What Is a Vinyl Figure?
Vinyl figures primarily refer to dolls made mainly from PVC through the vinyl process, which is a manufacturing technique (roto-casting) rather than a material name. These figures, also known as vinyl toys or Urban vinyl, originated in Hong Kong in the 1990s and are characterized by their exaggerated and minimalist designs. In other countries, they are referred to as "Urban vinyl" or "vinyl toys," often created by graphic designers, florists, musicians, cartoonists, graffiti artists, or even artificial intelligence. They emphasize design features, including collaborations like KAWS with Sesame Street, as well as series such as LABUBU and dimoo, along with works by artist Joan Cornellà.
In the late 1990s, global designer toy companies began to emerge, such as Funko, which was founded in the United States in 1998 and includes vinyl figures in its product line. As early as 1999, Hong Kong artist Lee Chan-sum collaborated with designer Eric So to launch a vinyl figure based on his personal image. In recent years, vinyl figures have continued to serve as important vehicles for cross-border collaborations between art and commerce. For example, in 2025, artist KAWS collaborated with the creative unit AllRightsReserved to launch a limited edition series of vinyl figures featuring Sesame Street.
The vinyl process originated in Germany in 1924 when the first roto-casting machine successfully produced the "chocolate rabbit" toy. The process involves mold making, high-temperature shaping in a vinyl oven (at temperatures between 250°C and 280°C), shaping in a cooling oven (around 100°C), and subsequent decoration processes. Initially, this process was mainly applied to the manufacturing of figure toys, with Hong Kong playing a significant role in the development of figure designs.
At the 2025 exhibition, vinyl plush toys occupied half of the booths, with some products capable of standing and moving their limbs. Innovative forms such as vinyl plush music boxes garnered attention. The Pop Mart Labubu series utilizes the vinyl plush process, achieving rapid molding in 5 seconds through 160°C high-temperature injection molding, combined with magnetic modules and other designs, making it a market hit. In the first half of 2025, its total revenue reached 13.88 billion yuan, with vinyl plush products becoming an important growth point. The TOP TOY brand's Sanrio "Latte Baby" series of vinyl plush products achieved over 57 million yuan in GMV within six months. With the hot sales of the LABUBU third-generation products, this process has expanded into everyday applications such as backpack accessories.
Vinyl figures come in a wide variety of categories, from the earliest and most popular Hong Kong street culture to the diverse classifications seen today. Vinyl figures have permeated every corner of entertainment and daily life. Since renowned international designers are often commissioned for their designs, high-quality vinyl figures can truly become works of art.