A growing number of adults are buying the toys they wanted as children and spending freely on merchandise featuring their favorite characters. Instead of drinking or dining out, they are opening their wallets for figures, plush toys and collectible cards — a pattern of spending known as "kidult" consumption that is taking hold as a new cultural trend.
The term kidult combines "kid" and "adult," according to U.S. business magazine Fortune on the 20th. It no longer refers only to adults enjoying toys and games once considered for children, but has expanded into a culture of consuming childhood memories and tastes.
In a survey of 2,158 adults by U.S. polling firm The Harris Poll, 57% of Generation Z and millennial respondents said they had bought a blind box or mystery box. The format, in which the contents remain unknown until the box is opened, stirs consumer curiosity. Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll, compared mystery boxes to slot machines, saying the fun lies in the act of opening the box to see which toy is inside.
Adults Choosing Toys Over Drinks
Childhood nostalgia is the main force driving kidult spending. In the Harris Poll survey, 87% of millennials said they feel a stronger affinity for a brand when it evokes childhood memories. Beyond simply owning an object, they are paying to revive past memories and emotions.
Physical collectibles also draw sizable interest. In a survey by printing company Quad, 68% of respondents said they collect at least one type of physical collectible, such as toys, figures or trading cards. Childhood nostalgia was the most cited reason for collecting, at 46%.
The market is expanding as well. According to research firm Circana, households with only adults accounted for 55% of U.S. toy sales in the first half of 2026. Toy purchases by these households rose 16% through June from a year earlier.
Collecting toys is also seen as a way to find enjoyment in daily life. In the Harris Poll survey, 52% of Americans cited "kidulting" as a form of self-care, rising to 66% among Generation Z and millennials. Among those generations, 53% said they would rather pursue childhood hobbies — collecting or assembling toys — than go out for drinks.
Korea Joins the Kidult Boom as Collectibles Market Grows
Characters and collectibles that tap childhood memories are also gaining popularity in South Korea. One prominent case is the Japanese character Chiikawa. After its first permanent store opened at Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul early this year, pop-up stores followed across the city, drawing shoppers who lined up outside from early morning. Trips to Daiso stores in Japan to buy merchandise at lower prices have also drawn attention as a shopping activity to enjoy while traveling.
Pokemon cards are another item fueling growth in the collectibles market. According to secondhand marketplace Bunjang, transaction volume in its collectibles category — covering kidult items, trading cards, collectibles and celebrity merchandise — reached 18 billion won ($12.6 million) as of August this year, double the 9 billion won recorded in January last year. Analysts say the market for buying and trading collectibles is expanding as the generation that has consumed related intellectual property since childhood moves into its 20s and 30s.