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Sanrio

My Melody

Also known as: マイメロディ, マイメロ

The little rabbit in a hood was born in 1975, inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. Good news for treasure hunters: the colour of her hood is the best clue for dating an item.

In Japan right now

My Melody listings spotted this morning by the radar, not checked by hand. Photos by the sellers.

At a glance

Created by
Sanrio, in 1975
Inspiration
Little Red Riding Hood
Her friends
Flat, a little blue mouse, and My Sweet Piano, a pink sheep
Name in Japan
マイメロディ, often shortened to マイメロ

Her story

My Melody was born at Sanrio in 1975, the same year as Little Twin Stars. In her early days, she played Little Red Riding Hood, in a soft, bunny version of the fairy tale.

She lives surrounded by her family: her little brother Rhythm, her parents and her grandparents. In fact, it was her grandmother who sewed her famous hood.

Why we fall for the early items

Items with the red hood from the 70s and 80s are the oldest and the rarest. This is the My Melody that children of that time have kept in their hearts.

The reissue trap

Sanrio sometimes brings back the red-hood version for its retro collections. So a red hood alone does not guarantee an old item: look at the materials, the wear and the packaging too.

Tips for dating an item

  1. From 1975 to the late 90sA red hood, true to Little Red Riding Hood.
  2. From 1999The first items with the pink hood, which then became the most common version.

Things to collect

  • Stationery and stickers
  • Pencil cases and little boxes
  • Tableware and cups
  • Plush toys
  • Children's accessories (hair clips, pouches)

Price guide

The price guide grows with every find: it will appear here once I have enough comparable listings.

Current finds

  • Two white ceramic Japanese teacups decorated with My Melody in her pink hood, watering flowers.

    Sanrio · 1984

    My Melody, two teacups given away by the Taiyo Kobe Bank (1984)

    These two teacups come from the same bank as the My Melody money box already among my finds: the Taiyo Kobe Bank gave them to its customers in 1984, and the bank disappeared in 1990. Made of ceramic and never used, they show My Melody watering a little garden. Bank gifts turned collector's pieces: that is the whole charm of hunting in Japan. Before you fall for them, ask the seller about chips on the rim or the base.

    Toy line
    My Melody
    Condition
    Never used, complete
    Listing price
    ¥6,500 · about €36
    Sale ends
    3 October at 14:22 (Paris time)
  • Auction endedMy Melody soft vinyl piggy bank, still in its original bag, photographed by the seller.

    Sanrio · 1980s

    My Melody, a bank's gift piggy bank, never opened

    Do you remember the little gifts you got when you opened your first savings account? In Japan, banks gave these lovely vinyl piggy banks to their young customers. This one bears the name of the Taiyo Kobe Bank, which disappeared in a merger in 1990: so you know straight away that it really dates from that time. And it has never been opened. Just imagine: a piggy bank that has lived through more than thirty years without a single coin! Before you fall for it, check in the photos that the bag is the original one and that the vinyl has not yellowed.

    Toy line
    My Melody
    Condition
    New, never opened (according to the seller), complete
    Listing price
    ¥7,700 · about €43

Guide updated on 26 September 2026.