Gifting blind/mystery boxes are like double presents - the receiver (even if it's you) knows the general type of item they'll receive but only after unboxing would they know what it is specifically.

This "controlled" mystery makes it appealing and that's why it's a multi-billion industry, used by different brands in various industries.

Gashapon (Capsule Toys): One of the earliest forms of mystery boxes can be found in Japan with the rise of gashapon (also called gachapon), which are capsule toy vending machines. These machines dispense small toys in capsules, and buyers never know which toy they’ll get from the set. Gashapon became popular in the 1960s and continue to be a significant part of Japanese toy culture.

Fukubukuro (Lucky Bags): Japan also gave birth to the concept of fukubukuro, or "lucky bags," during the early 1900s. These bags are sold during New Year’s sales, with the contents being a surprise, but often containing items of high value.

Kinder Surprise Eggs: In Europe, particularly in Germany, the Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs began offering small toys inside in the late 1970s. While primarily a candy, the mystery toy inside became a key selling point and influenced the concept of mystery gifts. These eggs became a worldwide phenomenon.

Collectible Cards: During the 1980s and 1990s, mystery elements appeared in collectible trading cards, such as baseball and basketball cards and, later, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards. Collectors would buy sealed packs without knowing which specific cards they will pull and if they are more or less valuable than what they paid for.

Blind Box Collectibles: In the early 2000s, blind box culture surged in popularity, especially in the toy and figure-collecting world. Brands like Kidrobot introduced designer vinyl figures (like Dunny) in blind boxes, where the design is unknown until opened. This spread across the global designer toy market, influencing collectors in both Western and Asian markets.

Subscription Boxes: The early 2000s also saw the rise of subscription boxes like Loot Crate (launched in 2012), which offered monthly mystery boxes filled with pop culture items, collectibles, and exclusive merchandise. This model soon spread to other categories, like beauty (_Birchbox_), food, fashion, and even niche markets. The subscription box industry grew into a billion-dollar business by the 2010s.

Popmart and Blind Box Explosion in Asia: Chinese company Popmart emerged in the mid-2010s as a major player in the blind box and designer toy space, launching collectible art figures through mystery blind boxes. This rapidly gained popularity in China and expanded globally, sparking a huge trend, especially among younger collectors.

Influence of Unboxing Culture: With the rise of YouTube and social media in the 2010s, unboxing videos became a global sensation. Channels dedicated to unboxing mystery boxes, toys, and subscription boxes contributed to the growing popularity of the mystery box concept. Consumers increasingly enjoyed the thrill of surprise and watching others experience it.

eBay and Online Retail Mystery Boxes: The mystery box concept further expanded into e-commerce platforms like eBay, where sellers would offer mystery boxes filled with electronics, gadgets, or collectibles. Sometimes the value of the box exceeded the purchase price, but other times it didn't, adding an element of risk.

Gaming and Digital Mystery Boxes: In video games, mystery boxes evolved into loot boxes, where players can purchase random items (such as skins or upgrades) without knowing exactly what they’ll get. This concept became controversial due to its similarities to gambling, leading to regulations in some countries.

Limited Edition and Hype Culture: In recent years, mystery boxes have aligned with limited edition or hype-driven products, such as those sold by streetwear brands (e.g., Supreme mystery drops), tech products, or special collaborations. The scarcity of the items inside makes them even more desirable.

♻️ Current Trends: Sustainability and Ethical Consumption

Eco-Friendly and Vintage Mystery Boxes: Recently, there has been a rise in vintage and secondhand mystery boxes, particularly in fashion. These align with sustainable consumption practices, where consumers buy mystery boxes filled with secondhand or upcycled clothing.

Digital Collectibles: As non-fungible tokens (NFTs) gained popularity, digital mystery boxes have emerged in the form of NFT drops, where the buyer doesn’t know which NFT they will receive until after purchase. This new type of mystery box is evolving in the Web3 space, offering virtual goods instead of physical items.

These mystery boxes are appealing especially if you have a Collector play personality type.

One takeaway from this is there's a lot of opportunities in this space, whether you want to earn from it or create one as a gift, it's clear that the element of surprise from these packages have a mass appeal.