Rolling for Initiative is a weekly column by Scott Thorne, PhD, owner of Castle Perilous Games & Books in Carbondale, Illinois and instructor in marketing at Southeast Missouri State University. This week, Thorne discusses the rise of the kidult and how it is impacting retail hobby store sales.
One of the more interesting consumer developments over the last several years has been the rise of the “kidult.” A kidult is an adult (usually but not always male) who buys toys and other kid-focused merch for themselves rather than as gifts for children. If you have attended any of the ASTRA conventions in recent years, you have heard the term widely used in seminars and throughout the trade show floor.
Kidults have interests or media consumption habits traditionally seen as more typical of children or adolescents. Although the term has been used with much more frequency by those in the toy industry, it actually dates back to the 1950s with extensive use by those working in the television industry to refer to adults who enjoyed television programs targeted at children.
A number of television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, most notably Thunderbirds, used formats typical of children’s programing but had storylines targeted at adult viewers. The long running series Doctor Who, though targeted at children, had countless adult viewers as well during its 20th century run, with the producers, especially during the 1980s, giving the Doctor attractive female companions to keep dads watching the show with their children. The producers referred to this as “parent service.“
However, the term today generally refers to adults purchasing items such as action figures or trading cards which are thought of as typically targeted towards children. Sales of toys increased 17% in the first half of 2026, with purchases by adults with no children in the home up 25%, leading that growth, according to Circana. Sales to adults-only households accounted for 55% of toy sales in the period, according to the report.
In a recent Harris poll, 65% of adults reported spending at least $100 on items typically viewed as targeted towards children, with about 13% of them spending over $500. That is the group buying the $1,000 LEGO Death Stars or standing in block-long lines to buy Pokémon Elite Trainer Kits (see “‘Pokémon’ the New Financial Asset“) and their spending is helping make up for slower toy sales to kids.
So what are kidults looking for? In general, three things:
Nostalgia. The adults now reaching middle age look fondly back at their youth and look for things that remind them of it. It is no coincidence that 80 to 90% of those attending the initial theater showing of a Marvel or DC movie are adults. They remember reading the comic books on which the films are based and look to the movies to help them recapture that time (in general though, with a few exceptions, movies based on comics do not translate into increased sales of the comic on which they are based). These adults now have discretionary income and are willing to spend it.
Tactile experience. In an increasingly digital world, toys and games are tactile. You can touch them. The unopened action figures can be put on a shelf and admired. The Dungeons & Dragons book can be flipped through and the Dave Trampier art admired. Unlike digital purchases, there are only a limited quantity of these items available and the kidult gets pleasure from having them.
Lipstick Luxury. This is the concept that, as prices on other things increase, consumers compensate by treating themselves to smaller, less expensive pleasures. Prices may be going up on food or gas, but the customer can afford a small treat such as a Magic: The Gathering pack or set of dice.
I expect we will see this segment grow even more in the next few years.
Comments? Send them to castleperilousgames@gmail.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
Source: ICv2
