Buy Your First Bearbrick: A Guide to Theme, Size and Authenticity

Updated 14 November 2026 · Written by Bjørn Gram, Bearbrickz.com

Your first Bearbrick is the hardest one to choose. There are thousands of designs, four common sizes and prices ranging from under €135 to over €1,340. This is the order we recommend when someone asks where to start: theme first, then size, then format – and finally where and how to buy safely.

What is a Bearbrick?

BE@RBRICK (pronounced "bearbrick") is a collectible figure shaped like a stylised bear. It has been made by the Japanese company Medicom Toy since 2001, and the company's founder is Tatsuhiko Akashi. The basic shape is always the same – it is the surface that changes. It can be painted as Mickey Mouse, covered in a Van Gogh painting or given a chrome finish like a member of KISS. The figures are mainly made of ABS and PVC plastic, and the head, arms and legs can be turned.

If you want the whole story first, you can read what a Bearbrick is and where it comes from.

Step 1: Choose a theme you love

The most important advice is also the simplest: buy a figure you want to look at every day. Many beginners start with whatever is popular right now and end up with a figure that means nothing to them. Instead, start with something you already have a connection to – a cartoon from your childhood, a band, an artist or a film.

• Cartoons and Disney: Mickey Mouse (since 1928), Snoopy, Tom and Jerry and Toy Story are safe choices, because the design is recognisable to everyone in the room.
• Art: Van Gogh, Monet, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring on a Bearbrick work like a small work of art on the shelf.
• Music: KISS, The Doors, Grateful Dead and Iron Maiden appeal to music fans who want something other than a poster.
• Anime and Japanese pop culture: Evangelion, Attack on Titan and Astro Boy make for figures with strong colours and clear details.

Disney Bearbricks 33 figures Peanuts & Snoopy Bearbricks 11 figures Art Bearbricks 42 figures Music Bearbricks 25 figures Anime & Japanese Bearbricks 26 figures Cartoon Bearbricks 94 figures

You can see every theme together on the page with all Bearbrick themes. If you already have a theme in mind, our theme guides go into depth on Disney Bearbricks, BAPE Bearbricks and art Bearbricks.

Step 2: Which size should you choose?

Bearbricks are measured in percent. 100% is the base size of approx. 7 cm, and the other sizes are multiplied up from there: a 400% is four times as tall, a 1000% ten times. The prices below are the range we have in stock today – they change as new figures come in and others sell out.

For a first figure we almost always recommend 400%. It is big enough for the details to stand out, it fits on an ordinary shelf, and it is the size with the most designs. Right now we have over 200 different 400% figures and sets in stock. A 1000% is a great buy, but it needs space and a bigger budget – read more in our guide to 1000% Bearbricks.

If you are unsure how the sizes look side by side, we have a size guide with measurements for every size.

Step 3: Single figure or 100% + 400% set?

Many designs are sold as a set with a 100% and a 400% in the same design. It is a good place to start, because you get two figures that can stand together or apart – the small one on the desk, the big one on the shelf. In terms of price the difference is often small: the median price of a 100% + 400% set in stock is approx. €200, the same as for 400% overall.

A single 400% makes sense if the design only comes that way, or if you want to keep the budget under €160. Many of our cheapest figures are single 400%. Look for "400% & 100%" or "set" in the product name, so you know what you are getting.

Step 4: Where can you buy Bearbricks safely?

Popular collectible figures get copied, and Bearbricks are no exception. You avoid most problems by buying in the right place and knowing what to look for.

The NFC tag on newer releases

Since 2022, Medicom Toy has fitted an NFC tag in newer releases. The system is called du-al.io and was developed together with Hakuhodo Products, while the tags themselves are made by Toppan. When you scan with your smartphone, you can see whether the figure is genuine and register yourself as the owner with a digital certificate that can be transferred if you ever sell the figure on. Older releases do not have an NFC tag, so a missing tag on an older figure is not in itself a warning sign. Read how to scan in our NFC authenticity check.

Warning signs of a fake

• The price is far below what the same design costs elsewhere.
• The box is missing, made of thin cardboard or has blurry logos and print.
• The paint runs over the edges, or the colours look wrong compared with the manufacturer's own images.
• The joints are loose or crooked, and the plastic feels thin.
• A newer release that should have NFC gives no response when scanned.

Check the retailer

Buy from a shop with a real company name, an address and an email address you can write to – and with a returns policy you can read before you buy. Bearbrickz.com is run by Enevoldsen Warehouse ApS in Juelsminde, Denmark, you can write to info@bearbrickz.com, and you have a 14-day right of withdrawal. We have over 120 customer reviews on the site that you can read before you decide. If you have questions about a particular figure, use the contact page.

Great first Bearbricks for every budget

Here are figures we think work well as a first one. The cards show the current price, and sold-out figures disappear automatically.

Under €160: simple and recognisable

Classic figures from Peanuts and Disney and a Keith Haring set at a low price. A good place to start if you want to see whether the collecting bug bites.

400% Marbles (Peanuts) $147.00 View figure → 400% Mickey Mouse (Black & White) $152.00 View figure → 400% Keith Haring #12 (Medallion) $169.00 View figure → 400% Jafar (Disney Aladdin) $163.00 View figure → 400% Pluto $163.00 View figure →

€160–200: sets with two figures

This is where most 100% + 400% sets sit. Van Gogh, Elmo in chrome, Winnie the Pooh and a NASA astronaut show how varied the designs are at the same price. "My First Bearbrick Baby" is a series of its own, and the name suits a first figure rather well.

400% Winnie the Pooh (Original) $180.00 View figure → 400% Van Gogh: The Potato Eaters $197.00 View figure → 400% Elmo (Chrome) $197.00 View figure → 400% Mickey Mouse (Brave Little Tailor) $225.00 View figure → 400% Apollo 17 Astronaut (NASA) $225.00 View figure → 400% My First Bearbrick Baby (MUTANT) $225.00 View figure →

When you want a little more

BAPE, Andy Warhol and a 200% in a Chogokin edition for anyone who wants to start with something special – and two 1000% figures if your first figure needs to be a showpiece.

400% Baby Milo by BAPE (Ear Clear Ver.) $287.00 View figure → 400% Andy Warhol (Elvis Presley) $287.00 View figure → 200% 1st Model – 20th Anniversary – (Chogokin) $225.00 View figure → 1000% Marvin The Martian (Space Jam) $675.00 View figure → 1000% Mickey Mouse (Brave Little Tailor) $906.00 View figure →

What should you check when the parcel arrives?

We ship orders within 1–2 business days, and you receive a tracking number by email. When the parcel is on the table, it is worth spending five minutes checking it:

1. The box: Look for dents or tears before you open it. Take a photo if anything looks wrong.
2. The contents: If you bought a set, both the 100% and the 400% should be in the box.
3. The figure: Look at the paint, print and joints. Gently turn the head and arms to check everything sits as it should.
4. NFC: If it is a newer release with an NFC tag, scan it and register yourself as the owner.
5. The packaging: Keep the box and the inner packaging. It protects the figure if you move house, and it matters if you ever want to sell.

If anything is wrong, write to info@bearbrickz.com with your order number and photos, and we will find a solution.

How to store and display your first figure

Bearbricks are easy to look after if you remember three things. Keep them out of direct sunlight, as the colours can fade over time. Dust them with a soft brush or a microfibre cloth – not with wet cloths or cleaning products. And keep the original box, both as protection and because it affects the resale value.

For a 400%, the shelf space needs to be at least approx. 30 cm high. A 100% can stand almost anywhere – on the desk, on the windowsill (just not in full sun) or in front of the big figure from the same set. As your collection grows, you will find ideas for shelves, display cabinets and lighting in our guide to displaying your Bearbricks.

Next steps

If you want to know more about what drives prices up and down, read our Bearbrick price guide. If your first Bearbrick is a gift for someone else, we have suggestions in the Christmas gift guide, the birthday guide and the confirmation gift guide. And if you are curious about which figures collectors are watching, take a look at the 2026 wish list.