{"id":90324,"date":"2026-10-27T12:29:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T19:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=90324"},"modified":"2026-10-27T17:53:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T00:53:36","slug":"trinkets-tiny-blind-box-north-long-beach-halloween-sonny-angels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/eat-see-do-2\/do\/trinkets-tiny-blind-box-north-long-beach-halloween-sonny-angels","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds of trinket diehards just gathered in Long Beach. Here’s why they are so obsessed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This story has been updated to include the correct name of the Trinketween vendor, Leanna Cortez of The Sonny Print Shop.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was noon on the outskirts of North Long Beach, and serious trading was underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the last Sunday before Halloween, about 200 die-hard trinket collectors took over a small corner of Heartwell Park for the fourth annual Trinketween Picnic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Halloween event celebrates trinkets: small, cute figurines meant to be collected and displayed, with a focus on Sonny Angel<\/a> figures. Sonny \u201cis a cute and angelic little boy who wears all sorts of different headgear,\u201d according to the trinket\u2019s website. While the 10 vendors sold their wares, some attendees lounged on picnic blankets and mingled, while others displayed their collections to sell, trade, or simply show off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole thing kind of started as an accident,\u201d said Monique Fraile, the event\u2019s creator and organizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Fraile, who goes by \u201cMomo,\u201d created her dessert business, Momoz Berries<\/a>, and began attending pop-up pastry events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraile began collecting Sonny Angel figurines in 2023, as a joyful hobby and possibly to spark some interest among her customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would have crazy big lines at my dessert booth,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes, not even for the desserts, just for people wanting to either look at the Sonny Angels or trade them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraile would attend trinket pop-up markets, but noticed most were far away \u2014 deep in Orange County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never really saw any around our area, like in Long Beach or deep LA,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So in 2023, she created Momoz Sonny Club<\/a> and hosted her first real Sonny Angel community pop-up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first event, maybe like 30 to 40 people went, and I guess word of mouth just started happening, and then that\u2019s kind of how we got to it being something bigger,\u201d Fraile said. She now hosts a monthly trinket meet-up in Heartwell Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Leanna Cortez and her boyfriend, Brad, pose in front of their vendor spot for The Sonny Print Shop during the Oct. 25 Trinketween event in Long Beach. Cortez and her boyfriend, a toy designer by trade, got the idea to make and sell 3D-printed display shelves designed for Sonny Angels and other collectible figurines while attending other meetups. Photo by Delfino Camacho<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tiny trinkets, big business<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The business of trinkets has grown into a billion-dollar industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pop Mart, the China-based parent company of popular collectibles like the Labubu plush<\/a>, reported record revenue of $5.38 billion for the 2025 fiscal year in its official annual results announcement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parent company of Sonny Angel and the glow-in-the-dark Smiski<\/a>, Japan-based Dreams Inc., reportedly earned $25.3 million in 2025 just from its U.S. online stores, according to Grips Intelligence<\/a>, which tracks daily e-commerce and retail sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the collectible trinkets are sold in a blind-box format, meaning individual figures from featured collections are sold in sealed packaging. Part of the allure is that collectors don\u2019t know exactly which figure they will get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics and mental health experts argue that the gambling-like nature of blind boxes could negatively impact<\/a> collectors \u2014 especially young children. Younger collectors run the risk of developing gambler-like risk assessment or hoarding-like behaviors, according to a February article in Psychiatric News, although authors say more research is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While outlets and experts debate the root causes of the trinkets\u2019 sudden rise in popularity, Fraile doesn\u2019t overthink it. She acknowledged that blind boxes add excitement, but the appeal, she said, is simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a matter of them just being cute,\u201d she said. \u201cLike sometimes people just like seeing cute stuff. It brings joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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