Singapore
SINGAPORE — A grandmother is winning hearts on TikTok for her apparent ability to choose Pop Mart mystery boxes with the exact toy figurines her grandchild hopes to own.
A grandmother (left) shakes a blind box close to her ears in an attempt to detect the mystery figurine within it.
SINGAPORE — A grandmother is winning hearts on TikTok for her apparent ability to choose Pop Mart mystery boxes with the exact toy figurines her grandchild hopes to own.
The woman’s grandson, who goes by the username “ajoshhhh” on TikTok, had uploaded a number of videos showing her successfully selecting blind boxes that contain the collectible toys requested by him.
A mystery or blind box refers to a type of sealed packaging that keeps what is inside a mystery until you open it. The cost of a single box ranges from S$9.90 to S$24.90 at Pop Mart stores.
One of the videos showcasing the woman’s “super powers” has amassed more than 1.7 million views and 373,000 likes since it was published on July 31.
In the viral clip, the grandson points to two toy figurines that he would like to have from the display shelf: A coffee machine or oden cooking pot from Pop Mart’s Sweet Bean 24-Hour Convenience Store series.
His grandmother then picks a blind box and shakes it a number of times close to her ears in an attempt to detect the figurine within it. The pair proceed to open the box together and it is revealed that the grandmother has successfully chosen a coffee machine figurine.
In an earlier video posted on July 17, the grandmother managed to find her grandson’s desired D-01 collectible from the Dimoo Time Traveller series after giving two boxes a few shakes.
Viewers gushed over how “cute” and “adorable” the grandmother is, with many claiming that she has “super powers”.
Many TikTok users asked if they may “borrow” or hire her to help them with picking out blind boxes as well.
Others wanted to know if they could use her “ah ma luck” for other things such as choosing Toto lottery numbers or selecting Pokemon card packs and K-pop albums in order to get cards with their preferred character or group member.
Unfortunately, granny does not always hit the mark.
In a video published on Aug 20, “ajoshhhh” wrote that he had wanted the elephant or penguin figurines from the Skullpanda: The Mare of Animals series but did not get either of them despite buying three blind boxes.
He concluded the video with the text: “Seems like my grandma needs to recharge her power already HAHAHA”.
In two other videos, the woman did not succeed in selecting the toys her grandson requested but instead picked a “secret design”.
On Pop Mart Singapore’s website, a secret or hidden design refers to figurines that are rarer to find than others.
Guess that could be a blessing in disguise for the pair.
Pop Mart is China’s largest toy enterprise and built its fortune selling trendy figurines packaged in blind boxes similar to gashapon vending machines in Japan.
The company collaborates with dozens of artists to create unique figurine collections that have won over fans spanning 21 countries.
Pop Mart arrived in Singapore in November 2019 and set up three vending machines or “roboshops”. It has since expanded to one flagship store, five pop-up stores and 18 roboshops across the island.
However, the sale of such mystery boxes has led to buying frenzies and prompted the authorities to crack down on them.
This month, the Chinese authorities announced new draft rules to govern the sales and marketing of such mystery boxes to curb irrational spending by consumers as well as fake advertising.
Sellers such as Pop Mart would not be allowed to excessively price their wares or sell these boxes to customers under eight years old.
In Singapore, a S$100 prize limit on mystery boxes previously proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs may take effect as early as next year.
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