Chinese art toys no longer fit inside one neat category. A single character may appear as a vinyl figure, a plush pendant, a blind-box doll and a licensed collaboration within the same year. That format flexibility is commercially important: POP MART reported RMB 17.1729 billion in revenue for the first half of 2026, while its fastest-growing named artist IP, TWINKLE TWINKLE, increased revenue by 580.6% year over year.
Source & Interactive Tier List Matrix: Originally ranked by OBPAI TierList (2026 Chinese Original Art Toy IP Ranking). Interactive drag-and-drop rankings available on OBPAI.
This English edition follows OBPAI's September 10, 2026 hierarchy but uses consistent international brand names throughout. It ranks character IPs associated with China's art-toy ecosystem—not retailers, manufacturers or every company that sells a blind box. Sanrio, Chiikawa and Disney characters are excluded because they are licensed overseas IPs rather than Chinese originals. Company names and character names are kept separate: POP MART and TOP TOY are businesses; LABUBU and Nommi are IPs.
How the IPs are ranked
2026 Ranking Framework
| Public evidence | Company filings and official brand histories take priority over marketplace claims. |
| Commercial scale | Named IP revenue or GMV is used only when the reporting entity publishes it. |
| Format range | An IP scores better when its design survives figures, plush, pendants and collaborations. |
| Series continuity | A continuing catalog matters more than one viral release. |
| Collector clarity | Recognizable design language, documented lineups and authentic distribution support long-term collecting. |
The data is uneven by design. POP MART discloses revenue for major artist IPs. TOP TOY's listing materials provide selected information about proprietary IPs such as Nommi. Independent studios rarely publish equivalent numbers. A lower tier can therefore reflect limited public evidence rather than weak design. No made-up market share is used to force incomparable IPs into a numerical score.
2026 Chinese original art toy IP tier list
S-TIER LABUBU and TWINKLE TWINKLE
LABUBU sits inside THE MONSTERS, the largest named artist-IP line in POP MART's first-half 2026 results. THE MONSTERS generated RMB 4.4544 billion, equal to 26.0% of group revenue. That figure covers the wider THE MONSTERS family rather than LABUBU alone, so it should not be presented as character-level sales. Even with that limitation, the franchise's scale, global visibility and movement across vinyl figures, plush pendants and collaborations make LABUBU the category benchmark.
TWINKLE TWINKLE earns S tier through momentum rather than longevity. POP MART reported RMB 2.6500 billion in first-half revenue, up 580.6% year over year and equal to 15.4% of group revenue. Its rise shows how quickly an art-toy IP can expand when a readable silhouette, emotional expression and plush-ready design language work across formats.
The two leaders solve different collector needs. LABUBU offers a deep existing universe and immediate recognition. TWINKLE TWINKLE offers a newer growth story with less dependence on one established figure format.
A-TIER CRYBABY, DIMOO, SKULLPANDA, HIRONO and MOLLY
This tier contains POP MART's established portfolio depth. First-half 2026 revenue reached RMB 1.6326 billion for CRYBABY, RMB 1.6192 billion for DIMOO, RMB 1.5512 billion for SKULLPANDA, RMB 1.0089 billion for HIRONO and RMB 900.6 million for MOLLY.
CRYBABY converts a single emotional cue into figures and plush without losing recognizability. DIMOO has a softer fantasy vocabulary that tolerates frequent costume and setting changes. SKULLPANDA leans fashion editorial, making finish and styling central to the product. HIRONO works through a subdued, introspective character language rather than bright cuteness. MOLLY remains historically important even though its 2026 revenue sits below the four names above it.
A tier is not a consolation bracket. Each IP generated enough first-half revenue to stand apart from most independent labels; S tier is reserved for the current scale leader and the year's exceptional growth story.
B-TIER Nommi, Maymei, Baby Three and Nanci
Nommi has the clearest public evidence in this group. TOP TOY's 2026 listing document says the Nommi catalog had reached 26 product series by December 31, 2025 and recorded aggregate GMV above RMB 200 million during the disclosed track-record period. This is GMV, not revenue, and it should not be compared directly with POP MART's artist-IP revenue table. It does, however, establish Nommi as more than a small unmeasured studio line.
Maymei shares SURE FUN's current catalog with Nommi, but TOP TOY's filing does not provide a matching standalone GMV figure for Maymei. Its placement is supported by active series continuity and a distinct moody-plush identity, not by an invented sales number.
Baby Three also belongs in the accessible vinyl-plush and pendant conversation, although specifications and distribution vary by series. Nanci, Rolife's original closed-eye character IP, has a different strength: continuity rooted in Chinese visual storytelling. Rolife's official history dates Nanci's launch to 2019, giving the line a documented identity beyond a short-lived social trend.
B tier is the practical discovery tier. These IPs have established product ecosystems, but their public reporting is not directly comparable with POP MART's largest artist properties.
C-TIER Zoraa and Keeno
Zoraa and Keeno represent smaller studio and limited-release collecting. Their appeal is often concentrated in a particular sculpt, flocked finish or numbered edition rather than a broad multi-format universe. That can make an individual release more interesting, but it also makes IP-level ranking harder.
Collectors should evaluate these products at listing level: identify the studio, edition size, materials, included hardware and after-sales terms. Limited is meaningful only when the quantity and issuer are documented. A seller-written phrase such as “rare art toy” is not evidence by itself.
D-TIER Counterfeit and unlicensed art toys
Counterfeits remain D tier regardless of how closely the front image resembles an authentic release. Poor mold alignment and weak paint are obvious defects; unknown plastic composition, copied packaging and missing after-sales support are the deeper problems.
Check the exact IP name, series name, manufacturer or rights-holder information, product tag and seller documentation. Older authentic packaging may differ from current packaging after a business or branding transition, so one logo mismatch should trigger research—not an instant verdict based on a social-media comment.
Reading the two financial systems correctly
POP MART's 2026 interim results report company revenue and named artist-IP revenue for the six months ending June 30, 2026. Those figures support comparisons inside the POP MART portfolio because they share a reporting period and accounting framework.
TOP TOY's listing document uses a different set of measures. It reports company revenue of RMB 3.5870 billion for 2025 and describes Nommi using aggregate GMV. Revenue and GMV are not interchangeable: GMV measures transaction value, while reported revenue depends on how sales are recognized. Nommi's RMB 200 million-plus figure is meaningful evidence of demand, but placing it beside THE MONSTERS' revenue without a warning would create a false comparison.
Matched to this article
More from Nommi
In-stock Nommi picks matched to this story first, then ranked for relevance, sales and availability.
How to choose an IP rather than chase a tier
Choose by format first
A collector who wants a 10 cm bag pendant and a collector who wants a 1/8-scale articulated doll are not shopping the same category, even if both products arrive in blind boxes. Start with the object you can display or carry: compact plush, vinyl-plush pendant, fixed figure or articulated doll. Then choose the IP.
Check whether the character survives costume changes
Strong IP design remains recognizable when color, clothing and setting change. LABUBU's ears and grin, HIRONO's posture, Nanci's closed-eye expression and Nommi's facial proportions do that work. If removing the printed box art makes the character anonymous, the series may be carrying more value than the IP.
Separate completion goals from discovery
Buying one single from three B-tier IPs teaches you more than buying a full case before you understand the material and scale. A full case can reduce duplicate risk when the listing explicitly guarantees a non-repeating regular set, but it also commits the entire budget to one design language. Read the product's own case terms; do not assume every brand uses the same packing rule.
Use tiers as a research map
S and A tiers identify the strongest public evidence, not the only worthwhile designs. B and C tiers are where collectors often find lower saturation and more specific visual identities. The correct purchase is the piece that fits your format, display space and tolerance for blind-box uncertainty.
Where Hi.toys fits
Hi.toys carries several of the accessible lines discussed here, including Nommi, Maymei and Baby Three. The broader Blind Boxes collection also includes designer figures and articulated dolls outside OBPAI's named IP ranking.
The product cards below are selected using Hi.toys sales history and current inventory. They are shopping recommendations, not inputs to the tier positions above. That separation prevents store performance from being disguised as industry-wide evidence.
Compare current designer toy formats, prices and in-stock series.
For a carry-specific comparison, read the 2026 Plush Bag Charm Tier List. For the wider international market, see the 2026 Plush & Art Toy IP Tier List.
Source & Interactive Tier List Matrix: Originally ranked by OBPAI TierList (2026 Chinese Original Art Toy IP Ranking). Interactive drag-and-drop rankings available on OBPAI.