Action and adventure remain staples of classic play, but a new generation of heroes (and villains!) is mostly MIA.
When I visit The Toy Book’s home office in New York City a few times each year, spending some time mining the archives is always a highlight of the trip.
This year, The Toy Book’s 40th volume and ongoing anniversary celebration has made those dives into the archives even more special, if not deliberate, as the quest to uncover key insights from four decades of toy history continues.
Notably, a dramatic shift takes place around 20 years into the archive as the once incredibly robust “action” categories shrink and, in some cases, essentially disappear. Action figures, playsets, vehicles, R/C, and role-play fall off a cliff as first-wave collector nostalgia kicks in for brands like Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Masters of the Universe. At retail, once-busy aisles stocked with dozens of competing lines are condensed to a single “action aisle” as corporate consolidation results in countless toy companies disappearing. Elsewhere, train sets and model kits lose shelf space while realistic role-play (military, cops, cowboys, etc.) and lines involving classic good vs. evil (outside of LEGO City) practically vanish. Now fast-forward…
EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY
In June, the toy industry was back on the mainstream media radar when Circana data revealed that adult consumers had overtaken preschoolers as the biggest growth drivers in the business. While adult collectors and enthusiasts — recently dubbed with the increasingly polarizing “kidult” label — have been around forever, it’s only in the past decade that they’ve moved far beyond a niche market and into a trackable behemoth.
THE FORGOTTEN YEARS
While all sales are good sales, a problem has emerged that’s staring the industry directly in the face: The extreme, opposite focus on preschoolers and adult collectors has created a content desert for kids, especially boys, in the 5-10 age range. On page 22, filmmaker and cinematographer Isaac Elliott-Fisher (Power of Grayskull, Turtle Power) — now a toy store owner and toy and game developer — explores the need for new, kid-focused action IP to fuel imaginative play for kids that are easily lost to devices and social media. There’s something to be said about a world where “innovation” and “newness” remain industry buzzwords, but the action aisle in 2024 is dominated by a handful of brands that were popular in 1984 and they’re not necessarily being purchased to be played with.
ADVENTURE AWAITS
This issue is packed with content, including a look behind the scenes from Razor’s Ali Kermani (p. 52) about how the maker of scooters and ride-ons connected with grandparents to rock sales; suggestions for gaming with non-gamers from Moose Toys’ Deirdre Cross (p. 36); and an update on the latest in slot car racing from industry vet Dave Kennedy (p. 44).
So strap in and turn the page to begin a new quest! We’ll be back with The Toy Book’s LA Fall Toy Preview issue on Sept. 9, and you won’t want to miss it!
A version of this feature was originally published in the The Toy Book’s 2024 Action & Adventure Issue. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
