Bearbrick

[email protected] are among the world’s most collectible toys, with rare examples commanding as much as $160,000 at auction. The Japanese company Medicom Toy released its first [email protected] on May 27, 2001, offering the plastic teddy bear figurine as a gift to attendees of the World Character Convention in Tokyo. One year later, [email protected] began partnering with artists and brands—ranging from KAWS and Yun Minjun to Nike and Chanel—to produce their own limited edition versions of the toy, many of which have since climbed in value on the secondary market. While some [email protected] fetch five to six-figure prices at auction, others are considerably more affordable, depending on the toy’s collaborator, rarity, material, and size. (In the world of [email protected], sizes are listed as percentages, ranging from 50% to 1,000%, with the standard size of 100% measuring 70 millimeters high). A mash-up of street culture and fine art, [email protected] have found appeal from a wide collector base, from the music producer Pharrell Williams to Vogue’s Grace Coddington.