Stickers Sell in Japan

In Nextweb: A phenomenon that I had not heard of.  And based on my experience it is hard to see how blocks of emoticons could sell as a service.  But it is selling very well in Asia, and particularly in Japan.  " ... Stickers are larger-scale emoticons which are primarily used for instant messaging (IM) chats. They are popular among some, particularly in Asia, because they help convey emotion, and are more visual than blocks of text. Stickers typically come in packs of up to a dozen, most of which are free to download and use, but some services charge $1/$2 for premium packs — which may be customized for brands, products or limited edition events. ... " . The article linked to gives a good demonstration.