Buying bags of surprises gains popularity in toy industry

FOR US$2.99, you can purchase joy, or disappointment, in the form of a tiny purple egg.

Sold in a "blind bag", you have no idea whether you'd get a rare collectible or a generic toy duplicated across thousands of other such bags.

Crack the egg, and out comes a little blue catlike figurine. It's a "common".

Fork out another three bucks to try again.

These…