Smiski vs Sonny Angel for Your Desk

Two tiny collectibles dominate desk corners around the world right now. Smiski and Sonny Angel both come in blind boxes, both fit in the palm of your hand, and both have passionate collectors who cannot stop at one.

But they are very different little characters. Sonny Angel is a smiling cherub who wears a different hat in every series, while Smiski is a shy green creature who lurks in unexpected places and glows in the dark. This guide compares them side by side so you can pick the one that fits your desk, your budget, and your collecting style.

Who Are Smiski and Sonny Angel

Sonny Angel the Emotional Support Cherub

Sonny Angel has been around since 2004, created by Japanese toymaker Toru Soeya, who was inspired by the Kewpie doll. He is a cherub with small wings, big eyes, and a gentle smile, and he is famously one single character, like Hello Kitty, who simply wears different headgear in each series.

The box itself says he may bring you happiness, and Dreams USA, the US distributor, describes him as an emotional support item rather than a toy.

His popularity exploded in 2022, after the pandemic pushed people toward comforting, positive objects to collect.

TikTok has more than 600,000 posts about him, Instagram accounts track collections in the hundreds, and he even appeared in a Saturday Night Live sketch. Collectors call him the next Cabbage Patch Kid, dressing him up, taking him on trips, and building entire display walls around him.

Smiski the Glow-in-the-Dark Lurker

Smiski is a different kind of companion. The name comes from the Japanese word for sneaking, and these tiny green figures are designed to hide. Each one peeks out from a bookcase, clings to a shelf edge, or sits quietly in a corner, and they all glow softly in the dark, which is their signature feature.

Smiski celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025, which makes it much younger than Sonny Angel but already deeply established. It has expanded from the original blind boxes into Hippers, the flat phone-attachment figures, and even huggable plush keychains.

Trend watchers describe Smiski as the natural successor to the Labubu hype, the collectible that took over after the previous craze faded.

Smiski vs Sonny Angel on the Desk

Personality and Mood

The biggest difference is the feeling each one brings. Sonny Angel is cheerful and social, the kind of figure you put front and center to make people smile. Smiski is quiet and mischievous, designed to be discovered rather than displayed.

If you want a desk buddy who greets you in the morning, choose Sonny. If you want a little secret that makes you laugh when you notice it hiding, choose Smiski.

Size and Build

Both figures are around three inches tall and come in blind boxes with a few series on the market at once. Sonny Angel figures have a smooth, rounded build with visible wings, and the headgear is the main variation. Smiski figures are slimmer and often posed mid-action, clinging, stretching, or peeking, which makes each one feel like a tiny scene rather than a portrait.

Series Variety and Chasing

Sonny Angel releases themed series like Animals, Sweets, Snack, Marine, and Flower, plus the flat Hippers line that sticks to phone cases and laptop lids.

Smiski releases series like Living, Yoga, Exercising, at Work, and the Birthday and Sunday series, with the Hippers version arriving more recently. Both use secret and rare figures inside each series, which is what keeps collectors buying box after box.

Price and Availability in NZ

Blind boxes for both sit in a similar price range, and both are stocked locally through Ocare. The resale market is where they diverge. Rare Sonny Angel figures, especially retired series and secret pulls, can sell for several times their retail price on the secondary market. Smiski prices are climbing as the hype grows, but the market is younger and less settled.

Collector Opinions on Smiski and Sonny Angel

The Sonny Angel Collector

Sonny Angel collectors tend to be social collectors. They share unboxing videos, trade duplicates, and build themed displays around their favorite series.

The community is large and organized, with dedicated Instagram accounts, trading groups, and meetups. Because the character is one boy in different outfits, many collectors aim to complete entire series, which drives the completionist side of the hobby.

The Smiski Collector

Smiski collectors lean toward the playful and the private. The hiding behavior makes each figure feel personal, and the glow-in-the-dark feature turns lights-out into a small treasure hunt. The community is younger and growing fast, and collectors often keep Smiskis in unexpected spots around the house, offices, and cars rather than on a single display shelf.

The Practical Side

Counterfeit Warning

Both brands have been fighting fakes hard. Dreams, the company behind Sonny Angel and Smiski, has secured federal court injunctions against counterfeiters, with lawsuits reported against retailers selling knockoffs and over a million dollars in infringement claims.

If a deal looks too good, it probably is. Buy from authorized NZ stockists like Ocare rather than unverified marketplace listings.

Environmental Considerations

Every blind box comes with plastic packaging, and critics have pointed out the environmental cost of a hobby built on collecting small plastic figures. Some collectors offset this by trading rather than buying new, and others limit themselves to one series. Knowing the footprint before you start helps you collect in a way you can live with.

The Gift Factor

Both make excellent small gifts, and the blind box format adds a surprise element that gifting experts say people enjoy more than a predictable present. Sonny Angel is the safer gift for someone who likes cute and cheerful things. Smiski is the better gift for someone with a playful sense of humor who will appreciate the hiding gag.

The Collecting Budget

Blind box collecting has a way of creeping up. A single box is affordable, but a full series run with duplicates and secret hunts can add up fast.

Collectors who manage it well set a monthly cap, trade duplicates instead of buying new, and decide in advance whether they are chasing a complete set or just the figures they like. Both Smiski and Sonny Angel reward this kind of planning, because the secret figures are the ones that cost the most to chase.

Where to Start in NZ

The Smiski collection at Ocare carries the full range of series, from the Living and Yoga sets to the newer Birthday and Sunday releases. The Sonny Angel collection covers the classic Animal and Flower series plus the Hippers line. Both are in stock with local NZ shipping, so you can skip the overseas wait and the counterfeit risk that comes with third-party imports.

Pick Your Little Guy

There is no wrong choice between Smiski and Sonny Angel, only a question of personality. Sonny Angel brings cheerful, social energy and a long collecting tradition.

Smiski brings quiet mischief, glow-in-the-dark surprises, and a trend that is still climbing. The honest answer is that many collectors end up with both, because the two characters fill completely different corners of the desk and the heart.

Ocare ships both brands from NZ stock with local delivery. Browse the Smiski and Sonny Angel collections to see which series are available this month, and start with one blind box to test which little guy feels like yours. The second box usually follows on its own.