"Kidults" are keep the toy industry alive

I'm convinced that this is what has kept LEGO in business.

I go to my local Walmart and their selection covers two complete aisles! I know I've gone in and picked up a couple over the years. Sets that most kids won't touch, like the Apollo 11 lunar lander and Seinfeld.
 
Have been toy shopping this past few days looking for a Christmas gift for my nephew.
My takeaway:

- Boy do modern toys suck, a lot of "official" toys now have the quality of the bootleg stuff I used to have as a kid
- Yeah I noticed a lot of "retro" stuff, for example most Power Ranger toys were from the OG generation rather than the newer shows
- So much Fortnite
- Baby Yoda is keeping star wars alive, because there sure aren't any Rey and Kylo Ren toys
 
Quasicat said:
I'm convinced that this is what has kept LEGO in business.

I go to my local Walmart and their selection covers two complete aisles! I know I've gone in and picked up a couple over the years. Sets that most kids won't touch, like the Apollo 11 lunar lander and Seinfeld.
Click to expand...
No doubt. No 8 year old is going to put together an 800 pc Star Wars set that costs $120. All that stuff is geared to adults. The original intent of Lego was buckets of pieces and you build ,your own thing. There would be some sets to built, but it was geared to kids and imagination. I dont know when it flipped, but suddenly Lego isn't about hat anymore. It's about copying a blueprint model set that costs $50-100 and you leave it on your shelf. And likely a 30 or 40 year old's shelf in their mancave or office.

Same with Funko toys. You'd thin at first glance it's for kids. They are $20 and cuddly toys. You'd think they'd be put in the toy section. They arent. Chances are they are put in the electronics/gaming section aimed at older people.

Edit: I was right about Funko. Average age is 35 years old. Crazy. That means for every young person, there's a 50 year old buying this shit to balance it out to 35.

seekingalpha.com

Funko: Fun Stock To Ride (NASDAQ:FNKO)

The average age of our consumer is 35. The global business of pop culture is more than $0.5 trillion annually.
seekingalpha.com seekingalpha.com

Surprisingly, Funko is appealing to a wide demographic. The company reported that the average consumer is 35, which is a fantastic group to target as they tend to have disposable income and the $10 -$15 price tag of each Funko tends to be insignificant.

I'll remind you that the average age of our consumer is 35. In addition to dominating this adult demographic of fandom, Funko plans to continue increasing our offerings for younger audiences.
Click to expand...
 
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Toy quality is absolute garbage these days. When I had to buy my kids Paw Patrol toys... I couldn't even believe how shitty they were. They actually made me angry.

The Imaginext toy line was the only stuff out there that reminded me of the quality of 80s toys.
 
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Fbh said:
- Boy do modern toys suck, a lot of "official" toys now have the quality of the bootleg stuff I used to have as a kid
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Ya. I'll guess the 90s is when things really turned cheap. All plastic, all small. Unless it's impossible to break Lego plastic, it'll likely snap quickly.

In the 80s when I was a kid, toys were plastic, but I still got solid metal toys. And Transformers had metal parts. Jetfire was amazing. I think it was half metal. And Megatron's legs/hilt was metal.

I got this fire truck when I was probably 5 (cant believe some fuck is selling it as antique for $80 cdn!). Solid metal for the most part though the wheels and ladder part and small bits are plastic. It was pretty big too. Probably two feet long.

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ANTIQUE Tonka Steel/diecast Fire Truck - Etsy Canada

This Car, Train & Other Vehicle Toys item by LegendaryLootbox has 20 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United States. Listed on 09 Apr, 2024
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il_794xN.3185387922_qezk.jpg
 
Tbh my 3 and 5 yr olds love ghostbusters og and the cartoon. Wanted ghostbuster toys for their bdays and want to be it for halloween next he already. They love scooby doo og too. Im not a kiddult but i do introduce them to stuff from my childhood that i think theyd enjoy. Its up to them if they take to it…

So im sure lots of parents these days do the same, esp with the remakes of things. I mean kids like trucks/cars/planes and robots…soo its obvious to show them transformers.

these brands are even marketed and rebooted to endure across generations. Theyre evergreen ips for a reason.

That said im sure the kiddult aspect of it is true as well…. I mean the lego landscape is disgusting in terms of its adult appeal and usage. Thats quite overrun by adults these days. It barely feels like kids toys anymore.
 
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Yeah i noticed, seeing classic movies/TV from the 90s and older like ALIENS, IT, Nosferatu,Predator, Golden Girls, Friday the 13,Terminator etc getting brand new figures on supermarkets i wondered where this trend came from but i like it.
images


much prefer those than the POP thing i see everywhere with their black, souless eyes cheap plastic and big heads seriously i don't know why their heads are so big i don't buy anything with that big of a head
 
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I run a toy company as a side business and it's not just man-children, but women-children as well. I assumed it was children buying hello kitty stuff, but it's actually full grown women.
 
Quasicat said:
I'm convinced that this is what has kept LEGO in business.

I go to my local Walmart and their selection covers two complete aisles! I know I've gone in and picked up a couple over the years. Sets that most kids won't touch, like the Apollo 11 lunar lander and Seinfeld.
Click to expand...
I think you're right tbh, no way kids are requesting these £300 Lego kits.
 
Kids don't play with toys any more. They have their faces plastered to phones and tablets.

This weekend I saw a full size Transformers Starscream action figure in the store marked down 75% so I bought them all. One for me and the rest to sell to grown people just like me.
 
nocsi said:
I run a toy company as a side business and it's not just man-children, but women-children as well. I assumed it was children buying hello kitty stuff, but it's actually full grown women.
Click to expand...
Yeah, nerd women love to buy stuff. My sister-in-law has Sailor Moon merchandise everywhere.
 
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I'm an adult and I have bought an action figure or two over the years. The notion that action figures are for kids is ridiculous. The quality of some of them is amazing, production values way beyond just "children's toys". The adult big spender is definitely the target audience for companies like Mafex.
 
Fbh said:
- Baby Yoda is keeping star wars alive, because there sure aren't any Rey and Kylo Ren toys
Click to expand...

The newest trilogy is notorious for poor merchandise sales... expectations succesfully subverted, I guess, specially for disney executives.
 
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ReBurn said:
Kids don't play with toys any more. They have their faces plastered to phones and tablets.

This weekend I saw a full size Transformers Starscream action figure in the store marked down 75% so I bought them all. One for me and the rest to sell to grown people just like me.
Click to expand...
The saddest reality ever.

As much as I use my smart phone, and as much as my kid sees me using it, I think that no one under the age of 18 should be plastered to a damn screen. This shit is war crimes worthy what we've allowed.
 
I would love some high end GI Joe stuff, like the Nightraven, the hovercraft and whatnot. I still have the originals from the 1980s but would be keen to see it in very, very high quality reproduction.
 
Can't say I would really find any figures I'd want in any toys aisle. Granted, most figures I get are anime, but even the few comic book figures I have are from the nicer lines like the Bishoujo brand. Basic $10-15 action figures just don't look appealing to me on display.

LEGO has some cool stuff though. I did get the Seinfeld set.

OmegaSupreme said:
Grow up people. Now excuse me while I go browse pop figures like a proper grown man.
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POP figures?

Dallas Cowboys Eye Roll GIF by ScooterMagruder


Come on now, Nendoroids are for one who truly wants an adorable little representation of a character they like.

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Though occasionally there's a POP figure that actually looks legit. The Wrecking Ball (Overwatch) one is pretty sweet.

1taHQQG.jpg
 
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dem said:
Toy quality is absolute garbage these days. When I had to buy my kids Paw Patrol toys... I couldn't even believe how shitty they were. They actually made me angry.
Click to expand...

I've worked with a couple of the larger toy factories, they don't put the care into the plastics because "It's just for kids". It does not have to be that way, it's just injection molded plastic. Flow lines, shrinkage and incursions can all be corrected with a little time and care and it does not raise costs. My company pushed them to be up to standard and they did it.

I'd say the exception was for very mature product lines, think die cast cars and traditional dolls. They were good because they perfected the process over years.
 
I bought an original Atari the other day and when current Atari liquidates the new vcs I think I will get one.
 
Ok so click bait
Quick points
1 25% of all sales
2 12+
3 my opinion parents like tablets, ultimate 1 buy shut up toy kids love toys parents that can't be bothered to play with their kids like the easy out

Also response from non click bait journo
 
Quasicat said:
I'm convinced that this is what has kept LEGO in business.

I go to my local Walmart and their selection covers two complete aisles! I know I've gone in and picked up a couple over the years. Sets that most kids won't touch, like the Apollo 11 lunar lander and Seinfeld.
Click to expand...

Lego Seinfield??
🥱🥱🥱
😝😝
 
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Doom85 said:
Excuse Me What GIF by Paddington Bear


You know, I was just thinking, "LEGO should make a Gravity Rush set, that would make Heimdall happy"…..

And then you had to casually walk up and start throwing hands.

Shocked Chicago Pd GIF by One Chicago


Just kidding, of course.
Click to expand...

Awww si...!!!!

I want a Gravity Rush Lego 🥰🥰♥️♥️♥️.
 
I wonder if in 20-30 years there are little tablet like things in the stores that are preloaded with old youtube streamer videos, "classic" versions of roblox, minecraft, and fortnite, and the kidults reminisce about the time before VR.

My kids play with lego and barbie, but my oldest has almost no interest in physical toys. At his age my xmas was a BONANZA of plastic goodness waiting assembly and stickering. My kid is gonna get some gift cards and maybe a playstation if my wife found one. Sigh....
 
ReBurn said:
Kids don't play with toys any more. They have their faces plastered to phones and tablets.

This weekend I saw a full size Transformers Starscream action figure in the store marked down 75% so I bought them all. One for me and the rest to sell to grown people just like me.
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity which Starscream figure was it?

And yeah, my Transformers collection has exploded in these last few years.

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Typo in the thread title. That's fucking annoying.

I'm part of the problem myself. I do have pops. Some McFarland figures. Nothing compared to some collections I've seen. I also don't have much desire to collect retro toys. I loved micro machines as a kid. What would I do with them now though? Vroom vroom them across my wood floors?
 
Spaceman292 said:
Of course they are. Any 10 year old would lose their fucking bananas if you give them a giant millennium falcon or something
Click to expand...
Giant sets are meant for adults.

LEGO® Star Wars™ Sets for Adults | Official LEGO® Shop CA

LEGO® Star Wars™ Sets for Adults include everything from the Millennium Falcon to Stormtrooper Helmets. Perfect for any Star Wars fan!
www.lego.com www.lego.com
www.starwars.com

The Growing Galaxy of Adult LEGO Star Wars Fans

In a wide-ranging interview, Lucasfilm and the LEGO Group discuss how they’re reaching a more grown-up audience -- and reveal the new LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series AT-AT.
www.starwars.com www.starwars.com
 
Spaceman292 said:
Of course they are. Any 10 year old would lose their fucking bananas if you give them a giant millennium falcon or something
Click to expand...

Kids are glued to consoles, tablets or YouTube now days.

We as 10 year olds would've lost our bananas sure.

I was more of K'nex guy though, I loved how you could build motorised stuff.



Plus it blows my mind the kind of roller coaster stuff people build now days with it.
 
StreetsofBeige said:
Giant sets are meant for adults.

LEGO® Star Wars™ Sets for Adults | Official LEGO® Shop CA

LEGO® Star Wars™ Sets for Adults include everything from the Millennium Falcon to Stormtrooper Helmets. Perfect for any Star Wars fan!
www.lego.com www.lego.com
www.starwars.com

The Growing Galaxy of Adult LEGO Star Wars Fans

In a wide-ranging interview, Lucasfilm and the LEGO Group discuss how they’re reaching a more grown-up audience -- and reveal the new LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series AT-AT.
www.starwars.com www.starwars.com
Click to expand...
No one's ever paid any attention to the suggested ages
 
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