How to interpret unknown fields in the BE@RBRICK index

A blank release year tells you that the current record does not supply a supported year. It does not tell you how scarce the figure is, how many were made, or how much a seller should charge.

The BE@RBRICK Master Index is useful partly because it leaves unresolved facts visible. Collectors can distinguish an identified release from a fully documented release, then decide what evidence they need for the question at hand.

Start with the facts that are present

The World Wide Tour KAWS 400% source identifies the figure, gives its approximate height, names a wood manufacturing treatment, and quotes a price. Those are useful facts even when the public record does not supply a supported release date.

Its copyright wording should not be promoted into a precise sale date. A copyright statement and a release notice serve different purposes. If you want to place the figure on a timeline, keep the index reference and seek additional evidence for the timing claim.

Likewise, a known size does not establish material, and a named artist does not establish a signed edition. Treat each field as a separate claim. One well-supported detail cannot fill every other blank by association.

Missing price can have an understandable cause

The B@-000W announcement documents a promotional distribution tied to buying the manufacturer’s products at an event. A standalone retail amount is not supplied by that evidence. Leaving the original-price field empty preserves the actual distribution model.

Entering zero would create a different statement: that the original retail price was zero. Entering the qualifying merchandise payment would create another: that the merchandise cost was the bear’s price. Neither follows automatically from a promotional arrangement.

The useful note is the distribution condition itself. It explains how the figure was offered without inventing a retail transaction that the source does not describe.

Research the missing field you actually need

If you are matching a seller’s figure to a release, a missing day-level date may not prevent progress. The complete version name, size, and source imagery may provide a stronger starting point. If you are writing a dated history, that same blank deserves more attention.

Keep a question-specific research list. For example, seek a dated official notice for chronology, a product specification for dimensions, or explicit pack wording for contents. A marketplace claim can suggest a lead, but repeating it across several listings does not establish independent manufacturer evidence.

If you find a conflicting source, save both links and state the conflict. Do not choose the more convenient value simply to make the record look finished. A later correction is much easier when the competing claims remain visible.

The beta’s designed reference cards also have a limited meaning: they stand in for photography that is not displayed. A missing photograph does not mean a release lacks a real product image somewhere, and an available image URL does not establish permission to reproduce it.

Use incomplete records with a clear purpose. A supported identity can make a figure searchable while its history continues to improve. The honest blank is a useful research instruction, not an invitation to fill the space with a story.

Index status: This index is in beta and may contain errors, missing information, or display issues. We’re continuing to review and improve it.

Browse the gallery’s BE@RBRICK collection for current listing details.