The Toy Book’s Jackie Breyer at Spielwarenmesse 2023

Hallo! I attended Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, Germany last week for the first time in my 20+ years at The Toy Book, and I’ll never miss one again.

Spielwarenmesse, held annually since 1949 (with the exception of 2021-2022), is the largest international toys and games fair in the world. I’ve been told a million times over the years that this show is HUGE, but you can’t fully comprehend what that means until you walk the full length of the show — an entire mile — through all 12 halls, to get to an appointment on time. Most attendees wear sneakers to this show – next year I will too.

Spielwarenmesse — Feel the Spirit! | Source: Jackie Breyer/The Toy Book

The layout of the show is interesting, with multiple entrances and exits to each hall, each of which leads to multiple other halls, connected by both indoor and covered outdoor hallways. At one point I even cut through a courtyard between buildings. I felt like an explorer winding my way through each hall, in a sincere attempt not to miss a single aisle (Full Disclosure: There’s a good chance I missed a few aisles). Most of the major U.S. toy companies were divided into Hall 4/4A and Hall 12. This layout required attendees to walk through all or most of the Halls, and hopefully come across new and unexpected companies and products along the way. The press room was also located at one far end (with Mattel at the opposite end) to hopefully give more companies the opportunity to interact with journalists.

The Toy Book’s Jackie Breyer, Vice President & Group Publisher, Adventure Media & Events

Aside from The Toy Association’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market in Dallas last fall, this was my first hands-on look at the new toys rolling out this year. As expected, I saw plenty of line extensions and refreshes of last year’s successful products, as well as licensed products based on hot new entertainment properties that are rolling out this year, including Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons and some of kids’ favorite games straight out of the metaverse, such as Adopt Me. Legacy licenses and heavy hitters, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel, Pokémon, and more, will be as prolific as ever in the toy space this year.

Related: Spielwarenmesse Hailed as a Success ‘With All the Old Strength’

I’m sure we’ve all been hit over the head quite a bit with everyone’s favorite “new” buzzword, “kidult”. Those of us in the toy industry have been using the term for well over a decade, and know that adult toy purchases have accounted for billions of dollars in annual toy sales for even longer. That said, the kidult toy market is growing quickly in recent years, seemingly spurred by the global pandemic. In many cases the return of retro toys and collectibles featuring favorite characters and entertainment from the ‘80s and ‘90s takes today’s stressed-out adults back to simpler times, allowing for a bit of escapism when we need it most. Adults growing their own toy collections has become more socially acceptable and a source of pride for many.

Dungeons & Dragons cosplay gear for adults is coming. | Source: Jackie Breyer/The Toy Book

At Spielwarenmesse, toy manufacturers, many of whom have been making toys for kidults for many years, are expanding their offerings for an older audience, and labeling them as “kidult” products to jump on the buzzy bandwagon. Some of the biggest toy manufacturers, namely Mattel, Hasbro, and Spin Master, are now creating two versions of their action figure lines, one for kids, and a more articulated, detailed, and higher quality — and in many cases, significantly more expensive — version for adult collectors. The trend is also driving growth for companies more specifically geared to adult fans and collectors, such as Numskull, makers of retro gaming arcades and other toy-adjacent products, that are no longer bound to a specific aisle in the Javits Center during Toy Fair in New York.

Maileg toys on display at a local shop in Nuremberg, Germany. | Source: Jackie Breyer/The Toy Book

On the opposite end of the spectrum, some manufacturers are also expanding their lines with versions of their most popular toys for a younger audience, making them more accessible to all ages and skill levels.

Related: From the Editor: Beware the Kidults

Another trend, spread seemingly across nearly all of the show’s exhibitors, is eco-friendly, sustainable toys and packaging. Again, this is not a new trend by any means, but one that has grown from a handful of specialty toy companies leading the way years ago, to hundreds of toy manufacturers from around the world. The difference in cost to produce toys made with sustainable materials is far less than it was a decade ago and much more important to consumers. And considering a large percentage of exhibitors at Spielwarenmesse are based in Europe, where wooden toys and playthings are far more common, the trend has nearly saturated the market to the point that it’s almost an expectation. These toys have a higher perceived quality and value, and retailers and consumers alike appreciate the environmentally friendly efforts being made.

One of Numskull Designs’ Sonic the Hedgehog Advent/Countdown Calendars | Source: Numskull Designs

For those who haven’t been keeping an eye on the quietly expanding toy advent/countdown calendar category (if that wasn’t a thing before, it is now!), they’re bound to sit up and take notice this year. I saw a plethora of companies introducing these calendars throughout the show, many of which have broken free of the traditional rectangle shape and simple door-opening concept that we’ve known and loved for decades. While these items have typically been designed and marketed for kids, Numskull is expanding its Countdown Character line with buildable statues of favorite characters, namely DreamWorks’ Shrek (a Shrek 5 has been rumored for years); SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails; and a Stormtrooper from Lucasfilm’s Star Wars franchise. “Innovation in Advent Calendars” is not a headline I’d ever have expected to be writing, but it was apparent at Spielwarenmesse. The U.S. has always trailed behind Europe in this space, but kids (and adults!) everywhere will be asking for these new iterations come December.

Related: The Toy Insider Welcomes Submissions for its 2023 Spring & Summer Gift Guide

Another growing category worth mentioning is the expanding pet toy category. While we’ve seen spurts and starts of pet toy production from toy manufacturers over the years, there seems to be a new round of such toys being introduced this year. Admittedly, I couldn’t always tell a pet toy from a kids’ toy in some of the showrooms, and I am looking forward to seeing how this trend plays out this time around.

I saw a plethora of new and innovative toys at Spielwarenmesse, many of which are still under embargo, and we can’t wait to share them with the industry here at The Toy Book. Even after having attended two decades of toy fairs, I certainly learned a lot in Nuremberg. If you need any tips for attending the show next year, I’d be happy to share my newfound knowledge!


For a comprehensive look at the hottest new toys and games for 2023, check out the next issue of The Toy BookThe BIG Toy Book — available February 28, 2023!

About the author

Jackie Breyer

Jackie Breyer

Jackie Breyer is the vice president of Adventure Media & Events, and group publisher of The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider. She has been reporting on retail and toy industry trends for more than 20 years. Jackie has been featured in the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us, The History Channel’s The Toys That Built America, and Nat Geo’s The ’80s Top 10: Toys, as well as The TODAY show, CNBC's Power Lunch, NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar, and more. Jackie is the 2012 recipient of the Wonder Woman in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Award in the field of Journalism & Social Media. A true ’80s kid, Jackie is a fan of Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Super Mario, Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Archie Comics. Her first Cabbage Patch Kid was named Cecily Aretha. She still has her charm necklace, and her Garbage Pail Kid card collection is bigger than yours. Jackie has successfully trained her kids Lena and Henry to be Mario Kart experts. You can follow her on social media @jackiebreyer and connect with her on LinkedIn.

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