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Be@rbrick is a collectible toy designed and produced by MediCom
Toy Incorporated. The name is derived from the fact that
the figure is a cartoon-style representation of a bear, and
that it is a variation of MediCom's Kubrick design. The at
sign in the place of the letter a is a visual device that
is a part of the Be@rbrick brand, and as such, a trademark
of MediCom Toy.
The figure is an anthropomorphized bear with an extremely
simplified form and a pot belly. Each plastic figure features
nine parts (widely referred to as tools in the toy industry):
head, torso, hips, arms, hands, and legs; These nine tools
allow eight points of articulation: swivel head, swivel waist,
ball joint arms, swivel wrists, and ball joint legs.
The first figure was released 27 May 2001 as a free gift
to visitors of the World Character Convention 12. Since then
Be@rbricks have been released in several different sizes using
a variety of materials, including wood, felt, and glow-in-the-dark
plastic.
The standard size is seven centimeters high, and these figures
are referred to as 100% Be@rbricks. Other Be@rbricks are named
for their size relative to the standard: 50% are four centimeters
high, 70% are five centimeters high, 400% are 28 centimeters
high, and 1000% are 70 centimeters high.
Be@rbricks are most often sold individually in "blind
box" assortments, in which figures are packed in small
boxes, and the only way to know which particular figure is
inside a particular box is to purchase and open the box. The
box states the frequency of each figure in percentages: Basic,
14.58 percent; Jellybean, 11.45 percent; Pattern, 11.45 percent;
Flag 9.37 percent; Horror, 9.37 percent; SF, 10.41 percent;
Cute, 13.54 percent; Animal, 8.33 percent; first Artist, 4.16
percent; and second Artist, 1.04 percent. While many retailers
sell Be@rbricks in blind boxes, each for the same price, other
retailers calculate the frequency of the figures, and sell
them at prices that vary accordingly; in this instance, the
Basic figure would be the least expensive, as it occurs most
often in a case, and the second of the two Artist figures
would be the most expensive, as it occurs least often in a
case. The figures most valued by collectors are "chase"
figures, which are unannounced and not shown in advertisements
or on the box alongside other figures in the series.
Within these pre-determined ratios, Be@rbricks are produced
in limited numbers, and not re-released. They are highly collectible,
and predominantly collected by adults. Their packaging states
that the figures are adult collectibles, not toys, and recommends
them to collectors 15 years or older.
Many contemporary artists and designers from Asia, Australia,
Europe, and North America have designed figures. Designing
a Be@rbrick figure means creating a design scheme, or deco,
for the standard mold. Contributors range from visual artists
such as H. R. Giger to illustrators such as Pushead, graffiti
artists such as Stash, and fashion designers including Karl
Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood. As a result of their limited
production, and the participation of artists, Be@rbricks are
generally considered designer toys.
MediCom also produces Be@rbricks outside the regular release
schedule of the basic figures. For example, a Kill Bill Be@rbrick
was created in 2003 as a promotional piece for customers who
purchased pre-sale tickets to see the film Kill Bill Volume
2 in Japan. Another Kill Bill Be@rbrick, called Murder Bride,
was included in the packaging for the Japanese DVD release
of Kill Bill Volume 1, released in April 2004. Exclusive pieces
such as these are highly-sought after and difficult to obtain
for collectors outside of Japan; they are often purchased
on the secondary market, especially online auctions.
This article description is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation
License.
It uses material from a Wikipedia
article.
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