Why have we become so obsessed with trinkets? The rise of trinket collecting culture and how it’s influenced society

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

We have entered this era of ‘Jane Birkinfying’ our bags, a term inspired by the fashion icon’s renowned overstuffed Hermes Birkin, which was decorated with sentimental items, charms and scarves. This term truly captures the present phenomenon, since all you see as you walk along a busy street are Sonny Angels, Monchhichis, or Jellycat keyrings dangling from people’s bags. I even have ‘Jane Birkinfied’ my own bags, adding several keyrings and pins so that I can showcase my interests. With this process, I have also become an avid lover of trinket collecting. Nothing beats finding exactly what you were looking for in a charity shop or secondhand online, for a quarter of the original price.

The Meaning of Trinkets

Trinkets can be a keyring or a small ornament that means something to us. Our collections often serve as external representations of our internal worlds, providing subtle ways to communicate our interests, values and personality traits to others. But they also serve as tangible connections to memories, people and experiences, which explains why the form of trinket collecting is so dear to people. To some though, this might not resonate with them as they are simply buying these trinkets to fit in with the current trends, but even that in itself creates meaning.

Beyond the Trinket: The Psychology Behind it All

The most popular trinkets have one thing in common: their ‘cuteness’ factor. This is purposely done because our brains are hardwired to respond to cuteness, a phenomenon called ‘baby schema’ which was originally coined by ethologist Konrad Lorenz. Features such as large eyes relative to head size, round faces, small stature, triggers our caregiving instincts, it also applies to the inanimate objects that mimic these proportions. With this, when we are exposed to something cute, our brains release dopamine and oxytocin, the same chemicals associated with happiness and bonding. Consequently, it creates a feedback loop where cute objects literally make us feel good. So when we buy a trinket that resembles this, it makes us happy and we want to display it so that every time we see it, this feeling is evoked, and that others will experience the same feeling. We, humans, also have fundamental needs for comfort, a sense of identity and connection which run deeper than conscious awareness, and trinkets fit right in. Not only do they touch on our childhood selves (which I will discuss further on), providing us with a sense of comfort, but they also showcase who we are and what our interests are. When publicly showcasing our interests, it’s common that it will spark interaction with strangers, as many collectors report this happening.

So why have they suddenly become so popular?

Trinkets offer something profoundly simple and immediate in a day of constant digital stimulation and overwhelming options. These small collectables offer instant enjoyment without serious repercussions, in contrast to large purchases that can cause buyer’s remorse or complicated judgments needing in-depth research. This simplicity and accessibility is why trinket collecting is especially enticing in stressful or uncertain times. Major life goals may seem unattainable, but acquiring a small item, like a trinket, offers an instantaneous and reasonably priced sensation of control and fulfilment – this is known as the lipstick effect, which becomes especially pronounced during economic downturns. Collecting these items can provide a sense of control in a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, where many aspects of life are governed by external forces. Our collections and what we display is entirely up to us, which creates a small realm where we have complete autonomy and decision-making power. Not only this, but we can also have controlled uncertainty as the current popular trinkets come in a blind box, where you don’t know what’s inside.

As already touched on, nostalgia is also a key part of trinket culture, that especially fosters itself during economic struggle. We start to yearn for the simpler times where we felt most happy, likely being when we were younger and had no idea about the events happening around the world. Because of this, many people’s collections revolve around their childhood favourite shows or characters, or an item that resembles this sense of childhood joy. It’s why Sonny Angels and Monchhichis have exploded in popularity, because they tap into this sense of childhood nostalgia. Trends also repeat themselves every 20 years, and the last time we saw this trinket craze was in the early 2000s, so it’s no wonder that they have made their comeback now.

Have we lost the meaning of trinket collecting?

Living in a capitalist world means that anytime a product becomes popular and supply can’t meet the demand, the issue with counterfeit products arises as a means to capitalise on the trend as much as possible. This is particularly evident with the recent rise of labubus, a big-eyed, fluffy creature that hangs on a keyring. These creatures originated in China, but only took off when K-pop star Lisa and Rihanna were seen with them hooked onto their bags. These keyrings are only sold at Pop Mart, so when they exploded in popularity, it became impossible to get your hands on them. The demand for them became so high that Pop Mart had to pause sales of labubus worldwide to prevent any potential safety issues, after customers began fighting for them in stores. With this came the rise of knockoff products, both trying to copy the original keyring, nicknamed ‘lafufu’, and just plastering the image onto anything possible, from lunchboxes to bedding. And it’s not just labubus; knockoff products have been made of every single popular trinket because supply cannot keep up with the demand. The problem with these products is that because they’re part of a trend, they will eventually die out and just be replaced by something else, so these products will end up in a landfill.

In short, the reason why trinkets have become so popular once again is because we are currently going through an economic downturn, where most people can’t afford to make large purchases. Instead, they settle for these small treasures that provide simplicity and trigger happy emotions. Trends also tend to repeat themselves every 20 years, with the last time we saw this obsession being in the early 2000s. However, with how capitalistic our society is, the amount of counterfeit products is concerning and completely goes against the whole point of trinket collecting – being original and a reflection of one’s personality.