"While the trinket boxes are primarily aimed at children, trinkets themselves are having a moment globally. Since hitting the market in 2019, Labubus have become a global phenomenon, sparking a viral craze for the palm-sized monster dolls in 2025. Smiskis and Sonny Angels, both cutesy figurines, have also had their own viral moments as blind boxes continue to populate social feeds. Even Michaels and Walmart have begun carrying their own mystery boxes to capitalize on the trend."
"In much the same way, the trinket box trend offers a wholesome moment of surprise. Instead of encouraging people to purchase something new, it promotes the more sustainable idea that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Like little free libraries or geocaches before them, trinket boxes lean into whimsy and analog activities, two trends forecasted for 2026 as antidotes to brainrot and digital fatigue."
Unassuming junction boxes on sidewalks have become community exchange hubs filled with keychains, stickers, figurines and novelties. The practice began in Philadelphia when Philly's Trinket Trove documented a repurposed junction box on TikTok and has spread nationwide, with communities from New York to San Francisco creating give-one-take-one boxes. TikTok creators document finds and additions, and users announce new locations to invite participation. Popular collectible lines and blind-box toys like Labubus, Smiskis and Sonny Angels have increased interest, and retailers sell mystery boxes. The movement emphasizes reuse, neighborhood whimsy, and analog surprises as responses to digital fatigue.
Read at Fast Company
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