They’re cute, small, and come with different accessories and backstories. This describes most, if not all, of the toys that people collect.
Gen Z doesn’t just collect them and put them on a pedestal in their rooms. They also parade them around the city as a fashion accessory and status symbol — on their tote bags, backpacks, and even pants.
These toys all have quirky names and even quirkier backstories. A monster known as Labubu, a Sylvanian family of various animals known as Calico Critters, a cherubic baby angel in wacky hats known as Sonny Angels, and even a monkey known as Monchhichi!
Collection of Sonny Angels at the East Village location of an.me. (Photo: NBC New York)
In the U.S, toy sales generated $28.3 billion in 2024, according to Circana, a marketing research and technology company, and adults buying them had a lot to do with that number.
According to Circana, adults are leading the market in the toy world. In the beginning of 2025, toy sales for adults grew by 12% compared to the same time last year — making it the fastest growing age demographic in the market.
Dollar Volume and Trends by Super Category:
Chart Source: Circana/Retail Tracking Service/US/Jan-Dec.2024
*Dollar amounts rounded; shown in billions.
Plush toys, building sets and dolls are among the highest dollar volume when it comes to what toys are being bought, Circana reports. This coincides with the figurines and collectables that are trending right now for “kidults” — adults who find joy in toys, games and other kid-like activities.
There are TikTok accounts dedicated to people’s collection of toys, racking up thousands of views and likes — creating a sense of a community.
Adults collecting toys is nothing new
Gen Z (those born between 1997 to 2012) are not the only age group that collects toys. Millennials have seen this first hand in the 90s and early 2000s, with Calico Critters and Beanie Babies.
In the case of older generations, buying toys could be seen as a coping mechanism. Playing with toys is a sensory, calming aspect, according to Jennifer Lynch, spokesperson for The Toy Association, a trade association for the toy industry in the United States.
“It was those realizations for grownups that, ‘I have money in my pocket. I’m an adult. If this is something that brings me joy, maybe it’s a little bit of treat culture, I am going to buy toys and games for myself,’ and there is nothing wrong with that anymore,” Lynch said.
Collecting is not only reserved for figurines or toys. You may have known people growing up who were serious collectors of Pokémon cards.
Pokémon trading cards. (Imagn)
Customers in line at Pop Mart in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2025. (Getty Images)
According to Circana’s March 2025 Omnibus Survey, 19% of adults have purchased Pokémon trading cards for themselves in the past six months, and only a quarter of these buyers actually play the game. Most are collecting them as a hobby or to display, while others are buying the cards in bulk to resell.
“I think social media has helped to destigmatize that idea that once you hit a certain age, you are no longer allowed to play with toys and games,” Lynch said.
“We talk about toys in terms of development for kids, but this has really opened up the conversation piece [that] there is value in play for every single age.”
Why are adults collecting toys?
Joan Miller, a professor of psychology and director of undergraduate studies at The New School, said that evidence suggests that people’s attachment to toys comes from a place where these items are almost sacred to them.
“People collect objects, that could be from their childhood, their kid’s childhood…and they treat it with respect and reverence,” Miller said. “I see the collecting of toys as some kind of emotional connection with their kids and with their family.”
There is a certain type of exhilaration when it comes to buying something, this all plays into the tactical methods of capitalism.
“There’s this [FOMO – fear of missing out] factor around a product like Labubu where you start to think, ‘Wait, do I need a Labubu?’ Regardless of whether or not you think Labubus is cute, they are very unique, so it also feeds into that collectability aspect,” said Lynch.
Toy influencers
Yunuen Cho, who goes by the handle @cutesonnyangel on TikTok, has almost 30,000 followers on the social media app where she showcases her Sonny Angel collection.
Working as a paralegal in New York is pivotal to Cho’s collecting story.
“[My coworkers and I] were all paralegals, all Gen Z, and we would be really burnt out by the end of the week,” said Cho. “We worked right next to a toy store, and [Sonny Angels] kind of became like a once-a-month Friday treat.”
Cho has spearheaded a few of the Sonny Angel trading meetups at Washington Square Park and even created a map of where you can buy these little cherubic figurines.
“When I would look at their cute little faces in the middle of documents, it would make me less stressed or just pull me out of the job,” said Cho.
Toy stores are more than just places to buy
The East Village is known for being a cultural hot spot for college students and postgrads. For some, it is also a place where they can get their hands on the latest collectible toy.
Located on East 9th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, an.me, a toy store founded by friends Annie Ju and Melissa Scott, was born out of a hobby.
an.me owner Annie with the Year of the Snake Mochhichi. (Photo: NBC New York)
“The store opened up a little over 11 years ago, and it’s a place for all the trinkets, everything that I love that I get to share with all of my customers,” Ju said.
To this day, Ju still has a passion for toys and toy collecting, and it has not only been a comfort place for herself, but also a space for everyone to enjoy the subtle art of collecting, with a community alike.
“The reason why I have my personal collection on display is because I want it to feel almost like a toy museum,” Ju said. “Look at my toys over there. They are not just sitting there, but they are there to make people happy.”
Toy store an.me on 328 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003. (Photo: NBC New York)
Annie’s original collection of toys from over 20 years ago. (Photo: NBC New York)
When asked about the lines that occasionally wrap around the block for an.me once they announce they have a toy in stock, Cho chuckled.
“All of those people know each other,” Cho said.
“I know it seems like three hours long and who are these random people, but everyone knows each other because an.me has built such an amazing community and I probably know half the people on that line.”
A forecast on toy trends
In the era of fast-moving trends what’s the next projected collectable?
“Two things we’ve kind of been watching is this rise in spooky-type products in the toy space, like having a life cycle outside of the traditional Halloween window,” Lynch said.
“Another one is the growth of anime in the toy aisles in general, and that’s been spared by the accessibility of anime.”
Two fans of collectables posing with their just-opened Sonny Angels in the East Village. Photo: Pritheva Zakaria.
There will always be toy trends that come and go, but for some collectors, it’s more than that.
“It’s about the people that actually care about the trade, and that’s what makes the toy collecting so fun,” said Cho.