Media and Marketing for Consumer Brands

Boss Baby Economics: 7 Kids' Toys Generating Grown-Up Revenue

by Editorial Team

One number for the next board meeting: In the first half of 2026, U.S. toy sales for adults ages 18 and older grew 25%, making grown-ups the single largest contributor to industry growth, and adult-only households accounted for 55% of all toy sales, according to Circana data reported by Retail Dive, eMarketer, and Mass Market Retailers. For a retail or consumer brand chief executive, the implication is direct: the most valuable customer for a children's category can be a 35-year-old with a paycheck, a shelf, and a social media following.

Circana's August 2026 report called the period the toy industry's strongest first half in six years. Teens and adults together generated nearly 60% of the industry's incremental dollar gains, and licensed toys grew to 39% of all U.S. toy sales. The full-year 2025 picture pointed the same direction: Circana found that U.S. toys bought for recipients ages 12 and up grew for a fifth straight year, led by Lego, Pokémon, and Topps.

The adult buyer has turned the playroom into a premium market. Seven products show exactly how kids' brands are earning grown-up revenue, and each one carries a lesson in customer lifetime value that applies far beyond toys.

1. Pokémon Trading Cards: Collecting as the Product

Pokémon posted $2.5 billion in U.S. toy sales in 2025, up 87%, becoming the first property in at least 20 years to pass $2 billion in a single year, according to Circana as reported by the Toy Association, Retail Dive, and Toys n Playthings. Circana's own survey work found that 19% of U.S. adults had bought Pokémon cards for themselves in a six-month window, and only about a quarter of those buyers play the game. The rest collect.

The marketing lesson: A brand can serve two customers with one product. Pokémon sells a game to children and a collectible to adults, and the collector economy keeps demand strong between releases.

2. Lego Icons and Botanicals: Décor That Happens to Be a Toy

Lego's most popular themes in 2025 included Icons and Botanicals, lines built for adults who display the finished set at home, according to the company's annual results as reported by Brickset. U.S. building set sales grew 15% in 2025, with licensed Formula 1 sets leading gains, according to Circana data carried by the Toy Association, Spielwarenmesse, and Toys n Playthings.

The marketing lesson: Reposition the finished product and the buyer changes. Lego markets the completed build as home décor, which moves the purchase from the toy budget into the lifestyle budget.

3. Hot Wheels: The Collector's Car Lot

Mattel reported that Hot Wheels delivered its eighth consecutive record year in 2025, with worldwide vehicle gross billings up 11% to $1.995 billion, according to the company's full-year results and analysis from TIKR and Quartr. Circana named the Hot Wheels 1:64 singles assortment the global top-selling toy of the year. A car priced for pocket money builds a lifelong collector base, and premium lines give that collector somewhere to trade up.

The marketing lesson: Low entry price and deep collectability make a powerful pair. An accessible first purchase recruits the customer, and tiered premium editions grow average order value as the relationship matures.

4. Magic: The Gathering: Crossovers That Recruit New Fans

Hasbro reported that Magic: The Gathering finished 2025 as its strongest year ever, with revenue up 59%, powered by its Universes Beyond crossover sets, including a fourth-quarter Avatar: The Last Airbender release, according to the company's results and coverage by Spielwarenmesse. Each crossover introduces the game to a ready-made fan base that arrives already loyal to the licensed story.

The marketing lesson: Partnerships with beloved entertainment properties act as a customer acquisition channel. The partner brings the audience, and the core product keeps them.

5. NFL Trading Cards: The Fan Economy Goes Retail

The NFL climbed from No. 10 to No. 2 among best-selling U.S. toy properties in 2025, with sales up more than 100%, according to Circana's year-end analysis in The Toy Book. Demand for NFL cards drove 20% growth in Circana's Explorative and Other Toys category, as the Toy Association and Spielwarenmesse reported, and Panini's NFL Prizm Football Blaster Box became the first sports card product to win Circana's award for top-selling toy in that category.

The marketing lesson: Fandom is a renewable resource. Brands tied to a live season, a league calendar, or a release cycle give customers a fresh reason to buy every few weeks.

6. Jellycat: Experiential Retail for a Plush Toy

Jellycat's revenue rose 66% to £333 million (about $447 million)* in 2024, with pretax profit more than doubling to £139 million (about $186 million)*, as CNBC reporting carried by multiple outlets showed. Profit then reached £240 million (about $322 million)* for 2025, according to ITV, NationalWorld, and the Express & Star. The brand sells adults an experience as much as a toy: a Jellycat Fish & Chips shop inside Selfridges in London, a Jellycat Diner at FAO Schwarz in New York, and a Jellycat Ski Club at The Grove in Los Angeles.

The marketing lesson: Theater sells plush. When a brand stages the purchase as a performance, the transaction becomes a story the customer retells online, and the store earns its own earned media.

7. Labubu: The Toy Designed for Adults From Day One

Pop Mart's The Monsters franchise, home of Labubu, generated 14.16 billion yuan (about $2.12 billion)** in 2025, about 38% of company revenue, according to the South China Morning Post, China Daily, and KrASIA. Pop Mart marketed the character to adults from the start, and its rise as a bag charm on luxury handbags turned a $30 collectible into a fashion statement, as Good Morning America and CNBC Make It reported.

The marketing lesson: Price is relative to the identity a product signals. A collectible that reads as a fashion accessory competes with handbags and jewelry, and its value is set by style rather than by the toy aisle.

The Broader Takeaway

Every product on this list wins on the same metrics a CMO watches in any category: repeat purchase, average order value, earned media, and customer lifetime value. Adult buyers bring disposable income, collecting habits, and a willingness to post their purchases. The lesson travels to any category with a nostalgic or emotional core, from snacks and beverages to apparel and home goods: the customer a brand was built for and the customer who funds its growth can be two different people.

Find the Grown-Up Customer in Your Category

RSL News Inc. builds brand strategy, customer experience programs, and the measurement framework that identifies which audiences are driving growth. If you are ready to find the high-value customer hiding inside your category, let's talk.

Related reading

* The original source reported this figure in British pounds. It has been converted to US dollars at the November 2, 2026 rate of $1.34 per pound.
** The original source reported this figure in Chinese yuan. It has been converted to US dollars at the November 10, 2026 rate of 6.67 yuan per dollar.

References

  1. Retail Dive, "US toy industry best first-half performance in six years," https://www.retaildive.com/news/us-toy-industry-best-first-half-performance-six-years/828162/
  2. eMarketer, "Adult buyers propel US toy industry to its strongest first half in six years," https://www.emarketer.com/content/kidult-toy-sales-growth-adult-collectors-2026
  3. Mass Market Retailers, "Circana: U.S. toy sales surge 17% in year's first half," https://massmarketretailers.com/circana-u-s-toy-sales-surge-17-in-years-first-half/
  4. Chain Store Age, "Toys are hot, and here's what's driving industry growth," https://chainstoreage.com/toys-are-hot-and-heres-whats-driving-industry-growth
  5. The Toy Book / Circana, "The Comeback Was Collectible," https://toybook.com/circana-the-comeback-was-collectible/
  6. Toy Association / Circana, "U.S. Toy Industry Returns to Growth in 2025, Circana Reports," https://ems.toyassociation.org/PressRoom2/News/2026-News/us-toy-industry-returns-to-growth-in-2025-circana-reports.aspx
  7. Toys n Playthings, "Circana: US toy industry returns to growth in 2025," https://www.toysnplaythings.media/circana-us-toy-industry-returns-to-growth-in-2025/
  8. Spielwarenmesse, "U.S. toy industry returns to growth in 2025," https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/mag/toy-market-news/us-toy-industry-returns-to-growth-in-2025/
  9. Circana, "Toy Industry US Sales Grow in Early 2025, Circana Reports," https://www.circana.com/post/toy-industry-us-sales-grow-in-early-2025-circana-reports
  10. Brickset, "LEGO revenue and profits continue to rise," https://brickset.com/article/130270/lego-revenue-and-profits-continue-to-rise
  11. Mattel via Business Wire, "Mattel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results," https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260210523373/en/Mattel-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2025-Financial-Results/
  12. TIKR, "Mattel Q4 2025: Vehicles Surged 16%," https://www.tikr.com/blog/mattel-q4-2025-vehicles-surged-16-but-barbie-and-december-dragged-the-year
  13. Quartr, "Mattel (MAT) Q4 2025 earnings summary," https://quartr.com/events/mattel-inc-mat-q4-2025_3YOLIC6S
  14. Circana, "Circana Announces Its Annual Global Toy Industry Performance Award Winners," https://www.circana.com/post/circana-announces-its-annual-global-toy-industry-performance-award-winners-2
  15. Hasbro, "Hasbro Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results," https://corp.hasbro.com/node/37731
  16. Spielwarenmesse, "Hasbro reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025," https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/mag/toy-market-news/hasbro-reported-financial-results-for-the-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025/
  17. Hasbro Newsroom, Full Year 2025 results PDF, https://newsroom.hasbro.com/node/36306/pdf
  18. Panini America, "Panini Wins Top Selling Toy by Super Category for NFL 2024 Prizm Football," https://blog.paniniamerica.net/panini-wins-top-selling-toy-by-super-category-for-nfl-2024-prizm-football-in-circanas-global-toy-performance-awards/
  19. Tiger Brokers / Deep News, "Gen Z's 'Refusal to Grow Up' Sparks Toy Boom," https://www-web.itiger.com/news/1125626513
  20. Allmind / CNBC, "Gen Z favorite toymaker Jellycat doubles annual profit," https://allmind.ai/news/9c7d1140f85f890597be3f9f37450f6705c437a8d13f99b36af702597599fc11
  21. ITV News, "Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit," https://www.itv.com/news/2026-10-02/soaring-demand-for-viral-toys-drives-jellycat-to-240m-profit
  22. NationalWorld, "Jellycat craze explodes as adults snap up quirky toys and profits hit £240m," https://www.nationalworld.com/business/consumer/jellycat-craze-adult-collectors-profits-240m-9253988
  23. Express & Star, "Soaring demand for viral toys drives Jellycat to £240m profit," https://www.expressandstar.com/uk-news/soaring-demand-for-viral-toys-drives-jellycat-to-ps240m-profit-9253329
  24. South China Morning Post, "Pop Mart shares dive despite soaring profit," https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3347851/pop-mart-shares-dive-despite-soaring-profit-investors-fear-labubu-dependence
  25. China Daily via Newsgd, "Pop Mart posts revenue, profit jump in 2025," https://www.newsgd.com/node_1299786306/b0594d4d62.shtml
  26. KrASIA, "Pop Mart shares fall on concerns over limited IP diversification," https://kr-asia.com/pop-mart-shares-fall-on-concerns-over-limited-ip-diversification
  27. Good Morning America via AOL, "Going loco for Labubu: Why adults can't stop buying the collectible plush toy," https://www.aol.com/going-loco-labubu-why-adults-080250594.html
  28. CNBC Make It via NBC Chicago, "This $30 Labubu doll became an international status symbol," https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/business/money-report/this-30-labubu-doll-became-an-international-status-symbol-it-brought-in-423-million-for-its-company-last-year/3789013/

AI assisted in creating the content featured in this post and image.

Back to News