Called "Urban vinyl Toys" or "Designer Toys", these are highly collectable design concepts created by artists all over the world.

The Urban Toy scene was born in 1997 when designer Michael Lau showed up at a Hong Kong toy show with a handful of GI-Joes he'd customized into hip-hop street fashion figures. Things exploded from there, and artists from Hong Kong and Japan began making their own limited toys.

Over the past few years Urban toys have hit the USA & Europe. As a result, even more artists began creating their own concepts, moving on in various directions, with some branching out into mini-figures, as well as plush toys, 12" figures, and even good old plastic.

And they still do, each producing and creating original Urban Vinyl and Designer Toys in many different flavours.

www.kidrobot.com
www.sweatyfrog.com
www.playlounge.co.uk