuente de inspiración.

Goto-san no solo ha trabajado para marcas, ha trabajado para el Movimiento, para los soñadores y los rebeldes que quieren que el arte del juguete sea algo más que un producto de estantería.

Y lo hace sin miedo, sin que nadie le diga lo que debe o no debe ser. Al igual que sus piezas, Goto-san no sigue una fórmula predecible; él la inventa. Siendo el creador de más de un millón de piezas, ha tenido que encontrar la magia en lo cotidiano. Y lo ha logrado. Cada pieza que ha pintado cuenta historias, no solo de los artistas que colaboran con él, sino de aquellos que adquieren sus piezas.

Ellos, los coleccionistas, se convierten en parte de esa historia. Porque lo que Goto-san crea no es solo un juguete. Es una obra que sobrevive al paso del tiempo, que hablará en el futuro de la pasión, la dedicación y la independencia.

La historia de Goto-san no es solo una historia de éxito.

Es la historia de cómo el arte de los Kaijus y los Art Toys puede ir más allá de la industria, ser un espejo de los sueños de aquellos que lo aprecian.

En cada figura, en cada trazo, Goto-san alienta, justifica, alivia, confirma y lanza piedras a los enemigos de la conformidad.

Sus piezas son gritos de libertad, un “no” rotundo a lo que el mundo espera de los artistas.

Y ese es el verdadero poder de los Art Toys.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

Por cierto…

❌ Si te conformas con coleccionar lo que Instagram te diga. ❌ Si crees que “edición limitada” todavía significa algo. ❌ Si te da igual la historia real detrás de los Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, pinturas y esculturas…

NO TE SUSCRIBAS A NUESTRO NEWSLETTER AQUÍ.

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #77: Sank Toys: Where Memory Wears a Helmet and Dreams Grow Wings

Uncovering the Stories, creators and culture behind #ArTToys

A visual philosophy born in contradiction

Sank Toys doesn’t scream for attention. It hums like an old radio signal you thought was gone... until it speaks directly to the parts of you that never grew up… or never got out.

Its most iconic figure—helmeted, winged, and small— is not a product. It’s a metaphor.

A metaphor for how we protect ourselves while still dreaming of flight. Like Apple builds minimalist hardware to contain infinite complexity, Sank Toys builds minimalist characters to contain infinite emotion.

China’s Xiaomi meets Japan’s Studio Ghibli

If Xiaomi engineered feelings into plastic, it might resemble what Sank Toys does. There’s precision, yes, design rooted in craft. But like a Ghibli film or a poem written on a rainy train, the emotion is never loud. It’s intimate.

The diving helmet? That’s not nostalgia—it’s survival. It says: “You can breathe underwater, even if the world drowns you.”

The wings? They don’t fly. They suggest flight. A visual whisper that the only escape is internal.

Art Toys as Emotional Syntax

Sank doesn’t offer resolution. It offers tension; between solitude and connection, freedom and enclosure, gravity and levitation.

It doesn’t ask you to understand it. It asks you to feel seen.

Like Apple made the phone a mirror, Sank makes toys a confession booth.

For those who grew up hiding behind screens, Sank is the first object that says: “It’s okay. I was scared, too.”

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#ArtToyMovement

#WhoMakesArtToys

Dis(Play) is the New Memory

#ArTToys #PaintingArtPrints: More than Dis(Play)

Art Toy Gama: Where Dis(Play) becomes Memory, and Memory becomes Art.

Art Toys, Paintings, and Fine Art Prints infused with a spirit of Dis(Play)and deep-rooted memory.

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #74: What Netflix, Adobe, and a Next-Level Shelf Have in Common (And What That Means for Your Art Toy Collection)

Realities Behind the Act of Collecting #ArTToys 11

It wasn’t a fight. But it should’ve been.

He’s one of those collectors that’s been with us forever. Good taste. Good shelf. Plenty of limited editions and “sold out” tags. But something in his voice told us the sparkle was gone.

“I don’t know. Everything just feels the same now. The magic’s not there anymore.”

Then, he said the thing that lit the fuse:

“Maybe the scene is just dead.”

Silence. And then… one of us couldn’t hold it in:

“Or maybe your collection stopped moving.”

Boom. He went quiet. Logged off. Never wrote back.

We’re not writing this to make a point. We’re writing this because we needed to hear it too.

Your Art Toy Collection doesn’t go bad overnight. It goes numb—quietly. One safe purchase at a time.

Until it becomes a spreadsheet. A museum of your past tastes. Clean. Safe. Predictable. Dead.

Let’s be clear:

Netflix used to rent DVDs. Nintendo sold playing cards. Amazon started with books. Adobe sold boxed software. Samsung? Dried fish and noodles.

They changed or died.

So should your shelf.

We’re not here to tell you how to collect. We’re just saying: we’ve been there.

We’ve stared at our own lineup and felt nothing. And that was the sign.

Not to give up. To burn it down.

Because the best Art Toy Collections aren’t built by following drops. They’re built by chasing disruption.

And if your shelf isn’t doing that anymore… maybe it’s not the scene.

Maybe it’s you.

🧠 If you’re ready to feel something again: Go here.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#ArtToyCollecting #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #72: Pop Mart vs. Michael Lau

Realities Behind the Act of Collecting #ArTToys 9

You’re not mad at Pop Mart. 

Let’s get one thing straight: Art Toys were never born in the shadows. They were just too real for the mainstream to handle. And now that the mainstream has caught up—you’re pissed.

You say Pop Mart ruined the Art Toy Movement. That blind boxes are a corporate trick. That designer toys used to be “authentic”—until a company like this appeared.

But let’s stop the nostalgia-fueled fairytale and go back to facts.

Pop Mart didn’t kill the Art Toy Movement. It just made them perhaps more Pop

Remember when we all felt special for discovering a limited Art Toy…

For knowing the name of the artist, his/her story, his/her career… For showing off “our” 1/200 resin drop like it was a Rothko…

Then came Pop Mart. Massive. Plastic. Pink. And suddenly, your underground became... mainstream.

The same shelf that once held your urban vinyl grails now holds a Molly with a bubblegum tiara. Cue the existential panic.

In 1999, Michael Lau launched The Gardeners in Hong Kong. Yes, the first pieces were sculpted by hand. But by the time he made waves, he was already producing limited vinyl runs—professionally fabricated, not DIY. That didn’t strip them of soul. It gave them scale. It gave them impact. He embraced the system and still punched it in the face.

In 1997, Kid Hunter was born at Bounty Hunter. Skatething and Hikaru Iwanaga weren’t working from a garage with a glue gun. They designed a figure. A graphic tee became vinyl. They produced it, and sold it as a collectible statement. Maybe that’s where the revolution really began. It was punk, yes. But it wasn’t artisanal.

Even Martin, from James Jarvis (1998), wasn’t some indie basement project. It was produced by Bounty Hunter for Silas & Maria— merging Japanese streetwear and British design into a vinyl sculpture with a message. Artistic and commercial—like most great Movements are. Corporate enough for a fashion drop. Artistic enough to hang in a gallery.

So no—Pop Mart didn’t “corrupt” the Movement. You just forgot the movement was never about purity. It was about voice.

💥 So why the hate?

Because now everyone has access? Because what used to make you feel special now makes you feel replaceable? Because Pop Mart, born in 2010 (and brands like TopToy, in 2020), democratized the vinyl altar— and you’re no longer the only worshipper?

Maybe the problem isn’t Pop Mart. Maybe the problem is you— clinging to a romantic myth where “authenticity” is whatever you bought before everyone else did.

You’re not mourning Art Toys. You’re mourning your exclusivity. (And maybe we all are, a little.)

But wake up. That gatekeeping attitude? It’s expired. You’re not a curator—you’re a collector. And real collectors aren’t afraid of expansion. They’re afraid of emptiness.

Here’s the twist: Pop Mart didn’t ruin Art Toys. It exposed who never understood them.

Because massive doesn’t mean meaningless. And limited doesn’t mean legitimate.

Pop Mart democratized dopamine. Turned every checkout counter into a miniature museum. You think that’s vulgar? Murakami did it first. In vending machines. With gum.

💣 Let’s talk business.

Pop Mart’s success didn’t come from randomness. It came from IP vision (the company took off in 2016 after it began working with artists to develop its own IPs), artist empowerment, and a retail model smarter than a Sotheby’s catalogue.

Like Apple, it built an ecosystem. Like LEGO, it turned play into identity. Like Nike, it sold attitude in every box.

They didn’t invent Blind Boxes. But they mastered the format. They didn’t discover Molly (Kenny Wong created her in 2005). But they amplified her. Because Molly wasn’t mass-commercialized until she met Pop Mart.

Pop Mart didn’t invent the assembly line. Neither did Toy2R, Kidrobot, or Medicom Toy. They just made it more visible. And that makes some collectors uncomfortable.

The problem isn’t vinyl. The problem is that what used to be a ritual for the few is now a conversation for the many. And that conversation threatens the old guardians of the hype.

🎯 So, what’s an Art Toy then?

Not a toy. Not a sculpture. Not a product.

It’s a manifesto. A silent scream. A new artistic vision. It’s how Netflix reshapes entertainment around your world. It’s how Coca-Cola awakens memories with a single bubble. It's like Spotify puts a soundtrack to your emotions.

It wasn’t made for everyone. It was made for you. For your curiosity. For your rebellion.

Every Art Toy is a mirror. It reflects your dreams. It justifies your failures. It soothes your fears. It confirms your suspicions. It bonds you with other misfits. It arms you against monotony. It invites you to throw stones at the walls of routine.

An Art Toy doesn’t take up space. It makes space—in your mind. And once it’s there, it never leaves. Ever.

An Art Toy is a collision. A contradiction in vinyl, resin, wood—whatever. A cultural meme you can touch.

Whether it’s hand-poured resin or a mass-produced figure— if it makes you feel, it’s valid.

The real test isn’t scarcity. It’s message.

🔥 Final jab (and you better feel it):

If you’re still clinging to the belief that only handmade toys are Art Toys, you’re confusing process with purpose.

That’s like saying Warhol’s Brillo boxes weren’t Art

Because here’s the truth:

You don’t collect toys. You collect proof of what moves you.

And that—dear reader— is what separates you from a shopper.

And this is what unites us with you.

In this we are alike.

At Art Toy Gama Collective,

we're not hoarding collectibles.

We're healing moments.

We don’t sell volume—we sell vision and voice. Art Toys that punches memory. Paintings and drawings that ruin your aesthetic-but rewrite your walls Fine Art Prints that piss off the algorithm…. All telling one story: yours.

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#HistoryofArtToys

Art by Judas Arrieta

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

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Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

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[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #71: Popmart: Ephemeral Trend or Silent Renaissance of Artistic Vinyl? Are We Living a New Era of Art Toy Collecting?

Realities Behind the Act of Collecting #ArTToys 8

The Art Toy Boom: Is Popmart Ushering in a New Era of Collecting?

Not so long ago, collecting vinyl figures was seen as an eccentricity with a Peter Pan complex or an aesthetic oddity fit for galleries with warehouse-sized pretensions. Today, however, Art Toy collecting has crossed the threshold from niche to cultural phenomenon. But when something leaps from the underground into the mainstream, the inevitable question arises: is this a genuine awakening—or just another seasonal fad with an expiration date?

The recent roundtable—Ron English's Big Genius Toy Designers Panel Podcast, published on YouTube on May 7, 2025, on the POPagandaTV channel—was less a debate than a thermometer: one registering a creative fever in the Art Toy ecosystem. Featuring voices like Mumbot, Clutter, Sucklord, and Lev from Toy Tokyo, the discussion made one thing clear: the market isn’t dying… it’s evolving. And like all metamorphoses, it’s uncomfortable, chaotic, and deeply revealing.

This so-called “saturation” of Art Toys—that word whispered by pessimists with the same dread as ancient plagues—shouldn’t be seen as a threat. It’s a filter. A cosmic sieve where soulless pieces get caught, where hollow replicas and storyless toys are left behind. Because if art teaches us anything (the kind that survives centuries in museums and memories), it’s that excess doesn’t cancel value—it reveals it. Like a wave that brings foam but also pearls.

Popmart’s arrival has felt, to some, like a harbinger of doom. “Too much plastic, too much product, too much access,” they lament. But since when is democratizing access to art a problem? Murakami did it with his miniature museum figures, and no one accused him of vulgarizing Superflat. On the contrary—we applauded him for turning collecting into something closer to wonder than speculation.

Ironically, many of those now criticizing the mass entry into the Art Toy world forget how they themselves got in. Didn’t most of us start with a blind box? A mysterious figure we bought on impulse and ended up cherishing with devotion? The collector’s journey is less of a race and more of a pilgrimage: some linger at the souvenir stand, others reach the altar.

The antithesis is on full display: the market grows, but it refines; prices drop, but discernment rises; more is produced, yet higher standards emerge. What used to be an insider’s game is now fertile ground for discovery. And yes, there may be noise—but there is resonance too. Every meaningless figure flooding the market only highlights the ones that do mean something. The ones that move you. That tell a story.

Like Apple in design or Comme des Garçons in fashion, true Art Toy creators don’t compete in volume—they compete in vision. And in times of aesthetic inflation, where everything seems to be worth the same, the only value that endures is authenticity. That figure you don’t need to explain because it speaks for itself. The one that, like a great poem, says more than it shows—and stays with you long after the lights in the display case go out.

Yes, we all know it: there were times of speculation. Of unjustified inflation. But the house of cards is starting to collapse, and it’s no tragedy—it’s poetic justice. Because when everything has value, nothing does. And now, with a more informed audience and a more conscious collecting culture, the hollow pieces are starting to echo… just as they should.

So no, this is not the end of Art Toys. It’s their second childhood. One where play is no longer just for fun, but for building. And like every childhood, it’s full of questions, wonder, and falls. But also of discoveries. Because in the end, what some might see as a market downturn—justifiably so, of course—others see as decanting. A natural process in which only what has something to say will endure.

Are we witnessing a fleeting trend? One that might, perhaps by accident, create a new wave of collectors? Maybe. But if it is, it’s a remarkably articulate one. One that’s forcing us to ask ourselves what we collect… and why. One that, like every great cultural Movement, began with small figures—yet is leaving a big mark. And maybe—just maybe—it’ll stop people from smirking every time we talk about “toys” for adults.

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Files #69: Pop Mart: The Brand That Turned Everyone Into A Collector

Uncovering the Stories, creators and culture behind #ArTToys

For years, Art Toys were a niche obsession. Collectors hunted rare releases, followed underground artists, and treated each piece as a work of Art.

Then came Pop Mart—and suddenly, everyone was collecting.

🔥 Blind boxes replaced traditional releases. 🔥 Casual buyers became obsessive hunters. 🔥 Art Toys were no longer just for die-hard collectors.

This isn’t the first time a Movement went mainstream.

📍 Kidrobot brought designer toys to sneaker culture. 📍 Medicom Toy made Be@rbricks the go-to for luxury fashion collabs. 📍 Banksy turned street art from vandalism into multimillion-dollar auctions.

But Pop Mart’s strategy is different. They didn’t just appeal to existing collectors—they created new ones.

How?

✅ Vending machines & shopping malls. Art Toys became impulse buys. ✅ Affordable pricing. Entry-level figures at $10-$15 vs. $150+ for traditional collectibles. ✅ The thrill of the blind box. Dopamine hits disguised as designer toys.

Now, collectors aren’t just die-hard fans. They’re casual buyers, teenagers, young professionals—people who never thought about Art Toys before.

Some say this cheapens the Movement. Others say it brings fresh blood into the game.

One thing is clear: Pop Mart didn’t just sell Art Toys. They redefined who buys them.

📍 Has Pop Mart expanded the Movement or watered it down? Let’s discuss.

🔥 Drop your thoughts in the comments

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyFiles

#WhoMakesArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Movement: History of Art Toys #69 Questioning Art Toy Gama #69

Can we pinpoint the moment when collecting became creation—when Mark Nagata went from hunting vintage kaiju to designing his own, when Max Toy Company in 2005 became the sum of his artistic and collecting experience, and when he proved that even in the age of mass production, true Sofubi remains a handmade Art form?

¿Podemos considerar el momento en que coleccionar se convirtió en crear—cuando Mark Nagata pasó de buscar kaijus vintage a diseñar los suyos propios, cuando Max Toy Company en 2005 se convirtió en la suma de su experiencia como artista y coleccionista, y cuando demostró que, incluso en plena era de la producción en masa, el verdadero sofubi sigue siendo una forma de arte hecha a mano?

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Movement: History of Art Toys #68 Questioning Art Toy Gama #68

Can we pinpoint the moment when Mark Nagata’s love for toys became something more—when a single box of Japanese kaiju and hero figures, sent by his aunt when he was young, reshaped his imagination, when his career with Hasbro and Mattel taught him the limits of mass-market production, and when he founded Max Toy Company in 2005 to bring sofubi back to life, proving that toys could be both art and personal storytelling?

¿Podemos considerar el momento en que el amor de Mark Nagata por los juguetes se convirtió en algo más—cuando una sola caja de figuras japonesas de kaiju y héroes, enviada por su tía cuando era joven, transformó su imaginación, cuando su carrera en Hasbro y Mattel le mostró los límites de la producción para el gran mercado, y cuando fundó Max Toy Company en 2005 para devolverle la vida al sofubi, demostrando que los juguetes podían ser tanto arte como narración personal?

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Art Toy Movement: History of Art Toys #67 Questioning Art Toy Gama #67

Can we pinpoint the moment when Mark Nagata´s passion for Japanese vinyl toys became more than just collecting—when his search for a rare red Ultraman figure turned into an obsession, when faxing orders to Japan in the dead of night became part of the thrill, and when in 2005, he launched Max Toy Company, proving that kaiju and hero toys could be both Art and identity?

¿Podemos considerar el momento en que la pasión de Mark Nagata por los juguetes japoneses de vinilo se convirtió en algo más que coleccionismo—cuando su búsqueda de una rara figura roja de Ultraman se transformó en una obsesión, cuando enviar pedidos por fax a Japón en plena madrugada pasó a ser parte de la emoción, y cuando en 2005 lanzó Max Toy Company, demostrando que los kaiju y los héroes de vinilo podían ser tanto arte como identidad?

#MoreThanDisPlay #ArtToyGama #ArtToyMovement

#HistoryofArtToys

By the way…

❌ If you’re happy collecting whatever Instagram tells you to.

❌ If you think “limited edition” means something.

❌ If you don’t give a damn about the real stories behind Art Toys, Fine Art Prints, paintings and sculptures...

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca are members co-founders of Art Toy Gama Collective since 2014

www.arttoygama.com

SHOP https://arttoygama.storenvy.com