Adults that buy toys ... for themselves! No one is more familiar with it than us but it is good to see it recognized by mainstream media.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/19/kidults-biggest-sales-driver-toy-industry.html

 

Literally the first time I’ve heard that portmanteau

I hate it

 

Adults always buy toys for themselves and if they don't like it, they give it to their kids.  

 

I recommend everyone fully read the article for a better understanding of how we do matter despite the naysayers who think we don't. Some of us have been able to see the lay of the land for awhile, but here it is in detail. Confirms everything I suspected.

We do matter, and significantly so. We need to use that power wisely.

 

I regret nothing

 

While I can appreciate the sentiment I loathe 'kidult', it just brings adult daycares to mind.

Just call them collectors for fucks sake.

 

If we adult collector did not matter Hasbro would not be making Hot House, Galaxy Shuttle, slavishly accurate figures to a cartoon from 40 years ago, or fucking Gobots.


In the past ten years, every major toy company has seen their demographic split between younger children and adult collectors, and the smart companies have shifted their product to cater to both audiences. You don’t get shit like Super7, or the Funko Boom without adult collector. But yet, some will still try and claim we are nothing.


Don’t listen to those people. They are ignorant of the obvious.


Although, the term “kidult” is absolutely stupid. Nobody uses that. Not in any fandom, nor in any industry.

 

"Kidult"

I'd rather be called a slur.

 

Word.

In all my life as a trans woman I've never been more unironically insulted then I have by 'kidult'.

 

But yet Hasbro wants to push the story that Generations audience is primarily developed for children. I firmly believe that its an excuse to cop out on certain things. not talking about hollow, mainly engineering and articulation.

 

It’s probably more the extent really that’s changed. The old woman with a doll collection or the old man with a train set in his basement are classic stereotypes that go back decades. I don’t think they openly mention TF, but our main concept exists (albeit in shrunken form) as a mass-produced robot that can transform/convert/morph/shapeshift/change form on command. Can you say that for any other sci-fi or fantasy franchise?

 

I'm too old to care.  

 

Apparently it is used in the industry for a decade now as a slight against the consumer.

 

I'd love to see Hasbro's sales numbers now. They've been beating us over the head with "oh, adult collectors are only 12 to 20% of our sales" and using that as the reasoning behind a lot of their decisions. The G1-centric decisions going back as far as Combiner Wars (and t30, hell Classics ffs!) showed they knew adults were big business. Yes, the toys can be enjoyed by kids, but who are they REALLY aiming for...  

 

Just wait til the "adults" find out about Bronies

 

That was 10 years ago and it got a lot more media coverage then toy collectors ever will.

 

Someone said that us "kidults" might be pedos  

 

I guess it's good that there's actual acknowledgement of the effect adult toy collectors have on the industry. Like, it's always been there, but with the recent pushes to lines in a way that makes them more appealing to adults, like the removal of firing missile launchers or lights-and-sounds gimmicks in some of the more collector-oriented Transformers series, or more "mature" Dungeons and Dragons media, you can tell the effect adult collectors are having is considerable. Those things wouldn't exist if these companies didn't think that was a market worth tapping into.

However, "kidult" is a very infantilizing term and I hate it so much. Just call us adult collectors for fucks' sakes.

 

Yup. We're adults. Sure, we're often immature or stunted but we're still adults.

It is.

Adults are a quarter. Not the majority.