The collectibles market experienced a surge in demand from Millennials and Gen Z customers in recent years, surpassing preschoolers. While this seems like a fun take from a stand-up, it’s the truth ― people with full-time jobs allocate a certain sum of money on collectibles based on their favourite manga or cartoons.
While figurines have been trending in communities like Star Wars since the 1970s, the audience for these toys has broadened to include adults. The trend seems to have merged from China and Japan, where collectors invest considerably into toy collections, especially if they’re otakus (those highly interested in anime, manga, or video games).
But what is causing this market trend to boom now? And how will the industry adapt to growing demand, considering the staggering number of entertainment shows and games? Let’s explore the movement.
Everybody loves pop culture, especially when it offers generations of franchises like Harry Potter or Mickey Mouse. Worldwide fans of these creations are dedicated to supporting their creators, which is why buying related merchandise is such a big deal.
This is why manufacturers of pop culture collectibles like Funko have become so popular― they listen to their customer’s needs and expand their offerings. On Funko, you can find toys based on fandoms, from animation and cartoons (Disney, Pixar), anime and manga (One Piece, Pokémon), or comics and superheroes (Deadpool characters, made into Pops!).
The boom of franchises globally was thanks to streaming services like Netflix, which license popular anime and shows, making them approachable to a larger audience. This, in turn, made the collectibles market more appealing.
While we expect kids to want toys more than adults, the truth is that nowadays, kids are not that connected with physical toys like previous generations due to the rise of technology. While this is not inherently a bad thing, the toy market is failing to adapt to these changing trends, especially since the gaming sector is more attractive to modern children.
Luckily, the industry could regain some stability following adults’ demands for collectibles based on prominent shows and anime. For instance, these anime shows have some of the most loyal fanbases in the world:
The anime fanbase includes people of various ages, but the merch release relies considerably on workers whose passions include pop culture.
Modern adults experience high levels of stress, having to balance work with a healthy lifestyle. Working in capitalism is making it difficult to live a carefree life, so people must give their all to sustain their lives. According to Statista, young adults between 18 and 24 are prone to moderate to severe stress and anxiety symptoms. Therefore, we can say we’re living in dark times, where the rise of social media and complex social constructs are pushing people’s boundaries.
However, one way individuals try to counteract the effects of stress is by healing their inner child. This strategy has been trending in the past years, allowing people to validate their needs and express emotions healthily. Some of the methods used include writing a letter to one’s inner child, enjoying small pleasures, and even playing games. So, buying collectibles can also be considered as part of the process in which people reconnect with themselves and allow themselves to engage with hobbies such as this one.
Popular series approached merchandise with a varied array of products. This not only helped support the creators’ efforts but also strengthened the community. Arcane, for example, won numerous awards for its character design, storyboarding, and voice acting and is considered one of the best adaptations from game to show in history.
The show’s merch was broad and included brands from all over the world trying to please viewers with different products, such as an Ekko gaming chair, jewellery linked to all characters, and, most importantly, collectibles. Funko already provided several characters, and fans were so excited about getting them that you can barely find them anymore online.
Riot also collaborated with several brands and even freelancers to expand the show’s popularity. This contributed to people coming up with their own artistic side of the show, whether through drawings or unique merch.
Like any other product of pop culture, collectibles will change in the future. Some current figurines, such as Deadpool and Wolverine, will become considerably valuable in the future. Considering the rarity of some products, such as Pokémon trading cards or Star Wars action figures, collectors should expect current figurines to become worth an investment.
Think of how valuable some Barbie, Transformers, or My Little Pony collectibles have become at such a rapid pace. Maybe one day, that Arcane Pop figure will become a rarity as well and become a limited-edition thing.
On the other hand, collectors should also foresee the rise of digital collectibles, like NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Although these products have a special audience and are not yet welcomed by people, they pave the way towards modern trends in which digital assets will take the place of physical ones.
Some of the most popular NFT collections include the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Pudgy Penguins, and CryptoPunks. These collections include unique assets that have been tokenized through blockchain technology, so they have a unique identification code that makes it impossible for two NFTs to be the same. The craze for NFTs peaked around the pandemic, but some collections are still being created and traded.
The collectibles market has changed considerably in the past decade. As children move on from toys to digital applications, we’re noticing a trend for adults to buy collectibles for themselves as merchandise. People who love anime, cartoons, and pop culture overall are becoming collectors of figures or clothing that represent their favourite media. Whether they do it to support the project or reconnect with their inner child, this trend might continue with digital collectibles.
