COMMENTARY: The Future of Toys Is Boxed Up and Ready to Go

SparkleboxThere was a time when consuming toys required going to where the toys are. That meant the neighborhood toy store, or the big chain retailer attached to the shopping mall. Even with the advent of Internet shopping, buying a new toy still required logging onto an online account, browsing for the item, and clicking a mouse to purchase it.

But those days may be on their way out. A new trend I’m spotting around the toy industry is toy subscriptions by mail: Consumers sign up for a service that sends a new box of toys, calibrated to meet specific requirements, on a basis that’s monthly, bi-monthly, etc. That’s right; all you have to do is sign up, pay, and then sit back as the toys start arriving.

Ladies and gentlemen, we live in the future, and it is glorious.

Seriously, though, it’s probably premature to say that subscription toy services are going to replace the brick and mortar, or online, experience. Yet I can see the appeal of toy subscriptions. For the average consumer, finding the right toy for somebody is a very involved and time-consuming process, due to the sheer number of options out there. While consumer guides such as The Toy Insider (owned by Adventure Publishing Group Inc., which also owns The Toy Book) exist to help ease that decision-making process, subscription services take that helpfulness to its next logical step. With a toy subscription, there’s the same effort at curating, but instead of narrowing down the possibilities, the companies go ahead and make the final decisions as if they were the consumers themselves.

And of course, by sending the items by mail on a pre-determined schedule, the providers eliminate the need to even go shopping. We also found a company, Sparkboxtoys, that acts like a rental service: A box of eco-friendly playthings arrives, and whenever the kids are bored with them, they get re-packed into the box, which is returned in exchange for the next batch. This eliminates the inconvenience of having to find storage solutions for an ever-accumulating pile of toys.

SurpriseRideWhen it comes to buying toys for kids—who frankly, still represent toymakers’ largest audience—subscription-based services are ideal in other ways, too. Kids may break or outgrow their toys, but with an entire box of playthings arriving on a regular basis, they’re never without replacements for long. In addition, kids are constantly in a state of changing and evolving. Luckily, different subscription services exist for different age groups: For example, Sparkboxtoys is recommended for kids ages 0 to 4, while another provider, Surprise Ride, caters its arts and crafts activities to kids age 6 and up.

The act of handing over curation to a stranger or strangers may strike some as akin to signing away a major parental responsibility. However, based on a brief perusal of some of these companies’ web sites, they seem to go out of their way to inspire confidence and trust in their services. Sparkboxtoys, for instance, repeatedly lists the details of its sanitation process. Meanwhile, Surprise Ride offers a look at previous months’ boxes, so consumers can see how it typically fills out a box to match a theme.

Funko.MarvelCollectorCorpsThese types of subscriptions are also available for older kids or collectors. This month, Funko officially launched its Marvel Collector Corps subscription box service, which features collectible Marvel-themed toys. The first installment has Marvel’s Avengers: The Age of Ultron as its theme, and one of its key selling points is an Iron Man Hulkbuster Pop! Vinyl figure, which is only available through Marvel Collector Corps.

Let’s face it, we’re all busier than ever, so the opportunity to outsource a task such as choosing toys for a loved one, or for ourselves, is not without appeal. Now here’s the question: What kind of effect will these types of businesses have on the traditional, brick and mortar toy store, whether that’s the local toy store or the big chain? Does the toy store experience of the future look less like a store, and more like a membership club? When will Toys “R” Us, Mom and Pop’s Neighborhood Toy Shop, etc., start to offer their own toy box subscriptions, with particular niches to set them apart from the competition? Only time will tell, but at least we’ll get to be at home when it all unfolds.

For more commentary from Phil, check back often. Views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Toy Book as a whole. We hope that you will share your comments and feedback below. Until next time!

About the author

Phil Guie

Phil Guie

Phil Guie is an associate editor at Adventure Publishing Group. He writes and edits articles for The Toy Book and The Licensing Book. Phil also serves as lead editor for The Toy Book Blog and The Toy Report newsletter, and manages social media for The Toy Book. But of course, Phil’s pride and joy are his weekly reviews for The Toy Insider, in which he writes about video games, movies, and other cool things. His hobbies include comics, baking, fidgeting, and traveling to off-the-beaten places and making new friends.

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