the confusing cult of minibrands

[@invisiblesoup8943]

if mini brands were out when I was a kid my Barbie kitchen would have been insane

[@empyrea_2546]

I know right🤣

[@spooniejusticewarrior]

Same!

[@froggy5748]

My younger siblings currently have a ton of mini brands and all of the Barbie’s that I had as a kid so their little houses are fully decked out, it’s honestly adorable lol

[@macgirl1234]

That's why we ended up with Shopkins everywhere😭😂

[@scarasluts]

Right, i had mini food that looked semi realistic but not to this degree 😭

[@emilysanders5385]

The lego bricks using biodegradable plastic is actually way more impressive then it sounds at first. Levi has crazy high standards of manufacturing and every brick has to be perfectly precise so that they snap together right and have the distinctive click. They also have to be able to be used with a set that was make at any time so if you have a set that’s 5 years old or 15 they should all work. It really just proves that if Lego can do it with their standards then literally every other company can too

[@Emh19]

People turning these things into earrings are really trying to corner the Lesbain market and I respect that

[@nightcrawler8864]

PLSSSS

[@555blqstarr]

Listen they're targeting lesbians and targeting me too 😭 I ADORE quirky earrings

[@neilclerk2579]

How is this 9 hours old? Must be in the inner circle

[@Emh19]

@@neilclerk2579 Patron baybe

[@neilclerk2579]

@@Emh19 Inner circle

[@itsalladream5559]

For as long as I can remember mexican street vendors have hand-made mini versions of branded foods, and glued magnets to them, so they're super cute fridge magnets. My mom loves them. She even made some of her own out of newspaper grocery store ads and spare cardboard/plastic. So when my little cousin got excited about Minibrands, I bought a ball for my mom, and she loved them so much she went straight to glue magnets onto them.

[@AllStarrKo]

This is so wholesome

[@wompppwompwomppp]

Love that for her

[@DewMan001]

I love how it went; "Mum do I have a gift for you!" Your mum opens the ball "OHMYGOD I NEED TO HIT MY CRAFTING DRAWER" *gets out super glue and magnets* "OK LETS DO THIS SHIZZ"

[@timogul]

Minibrands: "When you like gacha, but have no actual interests to chase after."

[@geegeep]

There is always the plastic-free gacha Genshin Impact 😰😰😰😰😰

[@greenhowie]

​@@geegeep Oh dear god no. Genshin X Minibrands. This is how it ends.

[@mokodomi]

@@greenhowie LMAO IMAGINE MINIBRANDS GENSHIN FOOD

[@stoleneyez]

:)?

[@bigbababooie9276]

You can turn in the gacha balls and they’ll be reused. I save mine up and turn them in at my local store (jp)

[@emericcson123]

Growing up as a little Japanese American girl, I used to get mini versions of real items as a child. I used them for my Barbies lol. It’s something about the Japanese culture that likes…small things. I’m just surprised it took off here where, usually, bigger is better.

[@kitbracadabra]

Ooh, where did you get them from?

[@fartnutte1724]

oh i LOVE re-ment

[@FigmentForever]

Zenin-TCG has a huge amount of these types of toys, mostly Anime & Digimon/Pokémon branded.

[@micahguillemette3344]

I looked it up and these are insane, they have entire furniture sets, i love it.

[@SheKnives]

I don't get the appeal of Minibrands, but I collect plenty of other nerd garbage, so I can't judge.

[@whensarahdoesthings4662]

Alot of this stuff caters to neurodivergent people, alot of us collect tiny things. The accuracy of the labels is just amazing.

[@laurenvcouto]

I collect small cardboard photos of k-idols. who I am I to judge

[@strayiggytv]

Same. I find the whole of blind box toys to be pretty gross (ridiculous plastic waste) but as far as having something people like to collect more power to them. I just wish they didn't make them such landfillers.

[@romywhite290]

they would have been fun when I had barbies...

[@brainrot5267]

@@laurenvcouto same, the amount I spend on photocards is ridiculous honestly. I say wow that’s pretty then put it in a little binder never to be looked at again lmao

[@ipout9470]

As a weeb, I see this as the cheaper, Americanized version of Re-ments. Re-ments are basically miniature items that are sold in blind boxes in Japan. People use them for props for there dolls and personally I think they work better than mini brands because there are a bunch of unbranded stuff you can buy. Like there are basic items like toast and donuts that works well. But having my expensive doll hold a mini box of life cereal would look so jarring to me. :(

[@scout8145]

I like Re-ment a lot more, because their miniature scale is more consistent. A friend of mine got some Mini Brands once, and they were all slightly different scales. Some looked too big or too small to make good doll props like my Re-ment collectibles do. Maybe this is just me being a weeb, though, lol

[@pepybre]

I wonder if the container balls could be painted and turned into Christmas tree ornaments. Then you can put candies or little toys in them for kids/family members to open.

[@MsLonelyLighthouse]

That sounds like a great idea! I would for sure have loved that as a kid :)

[@Jenny-l8r]

They’d be nice to give to a pet as well!

[@barneyfromblackmesa2454]

@@Jenny-l8r I'd be worried about bigger dogs breaking the plastic and hurting themselves, and rodents chewing on and eating the plastic. I think a cat would be fine. You'd have to supervise it.

[@Vampress09]

Yes!

[@k8ravenscroft60]

that’s a great idea

[@Financiallyfreeauthor]

I’m working hard at resisting them. I have such a deep lizard brain reaction to mini versions of things. The cute is overwhelming

[@crazyowlgirlcncowner]

Me too! I have an obsession with tiny things but I won't let myself start buying them because I'll never stop

[@micahguillemette3344]

I just saw another comment about Re-ments which is a japanese brand of miniature items. They look so amazing and i want one so bad. I've also seen tiny furniture at Michaels and i know there are many etsy sellers who make tiny objects if you want something well crafted who actually deserves the money.

[@TheBellaBubbles]

They could EASILY make those balls out of cardboard and print on the cardboard directly instead of the balls. Make the flaps over the "ball slices" paper. Then make the lists just online, have an app or website where kids keep track of what they have in their collection online. Plus maybe they could have an online collection like enter the code and get the things online... I know the mini brands are still plastic and cardboard but it could at least cut down on the plastic.

[@namedate3437]

You’re so smart especially with the idea of rewarding the kids for buying them with something online. I remember loving the idea of playing with my build a bear online so why can’t they do that here?

[@dad_patrol]

@@namedate3437 App design might cost extra. Not at all defending ZURU as they have more than enough money. Just that realistically its not gonna change unless more people demand it. They are a large toy conglomerate, sounds like, so they probably have a ready supply of plastics available.

[@dad_patrol]

those LOL Surprise dolls are just as bad

[@whyccan9063]

@@dad_patrol Listing apps aren't the most expensive and intricate interfaces to create and manage. They also could put adds there to have a better outcome. And, I mean, doesn't look like a brand based solely in licensed products will be the most worried about expending.

[@sagesabr]

I remember when as a kid I used to get kid size grocery store setups or kitchen, most of it was cardboard food, except the fruits and veggies were plastic I guess.

[@inklingofadream]

I hypothetically get the appeal of all the tiny foods if you're a kid who's really into Barbies or Polly Pockets, I would have loved to have a little fully stocked grocery store and the shiny perfectness is appealing, but on the other hand... my mom made this exact thing as a kid by making little boxes out of cardstock and gluing on pictures from the newspaper grocery ads

[@Dolamieu]

The mini foods aren’t meant for barbie scale or polly pocket some of those (alcoholic) hard rock cafe drinks they have… omg…. You put a barbie next to it and the drink is as tall as the dolls calf…

[@docsmooth]

When I was a kid there were gumball machines you would put a quarter in and get a small plastic egg with something similar to these Minibrands inside. Cost only 25 cents and didn't have all the useless plastic covering it.

[@MrSchimpf]

It's unbelievable that the same business model (that egg machine with the spinning chicken in the middle of it if you remember that huge machine) that worked as a quarter/50¢ toy in 1985 is now a $7 'mystery egg' product in 2021!

[@byrnetdown6076]

@@MrSchimpf yeah they literally had those at the local restaurant in my town like 6 years ago and me and my brother would get line 6 everytime we went there

[@bagel_bitez1]

Dude I freaking loved those.

[@christyfielding7498]

Yes I loved those things. Now they're like stickers, temporary tattoos, rubber balls and rings that cost $1

[@collyflower6623]

I thought of the same thing! Maybe just me but I swear I've seen a couple still around recently

[@chronicallyme2657]

I’m a child and adolescent therapist. I do play therapy and sand tray therapy and these mini brands are FANTASTIC for both!

[@mathis3440]

When I worked at Walmart we used to find opened surprised toys all the time because people wouldn't watch their children, and we'd just take the toys because they'd just be destroyed otherwise, so I have a Lean Cuisine mini brand sitting on my desk now.

[@a-bird-lover]

yeah same here from meijers, I have a little cool whip container haha

[@a-bird-lover]

also hi aradia edit, hm.. damara actually?

[@godzella4676]

They also will send display boxes with some of the mini brands in like a plastic display part and once the balls sell we take them out. I have made so many pairs of earrings just from those dumb display boxes

[@kristavaillancourt6313]

Lol!

[@somedude172]

im glad to know that bc i do it all the time in stores... if its already opened and it cant be put back together& sold at a discount, its free lol

[@shaelyndivins1003]

So I also recently got into mini-brands and had the same 'wait these balls are so wasteful what do I do with them' reaction. I've started making them into little houses that open up because the plastic is somewhat carve-able (if you're really careful!!) and it's been a lot of fun. I've got a lot of theme house ideas (candy house, Kirby's house), so if you really don't want those plastic balls I can definitely reuse them!

[@JuniorAmazon]

I both hate the concept and know that I would get well and truly sucked into collecting these if I let myself. There's just always been something super appealing to me about tiny facsimiles of things that exist in larger forms.

[@coffeecreates8042]

A good way to fill that void in your life is to support miniature clay artists xx it’s echo friendly and supports small bissness xx

[@JuniorAmazon]

@@coffeecreates8042 that's a good shout!

[@stoleneyez]

I usually buy those diy miniature house sets because i spend hours/days making them and it fills the existential void

[@andie2155]

Thank you for teaching me a new word today!

[@leeeeeeeeeeeeeviathan]

@@coffeecreates8042 based !!

[@cannedsaladsoup430]

when i worked at a gas station, i once had a mom coming up to the register with her two kids. the younger girl ran up, slammed down a mini pringles can on the counter, n then asked if she could "purchase" her pringles while laughing her ass off. 100/10 experience i hope she's flourishing rn

[@arodriqs]

When i used to work at Walgreens a lady cleaned out two palletes worth of our minibrand stock. Her total was over $400 and she wipped out her card like she was buying a snickers

[@that.neurodivergent]

🤢🤢🤢

[@lilelo208]

Sigh...I'm not surprised, just disappointed. Capitalism will destroy us all if we don't protect ourselves.

[@celery8059]

Let her have her hobby damn

[@therealtrissmerigold]

I'm sure it was a weird experience, but to be fair if she has the money she's allowed to spend it on whatever she wants.🤷‍♀️ I'm sure some people would think I'm wasting money on comics, video games, and books. If a hobby brings joy into people's lives and doesn't hurt anyone, there's nothing wrong with it.

[@kristavaillancourt6313]

People are nuts. I'm not surprised.

[@longlivebeans]

The communist in me is horrified but the child in me is completely enamored because those tiny little products would’ve been so fun to stock my Barbie’s dollhouse with lol.

[@DellVanity]

Every toy channel i watch: this needs less plastic The same channels about every surprise product: this needs less plastic Companies: if it doesnt have 200 pieces of plastic, it isnt a surprise

[@DellVanity]

Tgbtb usually suggests them using tissue paper under the initial plastic layer and on the capsule segments because its paper and easy to rip through

[@Conformist138]

I was almost taken in by these because I do love miniatures. Sadly, I looked into them and realized that nothing is to srandard scale. I prefer 1:12, but I'd even accept if they weren't a common scale, so long as they were at a consistent scale with each other.

[@strayiggytv]

That's my problem with them as well. I've seen lots of ball joint doll collectors use them as props but they don't even look good because the scale is wack.

[@Clay3613]

I have the same issue with finding vehicles for 6-7inch action figures. Most are too small and all of the properly sized ones are from before the early 2000s.

[@melimelz4948]

Yes!! That is such a pet peeve of mine when it comes to these.

[@scout8145]

That’s my issue, too! They’re not a consistent scale, so it’s a complete gamble whether or not they’ll look good as part of a display

[@averyanderson2588]

I worked in the toy department of Target and parents FREAKED out whenever we were out of the mini brands especially around black friday. I remember being mostly asked where the Mini Brands, LoL Dolls and Calico Critters

[@deansimons966]

The ads for all of those are so annoying

[@jodymarie9757]

Omg LOL dolls. My step daughter "loves" them. In reality she just loves opening them up. It's like 6 layers of plastic and in between each layer is like sticker. She opens all the little bags the dolls accessories come in, put her all together and then....done. She never touches them again. But she loves to buy and open them. The amount of plastic is just insane.

[@Adrian-gk5vs]

Okay I can't lie.. I have a calico critters collection/display, BUT I actually play with them (typically once a week) and move them around. I have an attachment to them because my aunt would never let me touch hers so now I have some! I wouldn't have bought them if I wasn't going to use/play with them tho. I also make mini dresses and artwork for the critters and the houses so idk it's fulfilling for me 😂

[@jodymarie9757]

@@Adrian-gk5vs I think its great you enjoy them! There's nothing wrong with that :) I was just complaining my step daughter wants those LOL dolls but then they get thrown back into the ball they came in and are completely ignored. But collect what you want if you enjoy it, don't worry what others say. As long as you like it, thats all that counts. :)

[@connorisme5084]

@@Adrian-gk5vs omggg i loved calico critters one question tho how do you have a collection of them without going bankrupt?

[@HowdyHowdy_]

Is no one taken aback that Zuru describes themselves as "disruptive".

[@gaerekxenos]

'disruptive to the natural ecosystem' with how much packaging was used, sure. Innovation-wise, I'm not too sure they actually are. There really are far too many people overselling what they have to offer -- take the University I attended for example: called itself a "Green Campus" but has way too much lawn area where they have to constantly water in CALIFORNIA WHERE WE HAVE WATER SHORTAGES, on top of using disposable plates and cutlery for the dining areas until maybe a few years ago when they'd been touting that title for at least a decade despite that. Did I forget to mention running water features on top of all that...?? Worse was the "Great Place to Work" title - when they had been abusing the adjunct position for *years* to not properly pay instructors, and not only that but refuse to hire their existing adjuncts that had been working for them for a decade as full-time when they finally decide to open up a full-time slot. Yeah, the University was given "awards" with those titles which allowed them to utilize that type of marketing with some puny amount of "evidence" to back it up; however, there are such things as *STANDARDS* which they were clearly not meeting to actually properly use those titles with pride

[@MrLlama999]

@@gaerekxenosIt’s because of Venture Capital. One VC in California started offering more (more even than asked for) if startups made big promises. So a dating app for punk rockers in Portland suddenly has to promise to disrupt global human relationships to get VC money.

[@glitterandcombatboots]

i work in Silicon Valley and disruptive or disrupt is just a buzzword here…it’s a tech thing. In this case they don’t mean it as “causing a problem” they mean it in the way of causing a ripple in the state of the environment. In other words, changing the way toys are played with or what kids are interested in.

[@maggotlord7934]

i have an idea for the balls: attach colored felt and velcro to the pieces- make them look like fruit! oranges for sure. if made well enough it could be a toy for young kids.

[@ragdollrose2687]

That comment has a specific sound attached to it coming right back from my childhood. I can feel it in my teeth 😂

[@TigerAceSullivan]

oh my cat would adore this

[@sendmorerum8241]

Cover with velvet, sequins, beads in patterns - they become Christmas ornaments

[@becky7603]

The sad thing with the plastic waste is it's not just mini brands, so many toys with the blind bag or suprise gimick that seems to be so popular right now have such huge ammounts of unnecessary plastic waste. There are suprise dolls where each outfit, pair of shoes and other little accessory is in a seperate plastic bag. Many of these companies use black plastic which is the hardest to recycle.

[@Kayworx]

A couple of years ago in South Africa we had something similar to this, only it was a giveaway item if you spent R200 ($14) at a grocery store chain (Checkers). They weren't AS detailed as these look to be and just came in plastic packaging but they were pretty cute! And then people complained about how much plastic it was so the next year they came out with a mini garden range that was a little pack of seeds for herbs or flowers. THAT was much cuter!

[@Lameashellcosplay]

I think I heard Australia did something like that as well!

[@Sammlee94]

Yes, in Australia we had them at Coles Supermarket.. you Spend $30 and got a mini item. People went nuts and were selling them online. Happened twice so far.

[@itmakessenseincontext889]

New Zealand also did it, and people were just as obsessed. Super markets got bullied into doing more sustainable promotions because of the waste though.

[@BlueRaven73]

In Australia Coles did the "mini shop" and the other main supermarket did this little learn how to grow a veggie Garden. Lol

[@gaywaterfrog]

The way that I would get INSTANTLY sucked into a “mini garden” craze...like can you imagine. Surprise seed packets. Care instructions but no actual name so you have to wait until it grows to see what it is. I would DIE

[@richardparadox163]

Amanda: “Consumerism!! Capitalism!!!” *shakes mini-brand ball furiously* *Jump cut to sponsored advertisement* 😂 See what you did there

[@giftedboi]

When you suggested putting them into a shadowbox, I immediately pictured how they mount insects for study. Which, like, fits.

[@Sollux]

I wouldn't buy these but I feel like there's a really weird range of how much effort seems to be put into some of these. Some of them look really detailed and realistic with multiple materials going on, and then some are just folded paper as shopping bags or folded cardboard boxes.

[@DANIxDANGER]

Mini brand items would be cool for kids who play with dolls. They can use them for the dollhouse

[@Forgefaerie]

you'd think.... but their scale is all over the place so you can't even really use them in, say barbie house because your packet of hotdogs is the same size as your cereal box is the same size as your shopping basket. not the same scale -same size (which they certainly would not be in real life) :/ plus you can buy actual miniatures that ARE proper scale from many, MANY places and may even spend less money on them while knowing exactly what you are getting instead of ending up with 10 packs of hotdogs and not a single ketchup bottle...

[@anoni6108]

Scale is too big for Barbie's and other dolls I'm almost sure and the toy cash register would be too small :(

[@gfox117]

While doing your part is a good practice the "blame falling on you" is exactly the mindset they want you to take, Example is the old "Indian" (dude was italian) crying at the trash on the highway is the push to it being the consumer's fault. It really is the companies' fault since they passively pollute far more than a group of individuals ever will in years. So we should be pushing companies more to be more "green"

[@t.s9021]

100 companies produce 71% of emissions - there's your proof right there.

[@JasminMiettunen]

Isn’t that what Amanda was doing? She asked the company to do be more environmentally friendly. Yeah, she asked how people don’t feel about the plastic, but they can’t change the packaging, that’s the companys fault.

[@MmMm-sf7pe]

Yeah, but that ad was instrumental in changing American's attitudes about throwing crap on the side of the highway. Like, it's astonishing the number of people I know from that era who directly reference that commercial and how it made them not throw garbage out the window. Ultimately the people who pressure companies to be more green are also the people who do their best not to impact the environment negatively in their own little ways.

[@rosehannah]

It appears Zuru has appointed a company called Cronus Global to secure brands for the minis, so they are securing licensing from each brand it would seem

[@Kas_Styles]

Interesting. Is there an article or public records about it?

[@cherokee12]

I am interested in the answer to this question

[@rosehannah]

Yt keeps deleting my responses 🤷🏻‍♀️ when I googled the names it came up easily tho

[@roxanne-91]

@@rosehannah yt probably cant varify links as legit and not a scam so they probably just dont allow links in comments in total

[@PrettyPinkPeacock]

I feel like it's kind of an advertisement so brands would be keen on it.

[@Mel0nMel]

Amanda, you could totally make Christmas balls out of those plastic things, even the lil figures, tie a string to it and hang it on a tree, or make like one of those popcorn strands that you put on a tree but with those figures instead

[@fangsfrthmmrs]

I follow a doll collector who would buy these sorts of things to use as props for photoshoots with their dolls, but I never really gave much thought as to where they got them.

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Those look like the minis that use to come with some of my Barbie sets. Like you'd get the supermarket and a bunch of replicas of tiny actual brands of things you'd find at the supermarket. It wasn't like knock off stuff. Now that I am an adult, I too wonder how the licencing worked. Minus the wasteful plastics, I could see dollhouse collectors using the mini brands for dolls.

[@Myrilia]

The thing you were reading about the parents using it to teach their kids how to shop groceries. Like you can do ALL of that by bringing your kids to the actual grocery store...

[@magickaldust1213]

As a mom to two toddlers, this is one of the few points I disagree with. Yes, you can easily teach grocery shopping to your kids as you shop. This is to teach those things like budgeting and nutrition to smaller kids, not school age children imo. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the same things can be taught at a grocery store, but not only does being on location make any practical (written) work difficult, but it's not exactly kosher to have your germy kid touch a bunch of things you aren't going to buy in the middle of a pandemic.. I definitely don't think tons of waste and plastic is the only way to teach your children, but as a homeschooling parent I do see the practicality of using these as an educational tool and not just a bunch of trash your kids collects

[@thetiniestpirate]

I had the same thought, or even just going through what you got and why you decided those things as you unpack them when you get back. My sister and I were usually involved in unpacking the shopping while my dad wrote out the meals he planned for the week with what he got and noted their expiration dates on the blackboard in our kitchen. We loved it and when I'm home we still do that.

[@Myrilia]

@@thetiniestpirate yeah i remember my mom explaining to me how to compare prices, making a list and preparing coupons. We even helped by cutting them out haha

[@estherstreet4582]

Or just buying an unbranded shop set for your kids, which will probably cost about the same as one of these balls for a whole store of Bits.

[@SirThinks2Much]

@@estherstreet4582 yeah, Target has a set for 5-10 bucks, and are actually kid-sized (they won’t choke on them).

[@constantreader1422]

i kind of wish they existed as a kid just so i could have them for my then barbies. i loved making rooms and houses for them rather than making stories. materialism got me young! 😂

[@aleak2385]

honestly just reminds me of the mini eraser craze when i was a kid, they were tiny little eraser that were made in different forms like food and sweets or random household objects like phones and perfumes and even different animals and we never used them as erasers cuz like why would you wanna ruin ur adorable lil pig (they were really cute god now i want some) and we didnt really do anything with them but hoard them like a dragon with its gold

[@ItsJustValHere]

Someone gifted me a whole set of mini erasers when I was a kid and I NEVER used them lmao. I remember tearing the paper trying to use the build-in eraser on my pencil instead of those.

[@sarahcornell7118]

Does anyone remember Shopkins? That's definitely what this stuff reminds me of just with actual brands. Like they even had shop displays and they all came in shopping bags/baskets...

[@Mimi-js1xc]

Could you do a video about shifting???? I keep seeing that stuff all over TikTok. It has very big 'not a cult, but feels like a cult' vibes.

[@Jennevere11]

...I'm afraid to ask what that is, but I have to know

[@NosferatusSecretary]

@@Jennevere11 made up cult stuff about knock off astral projection and a lot of psychological miss info

[@lemaax750]

omg, I have the same feeling about those subliminal videos. I've only seen them on youtube but I can imagine a lot of those videos also being on TikTok. I watched one about being 'unhealthily skinny' and was terrified looking at the comments about girls believing this and WANTING to be that..

[@bee_bch]

@@Jennevere11 it’s mostly young teen girls (that’s from the ones I’ve seen, I’m sure not all young teen girls do this and others do too), believing they can go to different universes, including fictional ones (I believe Harry Potter is popular). I get that for some it might just be a fun idea to go see their fictional crush but it can be harmful that they believe this so much. Also they get very annoyed if you call it lucid dreaming.

[@Mimi-js1xc]

@@Jennevere11 From what I understand, it's visiting different realities (that you create) in your dreams

[@noahn9717]

reminds me of shopkins, around 7 years ago i remember seeing them everywhere and wanting them desperately. (11 year old me got obsessed easily) they had several "seasons" where they remade eveything and had new editions with glittery shopkins. toy channels on youtube ADORED them

[@GyroCannon]

"There's gotta be a more environmentally friendly way" Yea, it's called card stock folded into boxes, which is exactly what San-X does with their RIllakuma / Sumikko Gurashi surprise boxes for their little plushes. I got a pack of 5 for my friends and we all liked the designs on the card stock boxes so much that we kept them to display the plushes on. But of course, out in the West, absolute disregard for the environment. It HAS to be plastic.

[@lilelo208]

The price of their greed will be our children fighting for water but it's only about 50 years left. If we continue like this.....

[@madkatt333]

The brand headquarters in Hong Kong.

[@KaylaKasel]

@@madkatt333 Genuine question: Does it matter where it's headquartered or where it's aimed at customers? Because I would imagine the target audience would matter more? But I also don't know where these are commonly distributed aside from the US, so I know nothing.

[@jakublulek3261]

I bet there is a reason, why they use plastic. For example, Japan is one of the few countries with big paper industry, so maybe paper card stock of reasonable quality and quantity is easy to get. And there is machinery. Transport. Paper is much more fragile and and does decay when plastics don't (most of them are recycled anyway). Not everything is capitalism bad and West is greedy and we hate environment. There are accumulated monetary and environmental coats. These processes are designed by a very clever people, who must take into account many variables. I see this every day, as an automotive engineer, I deal with a lot of environmental scam, stupidity and unqualified people talking nonsense. Please, do your research before spitballing, right? And sort your waste, that helps with recycling of plastics immensely.

[@TheKinseth]

@@jakublulek3261 Uhhhh, most plastic is NOT recycled. That was kind of a huge thing in the news like... 3 or 4 years ago? Well before your comment, at any rate.

[@chantevandyk7155]

I went to a seminar with the CEO of ZURU and someone asked if they were going to do anything about the environmental waste and she said something like "oh we're doing as much as possible, the mini brands are reusable and we use biodegradable plastic" like??! All plastic is degradable, it will just take thousands of years. I agree with you that these undo all the efforts of plastic straws and whatnot.

[@bagel_bitez1]

I used to be really into Shopkins. I spent so much money. There's a rush in opening the blind bags. It definitely can be an addiction.

[@Tigatron1448]

Oh man, my daughter and her friends LOVED shopkins when they were little. I didn’t really enjoy them, but I understood the appeal.

[@alyc.6268]

when i collected mini brands i used the individual slices of the ball as ashtrays, reduce reuse recycle

[@clairebear-96]

okay i’ve never even heard of these but i kind of love them…. not enough to spend money on them but i just love tiny things……. as a child I definitely would’ve begged my parents for these to play with my barbies lmao

[@nicksurfs1]

These have big, “if you behave at the grocery store I’ll buy you a toy” toy vibes. Paying $7for those times you really need your kid to behave seems worth it.

[@fusetunes]

the reason i've bought a couple is 100% for my barbies, and i'm an adult. i think it's fun being able to stock a fridge for them, haha

[@NorthernTigress]

I work for a dollar store franchise in Canada. Once a trend stops being trendy, it comes to us, and that includes all the blind bags, blind balls, and blind whatever. I can tell you why there are so many layers, it's to keep the secret a secret. People will do anything to try to sneak a peek, up to and including flat out opening the containers in the store. After that, they are unsellable because they aren't "blind".

[@thelonleyUchiha1]

I love this stuff because its cool how they can shrink down an already existing product and have it look exactly the same but smaller and made of plastic. Thats why I like dollhouses so much cause the idea of replicating, say my own house, into a tiny version of itself is really cool to me

[@alexkasper5029]

that would be super cool if zuru had a thing where you could send them the used balls so they could recycle them, the way some makeup and skincare brands do a thing where they have an incentive for customers who bring in their empties

[@nicksurfs1]

A while ago I read Terracycle will take those balls. But sometimes you have to pay them to recycle and sometimes they change their mind so that may have changed Edit: Honestly, I’d love to see a video from you on Terracycle! I think their concept is really interesting and seeks to solve a massive problem. But I’ve heard a lot of questions/ mixed feedback about it. I’d just love more context, and I trust you to make an interesting video that doesn’t just turn into an ad.

[@TheCatWitch63]

I keep forgetting that Kinder Surprise Eggs are not sold in the US; otherwise you’d be familiar with the concept and how much children love to open the eggs and find the little toys in them. These balls have the added cuteness of tiny sized consumer products. If I had had access to these when I was a child, I would have been able to play supermarket for days. That parents association is right, too. You can teach lots of stuff about budgeting, grocery shopping and nutrition.

[@PatchworkRose567]

The items in mini brands are something you would get in those 25¢ to 50¢ gumball machines found right outside drug stores.

[@CureSmileful]

"Who is this for" as dolls enthusiast I would say some of the items fit some dolls to hold. I also like miniature stuff.

[@yyelloww212]

Years ago, there was something similar here, when you’d get mini products with your purchase from a certain store. We collected them and used them in the school to teach our kids what is what, how much it costs etc... Basically, we were fake-shopping, with fake money. They liked it and learned a thing or two. So, that’s what I’d use this for. The amount of plastic IS horrifying, though.

[@eliza592]

we had the same thing! or maybe we’re in the same country lol

[@kidkruschev]

There are better ways to teach children proper grocery shopping tactics.

[@AnjoGal]

Once the balls are unwrapped, the sections can be repurposed, making a cute little DIY 'shelf' of sorts, to store all the minis. Edit: I forgot to mention, many adults, if not most, have a ginormous inner child within them. They reach a certain age, like 40 or so or maybe 25-30, and start collecting things that they had as a child. Their favorite things that they miss. I truly believe this entire mini brand thing was aimed at adults. When I was about 30ish, I used to collect those plastic versions of Furbys from McDonald's. I had nearly ALL of them. Now that I'm 50, I'm into anything miniature. Mostly vintage porcelain animals, but none the less, they're miniature. I have yet to get these mini brands. I'm afraid to. They're freaking expensive.

[@amazeas]

The only thing I think they could be useful for would be to add to my ‘play experience’ if I was a little kid who played with Barbie's, Bratz, and other dolls. It would be fun to have them go shopping for little boxes of mac n cheese etc. but other than that, I don't see the point.

[@aurorathepuppymoth]

I hope they branch out into making mini medicine brands, so you can manage the headaches that the blatant consumerism gives you, but in a tiny and adorable way.

[@lekiscool]

I prefer real minis shopkins… I find them more realistic in a way. I have a container of chupa chubs I put them into. Also sell the golden baby bell to graveyardgirl. Poor lady just wants the cheese.

[@numbuhbee]

Interestingly enough, there are mini brand shopkins. I’ve found them at target.

[@CorinneStephens]

Honestly watching this all my brain could think of was "man i wish these were around when LPStube was big these would've made some sick ass props"

[@joe6185]

Me: watching Graveyard girl unbox mostly minibrands on her 2nd channel You: uploads this (Office-style camera glance)

[@goof_yo]

I fucking hate these things. I work in the toys department so I find these everywhere. I always find empty packages, and I know it's not children. My store buys so much stock it's crazy

[@a-go-go19]

I used to think mini-brands were like those mini bottles of hot sauce and they had actual food in them. Now buying them makes even less sense to me.

[@legsorcist]

people have always collected miniatures as well (usually related to doll sets or to put together full scenes) but this is just something cheap to capitalize on the trend of selling gambling to kids and creating a very unnecessary amount of harmful waste

[@legsorcist]

not to say this is new because things like kinder eggs have been around for quite a while but it seems like every kid brand is banking on being able to give kids gambling addictions at the moment especially

[@foxbuns]

if i could afford these i would be so obsessed. i'd take any you don't want or even the plastic balls for art projects, Swell!

[@iamnothere9975]

As a lover of your thoughtful commentary, I’m kinda disappointed with your take on this one. I feel like the critique on the wasteful packaging is absolutely warranted, but it took attention away from the Mini Brands themselves. I think the focus should be placed on how cute-ifying consumerism is a slippery slope and how kids are essentially paying for mini marketing placements. Also with some research I found out that Zuru does partner with these brands specifically to target kids and their parents, influencing their consumer behavior, and earning royalties while they’re at it.

[@kitbracadabra]

I def would've liked more of a focus on the concept too, but I didn't mind the packaging take

[@Tigatron1448]

Ugh, people like you are honestly becoming insufferable… I felt like Amanda was touching too much on the “consumerism” angle. I could maybe take people seriously if they were truly devoted to that type of cause, being against consumerism or whatever…. But the vast majority of people, Amanda included, truly don’t give a fuck when it comes to something they enjoy. It’s only a critique they apply to something they don’t find appealing and what it boils down to is young people trying to cling onto trendy buzzwords/“movements”. Ultimately you’re just repeating stuff you think sounds intellectual from someone else who rarely actually lives out their stated “values”. In the end they are just furthering their own brand in order to make money off rubes like yourself. My kids grew up playing with this kind of stuff in their younger years and it was simple fun. They aren’t brainwashed consumers who suddenly became brand loyalists because of the “cutified” toy they received. The only appeal is kids always like imitating their parents or their environment so they think it’s cool to have a mini ketchup that matches the one they use in real life. It’s absolutely harmless…

[@blueberryjollyrancher1821]

Congratulations, you described how corporations work.

[@LottieDeLuscious]

The plastic is what is literally killing our world.

[@Cherryblossoms110]

To be fair we already do that with clothing, so many shirts are just the company name. But I'm not disagreeing with you-we really do be paying money to advertise for companies. Like, hot damn.

[@maemeebee]

Looks like the BabyBel sells for $6-$24

[@MartinGiadrosich]

or two bucks on ebay

[@Taxideas]

I absolutely love miniatures in general so I was naturally drawn towards mini brands but my absolute hatred of bland bag/mystery products kept me away. Especially at the price they are going for.

[@linzbridge4495]

Im living for Amanda ranting this whole video about the amount of plastic in these. That's insane!

[@joshua-we9xr]

I remember mini brand type stuff in quarter machines when I was a kid. Probably the same vibe, just more mass produced.

[@timit37]

My partner is obsessed with mini brands. They always say holding tiny things brings them joy.

[@a.houston946]

Ooof

[@aspen1713]

Amanda: "Here that?! Consumerism! Capitalism!" Amanda; 0.05 seconds later: "Now, let's talk about today's sponsor!" I laughed out loud lmao the ironing is delicious

[@jakublulek3261]

Modern Marxism in a nutshell.

[@wowwhatabeautifuldayoutside]

ironing

[@aspen1713]

@@wowwhatabeautifuldayoutside Simpsons quote

[@wowwhatabeautifuldayoutside]

@@aspen1713 do you think the washing is delicious too

[@Tigatron1448]

That’s every young adult these days… they latch onto buzzwords and movements that seem intellectual. In reality they are always participating in the same system and even enjoy it… they don’t seem to realize how hypocritical they are. Most of the time all their whining is directed at stuff they don’t enjoy. But the second they find something that does interest them then they’ll jump through hoops to defend it while trying to uphold their silly ideology. Capitalism has always been a part of our existence in some form or another. There are negative things about it and consumerism but it’s not inherently all negative.

[@Your_Native_Mothman]

If I had this when I was younger I would have been so happy. Like I always just wanted mini stuff for LPS but there was nothing!

[@zacharyhenderson2902]

What surprised me is that the products have actual manager barcodes. If you blow them up, you can actually scan them and find their full size counterparts in your grocery stores

[@Nineathy]

In thrift stores in my country you'd sometimes find mini products (looking mostly to be from the 50s-60s) that were promotional items of the original products. Like, mommy would do groceries, get a tiny ketchup bottle, gives it to kid, kid uses it as item in their dollhouse or whatever. This however I just don't really get, personally. As for the plastic.. yikes. Those balls might actually be the most recyclable part, but the soft plastic wrappers would likely go straight to landfill because a lot of recycling places just aren't set up to process it :/

[@henriquejambu]

What’s not a cult but feels like a cult? Kids in Brazil are going insane over a “fidget toy” that’s basically a rubber thing with bubbles you can pop (it’s like an infinite bubble wrapper). They come in lots of shapes and are sold in all the “Chinese products” stores and I think they’re a bit pricey. I even saw some kids had birthday parties themed after these toys. I don’t know if this exists outside of here but it’s really weird how much they’re addictive to them

[@lisi2922]

UK here. Yes, it's the same. Source: I have an 11 year old little brother. From what I've seen on Tiktok, it's all over the US too

[@henriquejambu]

L oh my god???? It probably came from tiktok then, it’s crazy how these things spread

[@INtheSPIRIT2012]

These mystery packages remind me a lot of the Japanese gachapon. Or like any gacha game really. It's just another form of gambling.

[@A.H.A.J]

This is allowed in US but kinder surprise is banned?

[@Varikas]

Yep. It’s illegal to put inedible things in food

[@heytheatre7491]

as for what to do with the packaging: my roommates and I used the individual ball slices and adhered them to the wall to act as shelving displays for the mini brands haha it actually worked tbh

[@87idk]

Okay, so we had a similar mini brands (almost 100% the same brand) promotion at Coles, one of the big grocery stores we have. At roughly the same time, the other big grocery brand was doing a promotion where they were giving out these squishy Ooshy things of Disney characters. It was funny how it was the parents who were really really into collecting the mini brands (I'm talking making Facebook pages for trades, having huge meet ups, selling them) while all the kids were obsessed with the Ooshies (I'm talking throwing massive tantrums over going to Coles not Woolworths). It was nuts

[@Rawfrogs]

Loving the sponsored bit and teeth comments, my girlfriend refers to you as "that girl with the teeth" lmao

[@doreenlarson5849]

I feel like I’d collect these just because I had an obsession with tiny doll accessories as a kid. They’d make fun props for dolls (which I still collect) and I also think I could use them for so many crafts. I know I’d be so so into these if the packaging wasn’t such a turnoff

[@rosey5743]

they could Literally just put them in a cardboard box with different compartments in it,,,, this is a ridiculous amount of plastic

[@sfsin3380]

While I agree that it a ridiculous amount of plastic switching too. Switching to cardboard isn't as easy as you'd think. Other mystery toy that started as cardboard changed to these pods because the cardboard had a bunch of issues. The big two being The cardboard doesn't protect the toy very well in transport And Cardboard can be opened, cheacked for rares and then resealed without it being obvious.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

I guess that CEOs looked around and said "Kids love those plastic crap toys at McDonalds, and people on TikTok are just giant kids, so they'll _love_ crap plastic toys."

[@sophiesometimessews]

Migros, a Swiss supermarket chain, made similar things years ago. I was just vividly reminded of being like seven and wanting to go to the store to get them (you would get one for every ~30 francs spent).

[@plumsparkles945]

Company's need to stop wasting plastic.

[@Xavis0]

"I would flag me..." 😂 Also, I could see this company (or another) making a killing by doing mini-brands of limited-edition sneakers and getting that sneakerhead cash.

[@Dolamieu]

The thing about this being for dolls is pretty bs, these are not made to scale for any dolls that a kid would have, like barbie scale or smaller (monster high magic mixes pixels or rainbow high (mini brand are too big ) and nothing American girl scale either bc the dolls are too big… you can just tell with a comparison with things like mini bratz which are actually meant for doll scale

[@uberfreak2]

I've been obsessed with miniatures since I was kid so mini brands were a massive hit for me

[@averyeml]

One of my students actually mentioned she got a bunch of Mini Brands stuff for her birthday a few days back and that she’s really into them, and seeing how much plastic is involved it makes me want to cry

[@magickaldust1213]

Someday I want Amanda to turn her internet collection into a literal museum that we can go visit 🤗

[@kristavaillancourt6313]

Usually kids leave the 'everything needs to go in my mouth' phase after 3 years. By 4, they don't want to do that.

[@scottietrademark]

A youtuber that I watch, GreatBigToybox as her toy channel, NexJen as her art/collector channel, actually collects these lol she cannot STAND the plastic that toys in general have and always gives companies crap when they use way too much plastic. But! Honestly these are so entertaining to watch when people open them lol

[@catherinetyndale1734]

"Who are these for?" The only answer I can come up with is LPS tubers cause they could work as a miniature prop for LPS videos. Even then, there are probably ones better than this cause some of them would be too big for the LPS, and the shelve, store and cart ones, are dispersed. The only other group I see this for is neurodivergent people, as many like tiny details. When they see the details on everything, they're gonna like that or be blown away by the fact that tiny text is made tinier to fit on tiny spaces. It just makes sense.

[@thelonebear934]

I'd say this is goes back even further.These are no different than the plastic figurine vending machines that they have at the mall.

[@sashka222]

These seem like a natural extension of Shopkins tbh. The amount of trash is also pretty standard for these kinds of toys.

[@sweetpeabee4983]

If anything has made me feel that "excess is excrement" lately, it's all the plastic packaging on those, holy shit lmao.

[@dlucente01]

Your video introduced this product to my wife and she paused the video, went to the store, and spent $140 on them.

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

Miniatures tend to trend in cycles, I believe the Victorians went apeshit for this too.

[@beckyginger3432]

Yeah my grandparents have beautiful Victorian doll houses with all the miniatures

[@godeelofthedeep584]

Honestly, all balls can be made into christmas tree ornaments. Paint, ribbon, glitter etc... and some string or something for a hook. I'm late to this, and it's the best I've got.