The Nostalgia Behind Toy Collecting

For some, it’s a flicker of images from childhood — memory snapshots of holding pieces of plastic shaped like fashion icons, soldiers, rebel fighters, masters of the universe, transforming robots, ninja turtles, or cuddly companions. For others, the memories are as vivid as they were when they occurred ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or more years ago. Summer afternoons spent in the backyard ditch or on the dirt pile, using action figures and their accompanying vehicles to reenact or create epic battles — good versus evil. Saturdays with your friends in your room picking out the latest outfit and accessories for your doll. 

These snapshots and vivid memories are the result of perhaps the strongest equivalent to any drug or stimulant in life — nostalgia. 

The Science of Nostalgia

It may be a wild comparison, but consider the similar effects between nostalgia and drugs or stimulants:

• Mood Enhancement — Nostalgia can significantly boost your mood, often bringing back memories of happier times, leading to an increase in positive feelings.

• Pain Relief — Studies have shown that engaging in nostalgia can offer psychological comfort, and even reduce feelings of physical pain to a certain extent.

• Stress Reduction — Nostalgia can serve as a coping mechanism during times of stress or uncertainty, providing a mental "escape" to a simpler or happier time. 

• Social Connectivity — Nostalgia can strengthen social bonds and feelings of belonging by reminding you of past relationships and shared experiences. It can also produce feelings of warmth and connectedness.

• Identity and Continuity — Engaging in nostalgia can help you maintain a sense of personal continuity over time, reinforcing your identity and life narrative. 

But here is where the comparison isn’t even, well, comparable. Nostalgia is a naturally occurring, healthy emotional experience — a safe and easily accessible form of reflection that can contribute positively to your well-being and mental health. Nostalgia can turn a bad day, week, month, year, or a long stretch of your life into instant healthy relief and comfort in the short term after finding a nostalgic treasure, and in the long term by surrounding yourself with a collection of memorable nostalgic pieces.

These are the life-changing benefits of being a toy collector, at any tier or level. 

And these are also the reasons why the toy collectibles market has skyrocketed since the pandemic. 

The Business of Toy Nostalgia

Despite the negative effects of the pandemic, we’ve also seen some positive residuals — namely the growth of the toy collecting market, driven by people wanting to buy memorable toys from their childhood. The difficult years of the pandemic created a surge in toy sales. Not by way of children looking for something to play with during the lockdowns. But by way of adults buying toys for themselves. 

According to a 2023 Circana study, The number of adults buying toys for themselves increased by 14% — and the toy-collecting business is continuing to grow each year.  

Market Decipher estimated that the toy collectible market grew to $12. 5 billion in 2021. It forecasts that the market will grow substantially to a market value of $35.3 billion by 2032. That’s a compound annual growth of 10%. This notable expansion is credited to the surge in demand for vintage toys, comic books, sports cards, and collectible cards.

The collectible toy market is not a multi-million dollar business — it’s a multi-billion dollar one. 

Young Adults and Old Adults Alike Are Toy Collectors 

It isn’t just about adults in their 40s and 50s trying to reconnect with their childhood either. The toy collecting scene is booming worldwide, especially among the younger crowd. They're all about snagging those limited edition collectibles — the more unique, the better — and adding them to their collections. 

A perfect example is the continuing collectible phenom that is Pokémon. The trading card game — an expansion of the Game Boy Pokémon videogame craze — first debuted in 1996 in Japan and then hit the United States in 1999. The United States release was part of the Pokémon franchise's expansion outside Japan, following the international success of the Pokémon video games and animated TV series. The Pokémon Trading Card Game quickly became popular in the United States, contributing significantly to the global Pokémon phenomenon. 

25 years after the U.S. debut of Pokémon, the kids of the Pokémon era are in their mid-20s and mid-30s and are either beginning to join the workforce or have been in it for a while and are prospering. They grew up collecting and trading Pokémon cards. Amidst adulthood, the nostalgia of returning to the world of Pokémon is irresistible — not to mention the fact that Pokémon continues to be one of the most highly collectible products in the secondary industry. People make a living off of discovering, buying, and selling Pokémon cards. Pokémon fans in their 30s are returning for that profitable nostalgia as well. 

But it doesn’t stop with Pokémon. Both the younger and older generations of adults embrace pop culture and nostalgia. The intellectual properties that older adults grew up with — Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, Marvel and DC Superheroes, etc. — have been re-released, rebooted, sequeled, prequeled, and spinned off for newer generations to discover and embrace. 

For younger adults, it’s cool to go retro. For older adults, it’s comforting. 

Big Toy Companies Are Getting In On the Toy Collectibles Market

There's also a growing buzz for custom, one-of-a-kind designer toys, sparking some seriously cool and quirky designs in all sorts of sizes. With more and more small companies popping up everywhere, it's clear that collecting toys isn't just a niche hobby anymore — it's getting big-time mainstream attention. This shift is opening up loads of exciting opportunities for collectors.

Even big companies like Hasbro are getting in on the custom trend. Hasbro's HasLab is like a Kickstarter for super cool, often big and intricate collector items that might be too niche for regular franchise stores. It's an interactive spot where fans can back projects they're really excited about, from epic Star Wars ships to giant Transformers and beyond — all from Hasbro's own lineup. If enough people sign up and the project hits its goal, Hasbro makes it happen, and backers get their hands on these unique, often limited-edition pieces. And then these pieces sell on the secondary market for sometimes astronomical amounts. 

Look no further than the HasLab project for Jabba's Sail Barge — The Khetanna — as a perfect example of a corporate giant creating a giant of a toy for the toy collectible market. The model, which stretches over 4 feet in length when fully constructed, was a highly detailed replica of the infamous desert skiff from Return of the Jedi. It was a hit, quickly surpassing its funding targets with fans eager to add this piece to their collections. Hasbro's commitment to bringing such unique and intricate items to life showcased their dedication to fan interests, demonstrating that with enough support, even the most elaborate collector's items could become a reality.

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There’s no doubt about the power of nostalgia. In a world full of war, famine, poverty, and political and cultural divides, nostalgia can be a necessary comfort to get you through difficult times. Toy collecting is a mainline way to accomplish that in your life, whether it’s finding a few casual nostalgic pieces, living for the adrenaline of finding those treasured items, or completing a specific collection over time. 

Let The Toys of Our Lives help you on your nostalgic toy-collecting journey. Check out our online store as we continue to add more and more pieces to our vast library of toys and collectibles, or come visit our brick-and-mortar store in Verona, WI!