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There's a question I get a lot, both online and from friends who see my shelves. "Why are you so obsessed with a toy that's always crying?"
And I get it. At first glance, the entire CRYBABY universe seems… sad. Big, glassy eyes perpetually welling up with giant, perfect tears. But for those of us who collect them, it's never been about sadness. It's about vulnerability. It's the quiet acknowledgment that it's okay to not be okay. Artist Molly Yllom created a character that gives us permission to feel.
So when POP MART announced the Cheer Up Baby Cry Baby series, I was honestly a little skeptical. Was the point to stop the crying? To fix the very thing that made the character so resonant?
Then the first cases arrived at the PopNya office. And I understood. This series wasn't about stopping the tears. It was about carrying them with you.
First Impressions: This Isn't Your Usual Blind Box**
The first thing you notice is the box itself. It's softer, somehow. The graphics are bright, almost defiantly cheerful against the familiar image of CRYBABY's tear-streaked face. But the real difference is the weight and feel. As someone who has handled thousands of vinyl blind boxes, my hands are calibrated to the dense, solid thud of a vinyl figure.
These are different. They're light. When you shake one, you don't hear a rattle. You hear a soft, muffled thump.
Opening the foil bag is a completely different tactile experience. Instead of a cool, smooth vinyl figure, your fingers sink into soft, low-pile plush. The first one I ever pulled was "Cheer Up Flag." It's a simple design, a classic CRYBABY holding a little flag that says "Cheer Up." But holding it was… comforting. The plush is dense and satisfyingly squishy. The stitching is surprisingly high-quality, and the little details, like the embroidered tears and the perfectly printed flag, are crisp.
Attached to each one is a sturdy, star-shaped carabiner clip. This was the moment it clicked for me. These aren't just for the shelf. These are meant to go on your backpack, your keys, your tote bag. They're designed to face the world with you.
The Great Plush "Feel" Debate: Can You Cheat the System?
With vinyl figures, the "box weighing" or "shaking" method to guess the character is mostly a myth, especially with modern releases where POP MART has standardized the weights. But with plushies, the shapes are more distinct. So, can you feel your way to the secret?
I have to be honest: I tried. I really did.
When we got our first shipment, I set aside a full case for the store and took one for myself to document the unboxing. Before opening, I sat down with the 12 boxes and tried to "feel" them out. The box insert shows all the possible designs. I was hunting for "Crying in the Shell," the secret, which has a very distinct helmet shape.
I spent a solid 20 minutes gently squishing the boxes, trying to discern shapes through the cardboard and foil. I isolated one that felt… different. It had a firmer, more rounded top than the others. "This has to be it," I thought. "This is the helmet."
I opened it with the cameras rolling for our social media. It was "Sadness-Go-Away Monster." A fantastic pull, with its little monster hoodie, but definitely not the shell-shaped secret I was so sure I'd found. My success rate? A big fat zero.
Here's the real talk that other blogs won't give you: while the shapes are theoretically different, the plush is so soft and the figures are packed so tightly that they all tend to feel like a dense, ambiguous lump. The "ears" on the monster, the "hat" on the Crying Beanie, the "headband" on the Broken Heart Headband, they all compress inside the packaging. You might be able to tell the difference between a very simple shape and a very complex one, but trying to differentiate between 12 similarly-sized plushies is a fool's errand. Save yourself the time and just enjoy the surprise. It's more fun that way, anyway.
More Than Just Cute: A Breakdown of the Designs
What I love about the Cheer Up Baby Cry Baby series is the story each little plush tells. It's a journey through the different stages of dealing with big feelings.
"Genderless Crying" is, without a doubt, the most important design in this set. It features CRYBABY with a half-blue, half-pink face, challenging the outdated idea that expressing emotion is tied to gender. It's a powerful, progressive statement in a tiny, plush package. And collectors have responded. This is consistently the most sought-after regular figure in the series. On secondary markets, I've seen it sell for $35-$45, more than double the price of a single blind box, which is rare for a non-secret figure. It shows that the message matters.
"Crying in the Shell" is the secret, or chase, figure. And it's conceptually brilliant. It's CRYBABY hiding inside a giant, snail-like shell, with only its crying eyes peeking out. It perfectly captures that feeling of wanting to withdraw from the world when you're overwhelmed. The plush itself is a feat of engineering, with a beautifully constructed shell that has a slight iridescent sheen to it. Pulling this one is a genuine thrill. The market for this one exploded immediately. Retail is about $17 a box. Within the first week of release, "Crying in the Shell" was hitting $120+ on collector forums. It's settled a bit since then, but it's still the undisputed king of the series.
Then you have figures like "Tissue Paper" and "Broken Heart Headband," which represent the tools and symbols of sadness. But they're re-contextualized. The tissue isn't just for wiping tears; it's a comforting blanket. The broken heart isn't a sign of defeat; it's a headband worn like a badge of honor. It's a subtle shift in perspective that makes all the difference.
Real Talk: Is the Cheer Up, Baby! Series a Must-Have?
As a seller and a collector, I always try to be straight with people. Not every series is for every collector. So where does this one fit in the vast universe of CRYBABY?
This is my honest take.
If you are a hardcore, display-only collector who curates pristine shelves of vinyl figures, this series might not be your top priority. Plush doesn't always integrate perfectly with vinyl displays, and the keychain aspect might feel irrelevant to you. Unless you're a completist who needs every single CRYBABY release (and I know many of you are!), you might see this as a side quest rather than a main mission.
However, if you are someone who connects with the emotional core of CRYBABY, this series is an absolute must. It's the most personal and interactive collection yet. Clipping "Don't Cry" onto your work bag is a little act of self-compassion. It's a physical reminder to be gentle with yourself. It takes the concept off the shelf and puts it into your daily life. For me, that's a huge evolution of the brand. This is where you can start to browse CRYBABY figures and see the difference in format for yourself.
For new collectors, this is probably the best entry point into the world of CRYBABY. It's less intimidating than a full case of vinyl, it's functional, and the designs are undeniably adorable. It's an easy way to see if the character resonates with you before you dive headfirst into collecting the rarer, more expensive vinyl series.
Now, for the downsides. Because nothing is perfect. The lighter-colored plushies, especially "Cheer Up Flag" and "Crying in the Shell," are magnets for dirt. If you actually use them as keychains on a daily-use bag, they will get grimy. They can be spot-cleaned, but they will never look as pristine as they did out of the box. That's the trade-off for having a companion that actually goes on adventures with you. Also, the star-shaped carabiner, while cute and generally sturdy, is not invincible. I've heard from one customer that theirs got snagged and bent. It's a good clip, but it's not industrial-grade hardware.
The Market and My Final Thoughts
The launch of the crybaby cheer up series was a frenzy. Our first allocation at PopNya sold out in under 48 hours. The demand was fueled by existing CRYBABY fans eager for something new and a whole new audience drawn in by the cute, functional plush format.
Restocks have been happening, but completing the set is still a challenge. The popularity of "Genderless Crying" means that even if you buy a sealed case of 12, you're not guaranteed to get it, and finding it for a reasonable price on its own can be tough.
Ultimately, the Cheer Up, Baby! Series achieved something remarkable. It expanded the definition of what a CRYBABY toy could be. It proved that the character's emotional resonance wasn't tied to a specific material or format. It's about the feeling.
It's a reminder that cheering up isn't about forcing a smile. It's about acknowledging the tears and finding the strength to carry on, maybe with a little plush friend clipped to your bag, silently rooting for you. It's a small, soft rebellion against the pressure to always be happy. And that's a message I'm more than happy to carry with me every day. If you're curious to see how this series compares to others, you can check out our full CRYBABY collection and see the incredible range of Molly's art.
*Disclosure: PopNya may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page.
