I have to imagine the majority of hardcore collectors love to keep their favourite products safe in their packaging. Some might never remove them at all, or even buy two versions where one can be taken out and displayed, while the other can be stored away forever.
This is a mentality that permeates across video game, film, television, anime, and manga fandoms. Keeping things in mint condition is important, and we have developed a cultural acceptance that the second something is removed from its packaging, the value is greatly diminished. It’s true, but now companies are standing up against this in order to change the way we view packaging.
Good Smile Company Is Changing Figure Packaging For The Better…
Good Smile Company, a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of various different figure products has announced that its Nendoroid line will transition to amore simple manner of packaging. One that discards stylish box designs in favour of recyclable cardboard which emphasises the act of actually putting your figures on display instead of hiding them away for a rainy day.
Notice Regarding Change in Packaging Design
Nendoroid and Nendoroid [Basic] products will soon feature redesigned packaging that significantly minimizes the use of plastic materials, reducing plastic consumption by up to 84% as compared to the original design.
Details:…pic.twitter.com/ELSkBFdD0q
— Good Smile Company (@goodsmile_en)June 16, 2025
While I understand the frustration with this move, especially considering the long history of Nendoroids and their stylised numbered packaging, it’s ultimately for the best. It saves the environment from piles of plastic that will never decompose, while consumers will be encouraged to take a different approach to the collectibles they buy.
Maybe it’s because I recently moved house and convinced myself to throw away a bunch of old consoles and figure boxes, but life really is more enjoyable when you ignore the pressure and anxiety that comes from collecting your favourite things. Yes, things might get damaged, or you’ll be unable to earn the maximum value for something in the future, but that’s if you’re going to sell it in the first place. Collectors are constantly existing with the assumption of their collection being lesser if it doesn’t stay pristine or untouched.
Buying a figure for it to remain a boxed relic defeats the purpose of owning a beautiful object, and while I appreciate the perspective of some collectors, this only became normalised because collecting was conditioned to be a very specific thing.
…But It Leaves Me With Some Concerns For The Future
Good Smile Company both wants to help the environment and encourage its customers to display and have fun with its range of products, even if it means losing some of its identity. However much I support this new direction though, it does leave me with some questions. Exactly how will retailers and independent sellers display products after such a radical change, and how will buyers be able to determine a box contains all of the correct pieces, and they aren’t being taken for a ride by some lousy bootleg?
Even so, you’ll be covered by consumer rights if anything goes awry, and the huge environmental benefits vastly outweigh any of the negatives here.
These questions will need answering as Good Smile rolls out this new initiative, and it also needs to figure out whether restocks will follow the same strategy, or if it’s willing to roll back this future vision to keep customers happy. Maybe it will slide a protective cardboard sleeve over the standard cardboard box, striking a middle ground between old and new while giving each Nendoroid a premium feel that justifies its price point? A necessity when you learn about this downgraded packaging not result in a lower cost for the consumer, which some aren’t best pleased about. But like with all changes, we will adapt.
Some game consoles have been using recycled materials for a long time now, most notably PS4, PS5, and a number of officially licensed accessories.
I doubt Good Smile Company will be the last major name to establish such a change either, especially when the world is already having trouble managing its growing waste and massive companies must do their part to slow our descent into climate catastrophe. I realise what the end goal is here, and I’m mature enough to appreciate it, even if the luscious boxes I’ve long been accustomed to are being eliminated in the crossfire. The products we’re buying are not changing, only the ways in which they’re presented.
