The Kidults Are More Than All Right for Toy Companies

There is more than just escapism at work as grown-up collectors and hobbyists swell the market.

- Anjli Raval

These days, you don't have to look far to spot an AFOL. For the uninitiated, these are individuals who call themselves adult fans of Lego – a growing customer segment for the Danish toy company that is increasingly chasing this so-called "kidult" market.

From Star Wars figurines to Jellycat plush toys and Labubu monster dolls, adults are hoovering up toys at a rate that has forced the whole industry to rethink its customer base.

Hasbro now courts grown-up collectors; Mattel has launched an adult "brick shop" to build elaborate Hot Wheels cars and "throwback collections" of American Girl dolls from the 1980s and 90s. Lego has a "botanicals" range that allows customers to make bonsai trees and flowers from its bricks – for display as well as play.

This market is no longer a sideshow, nor catering to niche interests of anoraks. In Europe and the US, adults who buy toys for themselves are increasingly among the most reliable customers, willing to pay premium prices and shopping more frequently than parents buying for under-12s.

US sales to over-18s increased by 18 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to data firm Circana. In the year to June 30, this cohort accounted for 19 per cent of the total US toy industry sales. And recent growth was nearly split between men and women.