Tiny toys prove a big hit with young collectors

Dolls are no longer exclusively for children. Jiang Fan, a 22-year-old college graduate in Shanghai, became captivated by Molly dolls two years ago. Now, she has a collection of more than 70, and the number is climbing.

These tiny toys, commonly known as blind box figures, come in sealed packaging and collectors have no idea which specific figure from a series they are buying. Many series even feature rare special figures or lucky-draw figures.

"It's kind of like buying trading cards, except you don't get a piece of cardboard, you get a cool toy," Jiang said. "The sense of uncertainty intrigues me!"