Exclusive | Tiny treasures, big meaning: Why the humble trinket is making a huge comeback in NYC

They’re tiny, trendy and taking over New York.

From thrifted knick-knacks to $10 blind-box toys, city girls are turning their apartments, backpacks and purses into shrines of “trinketcore” — the aesthetic where the smaller the object, the bigger the obsession.

“What makes a trinket? Anything nostalgic and wholesome,” QingYing “Mimi” Guan, 26, of Chinatown, told The Post.

Guan, whose Chinatown apartment feels like a “personal museum,” has toys like Sonny Angels, Nyota figures and Hirono statuettes on display in “almost every nook and cranny of every room.” 

When it comes to cult-fave toys that New Yorkers collect, there are Miffy figurines, Smiskis, Calico Critters — and now ubiquitous Labubus, with fans lining them up like trophies or dangling them off purses as charms.

That latter latest — featuring a sharp-toothed, big-eared plush monster from Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung — has become a billion-dollar juggernaut, with collectors shelling out anywhere from $40 to several thousand for the real deal.

For young New Yorkers, regardless of the type of trinket they gravitate toward, shopping for and collecting these little jolts of joy serves as a form of escapism and nostalgia, especially in this social media-obsessed world.

“That’s what trinkets are — they are what we hold onto, what grounds us and reminds us of a simpler time,” avid thrifter Katlyn Le Leal, 25, of Bushwick, told The Post. “They’re like time capsules. Collecting trinkets feels like healing your inner child.”

Alice Kim, 26, of Bushwick, specifically collects Sanrio, Monchhichi and San-X toys, calling trinket collecting “an homage to enjoying life and living simply.”

The designer, dominatrix and mega-fan of Hello Kitty and My Melody added, “It’s fun to collect trinkets in your free time as an adult because it feels like getting a little prize. The last thing you want to do after working is more work. This feels like fun. I definitely consider myself a maximalist when it comes to collecting.”

Many youngsters also turn to trinkets as a form of self-expression, especially in their homes. And for some — like Bushwick resident Kristen Alvarenga, 26 — the older and dustier they are, like vintage candelabras, old matchboxes, moody lampshades, the better.

“Thrifting ornate trinkets makes my space feel cinematic,” she told The Post, adding that each item “had a whole life of its own, and it’s fun to imagine who the previous owner was and wonder what life they lived — the older the item, the more extensive the lore.”

Le Leal, another Bushwick thrifter with an affinity for vintage tinsel, ribbons, tin containers and crystals, is on the same page.

“I really love specific trinkets that remind me of the 18th-century Rococo art style and thrifting for art nouveau-inspired things,” she said of her retro trinket stash.

4 trinket spots where many NYC collectors score their finds:

Where you can get a Labubu-themed bong, a Kewpie doll blind box or classic New York City-themed souvenir

In Bushwick at 56 Bogart St., Friends NYC is a wonderland of quirky finds — mushroom-shaped nightlights, tarot-card ring trays, cowboy-boot vases, books, jewelry, vintage clothes and more.

Opened in 2012 by best friends Mary Meyer and Emma Kadar-Penner, the shop originally started as a vintage clothing store and has been wowing Brooklyn collectors — especially lovers of toy blind boxes — post-pandemic, when they began selling more of them.

Marketing director Janine Lee calls Friends “a girly playground,” now best known as a hub for “cult-fave figurines like Sonny Angel, Smiski, Miffy and Monchhichi.”

Where you can snag miniature furniture, realistic-looking food pieces or handmade porcelain dolls for your dollhouse

Tucked at 314 E. 78th St. on the Upper East Side, Tiny Doll House is a teeny paradise for hobbyists and trinketcore fanatics alike.

The shop, run by Leslie Edelman for over 30 years, has become a TikTok-fueled hotspot, offering everything from miniature furniture to tiny decorations and dollhouses that collectors can’t resist snapping up.

Edelman’s shop caters to everyone from toddlers to senior collectors, offering everything from high-end artisan miniatures to playful items for kids.

“We have a varied selection and our clientele reflects that as we have everyone from age 2 to 92 coming in,” he added, noting that thanks to TikTok, the clientele has been getting “younger and younger lately.”

Where you can buy personalized stationery, scratch-and-sniff stickers or coquette bookplates

Over at 15 Christopher St. in the West Village, Greenwich Letterpress doubles as a quirky shop, packed with fanciful greeting cards, one-of-a-kind gifts and a treasure trove of trinkets begging to be collected.

Beth Salvini and her sister Amy Salvini Swanson opened the store in 2006, inspired by their family’s printing legacy and a love for handmade, specialty items.

In recent years, Beth Salvini has noticed a younger crowd showing up, drawn to the tiniest items tucked among the store’s shelves and loving the indie rock playing in the store on any given day.

“It seems like people are coming here more and more for small, collectible items like stickers, matchbooks and little decorative items. We’re definitely seeing an uptick in people being interested in that, for sure,” she told The Post.

Where you can grab Precious Moments dolls, shot glasses adorned with pin-up girl prints or ruffled hats for your furry friend

The newest store on the list, A Shop of Things, brings its sassy, women-run brand of “everyday-but-cuter” housewares from Nashville to the Lower East Side.

Founded in 2015 by Mia Calotta, the cheeky online shop just planted roots at 30 Orchard St. in April. Its new location is being hailed as “trinket heaven” and a one-stop shop for all things tiny and collectible by TikTokkers.

That could be anything from charms for a DIY Y2K Italian bracelet to Moo Deng-inspired velvet hippo critter toys and porcelain figurines.

Store manager Micah Granger says the appeal is pure escapism.

“Customers tell us all the time that coming into the store feels like reliving their childhood and that they look forward to escaping in here and buying joyous items to brighten their week.”