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Vintage Sanrio

Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars and all the kawaii stationery of the Showa and Heisei eras.

In Japan, Sanrio items from the 70s to the 90s turn up in great numbers on second-hand marketplaces: metal pencil cases, jewellery boxes, tableware, stationery, plush toys… Many were never sold in Europe, and that is the whole joy of the hunt.

The hardest part is finding your way: recent reissues imitate the vintage style, and listings often mix old and new pieces. In each guide below, I share my tips for dating an item.

The guides

  • Hello Kitty

    The world's most famous white cat was born at Sanrio in 1974. Items from her early years can be recognised by a few details in the drawing, and they are worth far more than the reissues.

  • Little Twin Stars

    Kiki and Lala, the twins from the stars, are among the oldest Sanrio characters. Their items from the 70s and 80s are utterly charming, and easy to confuse with reissues: here are my tips.

  • My Melody

    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.

  • Other Sanrio characters

    Behind Hello Kitty, My Melody and Kiki and Lala, Sanrio created dozens of characters in the 70s and 80s. Some became famous, others only lived for one stationery range: they are often the loveliest surprises of the hunt.

Searching in Japan

Keywords to paste into the search bar on Buyee, Mercari, Yahoo! Auctions or PayPay Flea Market.
KeywordWhat it means
サンリオSanrio
昭和レトロretro from the Showa era (until 1989)
平成レトロretro from the Heisei era (from 1989)
当時物vintage, made when the character first came out

Where to find it in Japan

If you are travelling to Japan, these are the shops in the guide that stock it.

The full guide to shopping in Japan

Recent finds

  • Auction endedOrange cover of an “えにっき” notebook showing two Hello Kittys cycling among sunflowers.

    Sanrio · 70s-80s

    Hello Kitty, “えにっき” picture diary, never used (70s-80s)

    In Japan, during the summer holidays, schoolchildren keep an “えにっき”, a diary where you draw your day before writing about it. This one was never used: its pages are still waiting for the memories of a summer in the 70s or 80s. On the cover, Hello Kitty rides her bike among the sunflowers, and the original price, ¥180, is still printed on it. The auction starts very low: it may climb, but pieces like this usually stay affordable.

    Toy line
    Hello Kitty
    Condition
    Never used, old shop stock, complete
    Listing price
    ¥864 · about €5
  • 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)
  • Five translucent pastel erasers, each decorated with an animal, in their bag with a “ZIPPY ZOO ERASER” header card.

    Sanrio · 1983

    Zippy Zoo, five Sanrio animal erasers still in their bag (1983)

    Remember those erasers that were far too pretty to use? These have never left their bag: a dog, a rabbit, a bear, a lion and a hippo, in candy-coloured translucent rubber. Zippy Zoo is one of those small Sanrio lines from the 80s that almost never turn up in Europe, and the set was made in Japan. The header card is slightly torn on the back, but the erasers are untouched. A tiny price for a real piece of an 80s pencil case.

    Toy line
    Other Sanrio characters
    Condition
    Never opened, header card torn on the back, complete
    Listing price
    ¥2,300 · about €13
  • Rectangular metal pencil case decorated with Hello Kitty, photographed by the seller.

    Sanrio · 1988

    Hello Kitty, a metal pencil case made in Japan (1988)

    That little click of a metal pencil case opening in class… This one went back to school with Japanese pupils at the end of the 80s. It proudly bears “©1976,1988 SANRIO” and “MADE IN JAPAN”: there is no doubt about its age. It measures 22 × 6.5 × 2.5 cm, perfect for your favourite pencils or for pride of place on a shelf. The listing mentions light wear: look closely at the corners and the hinge, where the paint goes first.

    Toy line
    Hello Kitty
    Condition
    Good condition, light wear, complete
    Listing price
    ¥5,555 · about €31
  • 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