BE@RBRICK
BE@RBRICK, often written Bearbrick, is a bear-shaped figure made by the Japanese company Medicom Toy. The first was released on 27 May 2001 as a free gift to visitors of the World Character Convention 12 in Tokyo. The shape never changes; what changes is the surface, and that blank, constant body has carried the designs of artists, fashion houses and bands ever since.
Definition
The name joins bear and brick, and it plays on Kubrick, the block-figure design that Medicom made before it. The at sign in place of the letter a is part of the brand and a Medicom trademark, which is why careful writers keep it. A BE@RBRICK is defined by its proportions: a rounded head with small ears, a straight body and short, jointed limbs, in exactly the same shape at every size.
Sizes are given as percentages of the standard figure. A 100% BE@RBRICK stands about seven centimetres high; 50% is about four centimetres, 70% about five, 400% about 28 centimetres and 1000% about 70 centimetres. In our handling, the 100% and 400% often come together as a set, so the same design can be shown small and large.
Origin
From the beginning, BE@RBRICK was issued in numbered series. Unlike Kubrick series, each BE@RBRICK series follows a set of themed categories that repeat from series to series, such as Basic, a solid-colour figure with a letter on its chest, and later a Hero category for comic characters, introduced in series 21. The figures collectors value most are the chase figures, unannounced and absent from the advertising and the box.
Collaborations made the figure an art toy. Visual artists such as H. R. Giger, illustrators such as Pushead, graffiti artists such as Stash and designers including Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood have all designed figures. Because runs are limited and artists are involved, BE@RBRICK is generally counted among designer toys. A longer history of sizes, editions and the figure's place in the vault is told in our Journal piece From Vinyl to Vault, and the 1000% beside other large figures in Toys the Size of Furniture.
Key facts
| Maker | Medicom Toy, Japan |
|---|---|
| First release | 27 May 2001, World Character Convention 12, Tokyo |
| Sizes | 50% (about 4 cm), 70% (5 cm), 100% (7 cm), 400% (28 cm), 1000% (70 cm) |
| Format | Numbered series with recurring categories; secret figures unannounced |
| Ancestor | Medicom's Kubrick figure |
How to identify it
- The foot. Read the Medicom Toy, BE@RBRICK and collaborating rights-holder marks together. A clear stamp is useful documentation, not proof of authenticity: marks and packaging can be copied, and production details must match the particular release.
- The size. Use the approximate height to distinguish a 100%, 400% or 1000% figure, not as a pass-or-fail authenticity test. The release documentation and the construction details matter alongside the measurement.
- The box. Sealed 1000% figures and 100% and 400% sets come in printed boxes that name the design; keep them. A sealed figure is described in our entry on deadstock.
- Series figures. In our handling, a 100% from a numbered series should match that series' printed card, and a chase figure is worth confirming against the series as released.
Where it appears in the collection
The house keeps its figures on the BE@RBRICK and Medicom shelf. We hold a 1000% Grateful Dead Dancing Bear figure for the band's 50th anniversary and a 100% and 400% Astro Boy Sleeping set; Tezuka's robot is read in our Astro Boy collecting guide.
Related entries
- Sofubi: Japan's soft vinyl figure.
- Garage kit: the small-run resin figure.
- Condition ranks: how a box and figure are graded.
Sources
- Bearbrick, encyclopaedia entry, sections on releases, sizes, series and collaborations. wikipedia.org
- Kubrick (toy), encyclopaedia entry. wikipedia.org
Last reviewed 15 November 2026. The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team, Tokyo, Japan.