Every hobby develops its own language, and the blind box collector community is no exception. Walk into any collector forum, Discord server, or Pop Mart queue without knowing your Chase from your Dupe or your Pull Ratio from your Resell Value, and you will spend more time decoding the conversation than participating in it. At BlindBoxCentral, we have compiled the most comprehensive glossary of blind box terminology available — covering every term you will encounter, from your very first single-box purchase to your first full-case investment. Bookmark this page and refer back to it whenever the community drops a term you do not recognize.
Core Terminology: The Essentials Every Collector Must Know
Blind Box: A sealed collectible package containing a single figure whose identity is unknown to the buyer at the point of purchase. The “blind” element refers to the inability to see the specific figure inside before opening. This is the foundational mechanic that defines the entire hobby. Pull: The act of opening a blind box and revealing the figure inside. “I just pulled a rare” means the collector opened a box and received an uncommon or chase variant. Also used as a noun — “That was a great pull.” Series: A themed collection of figures released together under a single concept or character IP. Each series typically contains 9 to 12 standard figures plus one or more chase or secret variants. Wave: A specific production run or thematic sub-release within a broader series. A character IP like LABUBU may have multiple waves per year, each with its own distinct theme, colourways, and figure lineup. Standard Figure: Any of the regularly produced figures in a series — the non-chase, non-secret variants shown on the box artwork that make up the majority of any given production run. Full Set: Owning one of every standard figure in a series. Achieving a full set is a primary collector goal that drives both single-box and full-case purchasing behaviour. Read our beginner guide for practical tips on completing your first full set.
Rarity Terminology: Chase, Secret, and Limited
Chase Figure: A rare variant of a standard series figure — same sculpt, different colourway or finish — produced in limited quantities and randomly inserted into the production run at a low pull ratio. Chase figures are typically identified on the box artwork as an alternative to a specific standard figure. Secret Figure: A wholly unique figure design not shown on the box artwork that is included in the production run at an extremely low pull ratio — typically 1 per 144 boxes, equivalent to 1 per 12 standard cases. Secret figures are the most sought-after variants in any series and command the highest secondary market premiums. Pull Ratio: The statistical probability of receiving a specific rare figure in any given box purchase. A 1:144 pull ratio means one secret figure is produced for every 144 standard boxes. In practice, distribution is random — any individual box could contain the secret, or no single box in a given stock may. Limited Edition (LE): A production run deliberately capped at a specific total number of units, used for collaboration releases, anniversary figures, and convention exclusives. Limited editions are not available through standard retail channels after their initial release window. Exclusive: A figure available only through a specific retailer, event, or channel — not the general production run. Pop Mart produces retailer-exclusive colourways for major platform partners and event-exclusive figures for their annual POPCON conventions.
Buying and Collecting Terminology
Single: Purchasing one individual box without knowing its contents. The standard entry-level purchase format. Full Case: Purchasing the complete sealed outer case, typically containing twelve individual boxes curated by the manufacturer to include one of each standard figure. Full case buying guarantees a complete standard set but does not guarantee a secret figure. Duplicate (Dupe): Receiving a figure you already own. Duplicates are the primary frustration of single-box purchasing and are eliminated entirely by full-case buying. The community abbreviates this to “dupe.” Getting another dupe on release day is the most universally relatable collector complaint. Trade: Exchanging a duplicate figure with another collector for a figure you need. Active trading communities exist on Discord, Reddit, Facebook, and Pop Mart own Flip app. Trading is one of the most socially engaging aspects of the hobby. Destash: Selling or trading away figures from your collection — duplicates, figures from series you no longer collect, or pieces purchased speculatively that you are now liquidating. Check our curated shop for authenticated individual figures and full cases.
Secondary Market and Value Terminology
Resell Value: The price a figure commands on the secondary market relative to its original retail price. A figure with high resell trades significantly above retail. A figure with low resell trades at or below retail. Retail: The original manufacturer-set purchase price at authorized retail channels. Figures trading below retail on the secondary market are referred to as under retail or below retail. Grail: A collector most personally desired figure — the one they would prioritize above all other acquisitions. Grail figures are subjective and personal, though certain iconic secret figures have achieved community-wide universal grail status. OG: Original — used to identify the first production run of a figure or series, particularly when comparing to re-releases or updated versions. OG figures from early Pop Mart waves carry significant collector premium. Authentication (Auth): The process of verifying a figure legitimacy through physical inspection, barcode cross-referencing, and community knowledge. Essential for any secondary market purchase above standard retail pricing. Read our complete guide to spotting fake blind boxes before you buy.
Speak the Language, Own the Hobby
Fluency in collector terminology is more than just practical knowledge — it is your passport into a genuinely vibrant global community. Use this glossary, engage with the community on your preferred platform, and the language of blind box collecting will become second nature faster than you expect. The community is welcoming to newcomers who arrive prepared and curious. Ready to build your collection? Start right here at BlindBoxCentral.
SEA Collector Slang and Regional Terminology You Need to Know
Beyond the universal blind box vocabulary, Southeast Asian collector communities have developed their own slang and shorthand. Here is the regional glossary extension every SEA collector should bookmark.
SEA-Specific Terms
- Kiasu Pull (Singapore/Malaysia): Buying an entire box set at once to guarantee a complete series, driven by the fear of missing out — derived from the Hokkien word “kiasu” meaning fear of losing.
- Swap Meet (Philippines): Informal collector gatherings, typically at SM malls or Megamall, where collectors trade duplicates. Known as “swap meets” locally, distinct from the more formal trade events in SG.
- Taobao Risk (Regional): The accepted gamble of ordering from Chinese platforms — acknowledging the possibility of receiving a counterfeit or damaged figure due to unofficial sourcing.
- SG Price: Used across SEA as the benchmark “fair” retail price, since Singapore official POP MART stores are considered the regional gold standard for authentic pricing.
- KL Drop (Malaysia): Refers to simultaneous restock events coordinated between Pavilion KL and Mid Valley Megamall stores, often announced 24 hours in advance via POP MART Malaysia’s Instagram.
- Bangkok Haul (Regional): Collector slang for purchasing large quantities of figures in Bangkok where prices can sit slightly below Singapore RRP — a popular strategy for collectors travelling through Thailand.
- ID Forward (Indonesia): Using an Indonesian freight forwarder address to receive international shipments and then batch-clear them through customs, reducing the per-unit duty overhead of Indonesia’s USD 3 de minimis.