Put on gloves and prepare tools such as small cooking pots, sandpaper, forceps, glue, etc... The blind box reformer is about to start a "surgery".
"Put the resin doll in the blind box, that is, the 'bottom doll' into boiling water for a few minutes, and then slowly disassemble the parts, then use sandpaper to polish the bottom doll clean, put on gloves and then mold, paint and hand paint the doll, and finally spray the protective paint." In the sharing video from Xiaohongshu, a blogger is explaining the process of "changing the baby".
According to the data of the "2021 China Trend Toy Market Development Report", it is expected that in 2022, the economic market size of China's tide play represented by blind boxes and handmade will reach 47.8 billion yuan. Among them, the tide play brand represented by Bubble Mart has gradually made the "blind box baby master" gradually known to everyone.
What is their daily routine? What about income? What are the current career trends? Red Star News reporters investigated this.
▲ The work of the baby changer
Why "into the pit"?
Obsessed with blind boxes, want to create a unique "doll"
At present, Weibo, Taobao, Idle Fish, B Station and other network platforms have become the main gathering place for blind box baby reformers, and they will share some "baby change" tutorials and "baby change" pictures on it. After searching, the reporter got in touch with a shopkeeper on idle fish, Wu Wu (pseudonym). According to reports, she is a "post-90s" who joined the ranks of "blind box transformation" in January last year.
"I was hooked on smoking blind boxes and smoking a lot of repetitive ones. Later, after knowing that someone could change the baby, I thought of finding someone to help. However, due to the high cost of handicraft and the need to queue up, the witch came up with the idea of "hands-on" himself.
"Before, I did embroidery, wool felt and other small crafts, which laid some foundation for the later transformation of the baby. After the operation is slowly mastered, it begins to try to change colors, change shapes, add elements and other processes. The witch said.
Another seller on Idle Fish, Bubble (pseudonym), is also a baby changer. "It's fine to have a manual foundation. When I first started learning to paint, I always applied unevenly, and although it was just a simple operation to get started, it took a long time to practice in order to ensure the feel. ”
In addition to manual operation, "creative design" is the most test of the level of the baby changer. In the works of witches, you can see the color combinations of big brands and some cartoon images. "The more popular one at the time was Disney Molly. The inspiration actually comes from the client, who comes up with some ideas and I make adjustments during the production process. ”
"I used the Timoo Space Series Carton Boy, coupled with customer requests, to design a Porsche 'Pink Pig' Dimoo model, making the popular image more unique." Another girl, Peach Peach (not her real name), said.
In the "blind box to baby" circle, there is a tide play blogger who is out of the circle because of creativity. "My name is Yan Wuhao, I am a lover with three years of experience in changing babies, and I am also a Chengdu native." The blind box is an opportunity, it opens the way for Yan Wuhao's "transformation of the baby". "In fact, when it comes to blind boxes, it is not particularly popular." With the rise in the popularity of blind boxes in the past two years, more and more baby lovers like me have emerged. ”
Some people say that the monthly income can be tens of thousands
Veteran players are concerned that the prospects for linking to business are not optimistic
Open the idle fish interface, the reporter noticed that the price of the baby is generally between 200 and 300 yuan. In this regard, Bubble explained, "The charging situation is mainly determined according to the difficulty of the change and the number of accessories. If you change the thunder model, if you just change the color and shape of this simple operation, the fee is 100 yuan. ”
For customized models, Bubble said that the fee will exceed 300 yuan. "I also changed one of the most expensive dolls, and the fee was more than 500." At that time, a racing driver was changed with Dimoo, and accessories such as helmets and racing suits would be more troublesome in production. "Bubble supplement, this work has been done for almost a month." This is because in the process of changing the baby, the steps of soil replenishment, painting, coloring, etc., almost all have to wait for air drying before proceeding to the next step. ”
▲Screenshot of the search for a baby on the idle fish
The reporter learned that almost all of the baby changers like Bubble are part-time. "The number of orders is not much, generally take a few orders when you are free, mainly as an interest to play." Obuchi (pseudonym) said.
Wu Wu, who was also still studying, said, "When I first started taking orders, there were only more than 20. Later, I knew more friends, about 150 orders a month, basically customized models. She added that the manual fee is between 70 and 150 yuan, "the highest monthly income, there are about 30,000." ”
However, as a veteran player, Yan Wuhao believes that if it is directly linked to business, the prospect of changing the baby will not be very optimistic. "There's a copyright issue involved. In order to pursue beauty, baby lovers will consider adding Elements such as Disney cartoon characters and makeup brands, but without authorization, there may be a risk of infringement. In his view, maintaining interest and creativity can make the "baby culture" go further. "Creating personal influence is another way to monetize business." In the past, Yan Wuhao has cooperated with brands such as Bubble Mart, Forbidden City, and AHAVA. Some of his series of adaptations inspired by the glory of the game king have been released in the Little Red Book.
Does "revambranation" involve infringement?
Lawyer: It depends on whether the work itself constitutes an "appropriate citation"
What do you think of the "blind box baby changer"? Wang Yingzhan, the chief lawyer of Sichuan Zhongmu Law Firm, believes that in essence, this industry is related to the issue of whether the original IP is infringed. "There are many forms in the field of 'reva reforming the baby', such as the second creation of the makeup face, the second creation of the part, the replacement of parts and even the situation of turning the mold. Then, in the case that its essence has not changed, that is, purely turning the mold of the 'doll', or modifying it on the original doll, the IP authorization should be obtained, otherwise there will be a risk of infringement. ”
In response to the use of big-name logos, such as Disney and other elements in the creative process, Wang Yingzhan stressed, "This should also be recognized by the other party, otherwise it is very easy to pose a risk of infringement." ”
"Generally speaking, 'two innovations' are legally recognized, but we must pay attention to how to use it." Wang Yingzhan explained that the work is not commercially circulated under the condition of "appropriate citation"; secondly, it is necessary to obtain the authorization of the IP of the original work and use it within the scope of authorization.
Speaking of Yan Wuhao's proposal to "seek brand cooperation", Wang Yingzhan said that this is indeed a good two-creation business model. "At this stage of marketing, 'erchuang' is a very mainstream marketing method. If a cooperative relationship can be reached, it will not only increase the publicity of the original IP, but also allow the baby changers to avoid risks. ”
Source: Chengdu Business Daily