August 24, 2026 — Singapore
On August 23, the SWAPBOXO team attended POP TOY SHOW Singapore 2026, engaging with designer toy brands, artists, and collectors from different countries and regions while observing developments in IP, product innovation, and collecting trends across various markets.
As one of POP MART’s key designer toy events, POP TOY SHOW Singapore was the only POP TOY SHOW held globally in 2026. The event brought together designer toy brands, artists, original IP creators, and collectors from around the world, featuring new product launches, artist meet-and-greets, exclusive releases, and a wide range of activities centered around collecting culture.
Exclusives and Debuts Take Center Stage
From the overall presentation of this year’s event, exclusive releases and first debuts emerged as two of the defining themes driving attention and collecting interest.
Unlike traditional retail channels, exhibitions are increasingly becoming important platforms for brands and original IP creators to introduce new products. POP TOY SHOW Singapore 2026 featured a wide range of event-exclusive and regional-exclusive releases, while also providing a stage for multiple new works and IPs making their first public appearances.
This has enabled designer toy exhibitions to take on a role that extends beyond traditional product display and sales. For a new IP, making its debut on an international stage such as Singapore can create opportunities to be discovered by collectors from different markets. Through on-site exchanges, community discussions, and cross-regional interactions among collectors, an unfamiliar IP may gradually gain visibility across a broader market. The growth and reach of designer toy IPs are increasingly moving beyond the boundaries of individual markets, reflecting a more global path of development.
Global IPs and Regional Creators Meet on One Platform
Another key highlight of this year’s event was the growing convergence of international and regional creative forces.
From established global IPs to independent artists and original brands from around the world, creators at different stages of development and of different scales came together within the same exhibition space. The event featured artists associated with POP MART alongside international and regional independent artists, with several artists and brands making their first appearances at POP TOY SHOW Singapore.
SWAPBOXO sees this development as one worth watching across the industry.
In the past, the designer toy market was more heavily driven by a relatively small number of leading IPs. Today, however, the growth of exhibitions, social media, and cross-border collecting communities is creating more opportunities for original characters and emerging IPs to connect directly with collectors in different countries and markets.
Beyond the Exhibition: A Collectible’s Journey Does Not End on Release Day
The large number of exclusive releases and new product debuts at the event also brought attention to another important industry trend: the full lifecycle of a collectible after its initial release and entry into the collector market.
For a new IP, its first appearance at an exhibition is only the beginning of its story.
After a product is released, it may find its way into collections across different markets. As an IP develops, market interest changes, and collectors’ preferences evolve, these collectibles may continue to circulate among different collectors—through sales, trades, and opportunities to be discovered again.
For products associated with event exclusives, regional exclusives, or first-release debuts, their circulation often represents more than a simple transaction. They also carry the context of a particular release, moment, and collecting story.
This is one of the reasons SWAPBOXO continues to focus on the circulation ecosystem of designer toy collectibles.
As the global designer toy market continues to expand, collectors now have access to more purchasing channels than ever before. At the same time, creating ways for collectibles to move between collectors in a safer, more transparent, and more efficient manner will remain an important consideration for the continued development of the industry.
That is the type of connection SWAPBOXO aims to build.
Through BUY. SELL. TRADE., we aim to create more opportunities for collectors to connect and for collectibles to continue moving within the community. While discovering new pieces, collectors can also give items that no longer align with their collecting interests the opportunity to begin a new journey and continue their story in the hands of another collector.
From Singapore, Continuing to Follow the Development of Asia’s Designer Toy Market
Attending POP TOY SHOW Singapore 2026 also provided the SWAPBOXO team with an opportunity to further observe developments and emerging trends across Asia’s designer toy market.
From new product debuts and the participation of independent artists to the gathering of collectors from different countries, the event reflected a market that continues to evolve, generate new IPs, and create new collecting interests and opportunities.
For SWAPBOXO, these developments further reinforce our commitment to staying closely connected to the evolution of the designer toy industry.
Looking ahead, we will continue engaging with brands, artists, creators, industry partners, and collectors while closely following the development of new IPs and changes across the global collectibles market.
From the moment a collectible is first discovered to the time it becomes part of a treasured collection; from one transaction to the beginning of its next collecting journey—every movement may create an opportunity for a piece to be rediscovered and for a new story to begin.
SWAPBOXO
BUY. SELL. TRADE.