Kidults Are Saving The Toy Industry By Spending Billions

Whatever you thought adults of the G12 nations were responsible for probably wasn’t this: A recent Circana report found that adults (over age 18) accounted for toy sales of $1.5 billion over the last three months of 2024. That made the 18+ demographic the toy industry’s most important age group, as they officially spent more on themselves than on its former most important category: toddlers age 3 to 5.

• Toy sales overall have struggled in recent years, but sales to kidults have gone up and to the right.
• Circana found that kidults account for 28% of global toy sales, an increase of 2.5% since 2022.

Kidults going ham for toys may signify an increased desire to find stress relief in simple pleasures and a decrease in the stigma associated with being childish. Collectibles are also hugely popular, so some kidults may even live with the veiled hope that, unlike their moms’ Beanie Babies, these collections will make bank someday. Here are some collectibles raking in lots of cash from adults:

Labubu. It’s been a big year for these li’l fellas. These monster toys at the heart of a TikTok phenomenon, which cost about $30 each, were seen publicly with Rihanna, were at the heart of a $30,000 inventory heist in SoCal’s Inland Empire, and generated $670 million in revenue for toymaker Pop Mart in the first six months of 2025 alone.

Jellycat. Gen Zers around the world go wild for this soft toy brand. Contrary to the name, the plushies take multifarious forms, including a crescent moon, a capybara, and a coffee bean. Thanks to adults clamoring for “jellies,” as these dolls are lovingly referred to, Jellycat doubled its annual profit in 2024.

Hot Wheels. Adults have long appreciated the Mattel brand because of its commitment to authentic representation of cars. Hot Wheels sales grossed about $1.6 billion in 2024. Sales of its Collector series, which is marketed specifically to adults, have tripled since 2017.

Lego. Turn off your mind, relax, and build with blocks. Adults have increasingly turned to buying and completing Lego sets themselves as a means of coping with anxiety. The company launched its Botanicals collection in 2021, inspired by designs that employees made each other as gifts. They have become one of Lego’s best-selling products. As of last year, Lego had 142 sets specifically for adults, accounting for about 15% of its products. Lego’s 2024 revenue was $10.9 billion, an increase of 13% from 2023.

It is not dying…the trend forecasting company WGSN says that the global collectible-toy industry could be worth $35.3 billion by 2032, thanks to children’s toys designed to evoke nostalgia.—HVL