TOYS ‘R’ FOR ADULTS

The thing keeping the toy industry afloat right now: grownups buying toys for themselves. One-fourth of all toy sales annually – around $9 billion – go to a demographic known as “kidults.” These are people 12 and older who have a great fondness for cartoons, superheroes and collectibles that remind them of their childhood. They buy merchandise such as action figures, Lego sets and dolls. Jeremy Padawer, chief brand officer at toy company Jazwares (* and let’s talk about changing that company name sometime, shall we?) says, “The definition of adulthood has definitely evolved. What it used to mean, to be an adult, was to be a very upstanding, serious member of society. Now we feel a lot more free to express our fandom as a part of our adulthood.” And toymakers are focusing a lot of money on adults.
– For example, Mattel has an in-house movie production company. There’s a “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling coming next July 2023, and Hasbro is producing “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” that will hit theaters in March.
– Razor scooters has created electric versions of its scooters just for the olds.
– Toy company Basic Fun partnered with Netflix to create a larger version of its Lite-Brite toy based on “Stranger Things” that can be hung as artwork. It costs $100.
* This is really not what I think of when I hear the words “adult toys.”
* And we wonder why Russia and China think they can push us around.
* Hey, Boomer – careful on that electric scooter. Don’t wanna break a hip.
* Ask the farmer, and the cattle rancher, and the construction worker and the factory worker and the road crew worker how their Avengers action figure toy collection is coming along. I bet you’ll get an interesting response.
* Still waiting for the life-size Lara Croft doll.
* PHONE TOPIC: Do you live with an adult toy collector? What are they collecting? Does it bother you?