Trinketville

story by Katrina Nolan

Trinket, noun

trin·​ket / triŋ-kət /a small ornament (such as a jewel or ring)

Trinkets; the perfect item to decorate your space and double as an easy pick-me-up, or as some like to call it, "a little treat".

In recent years, the interest of trinket collecting has grown as well as the selection of items. No matter the age range, there is usually a series/set of trinkets that will appeal to you. Whether it be LEGO minifigures, Calico Critters, jewelry, the Lenox Spice Village, crystals or none of the above, the sky is the limit when it comes to what counts as a trinket collection. Of course, with so many sets and different themes, how can you just choose one item when the entire series is just oh so cute?

Enter bling bags; a way to collect figures and items with an added layer of surprise and suspense. Why choose a specific item when you can leave it up to chance? For those unfamiliar with blind bags, here's how it works. Companies will create a set of figures that revolve around a set theme. The number of figures in a set will vary. Some sets have as little as four varieties while others may have as many as 12. Sometimes sets will have a "chase" or "secret rare" figure that are an uncommon variant produced at a lower manufacturing rate than the rest of the figures. Trending blind bag series include, but are not limited to, Sonny Angels, Smiski, Calico Critters (these come in both blind bags and regular sets), and Pop Mart. For me, collecting trinkets is a way to personalize my space and the small size allows me to display more. After all, the more the merrier! When asked about the appeal of collecting trinkets, PULSE's Creative Director Zoey Ryan had this to say “I enjoy how people see the Sonny angels I have and say ‘I love these guys or why do you have these weird things’, then I can have conversations with new people.” Ryan adds that her Sonny angels make her happy every time she sees them and they keep her “sane throughout the day.”

Don't let the high price tags on these figures scare you away. While these items are what's trending, they aren't a "make or break" for your trinket collection, so don't hesitate to get started on your collection now!