The Toy that Started My Collection Off On the Right Foot

The toy that started it all for me was a Be@rbrick Collaboration with KAWS.

Background
Limited Edition Be@rbricks are designed and produced by Japan’s Medicom Toy and are released twice a year.  Because Be@rbricks are so limited in nature they are difficult to collect, and oftentimes are resold for several times the original cost.

If you have no idea what I mean when I say “Be@rbrick”, Hypebeast has written a great Bearbrick Beginners Guide that will bring you up to speed quickly.

Some of the rarest Be@rbricks include collaborations with KAWS, and Andy Warhol. KAWS went on to collaborate with Medicom on an “Original Fake” Companion Be@rbrick.

The Original Fake closed down in 2013, making their toys even more of a collector’s item and sky rocketing the price tag. RIP.

More about KAWS:
KAWS is a Brooklyn-based artist who exhibits in museums and galleries internationally. KAWS’ art transforms pop culture into thought-provoking works of art while employing sophisticated humour. Read his Street Art bio.

My Closet
My wife managed to secure a 2009 400% KAWS Original Fake directly from Japan a few years back to add to my sneaker room. She will never admit to how much she had to pay, but I blame her for my expensive collecting habits.

So a cartoonish figure with animated skulls with x-eyes started my love of toys!