Feature - Pocket Money Toys & Collectibles

The small print

Due to the cost-of-living crisis, a prominent spotlight has been shone on the Pocket Money and Collectibles category this year as both kids and adults focus on small treats, and larger, higher value products are more often reserved for special occasions. Marianna Casal finds out more.

As well as offering affordability, the collectability of lines in these categories adds play value and excitement to low-cost products, making them all the more attractive for consumers. Food has become something of a current craze in the world of collectibles, with MGA’s Miniverse Make it Mini Food Editions and Zuru’s Snackles taking top positions on the leaderboard.

MGA’s Miniverse appeals to all ages, especially kidults who have fuelled a viral social trend on TikTok. Michelle Lilley, vice president marketing EMEA believes that fans of the trend also want to use these quirky miniatures “as a form of self-expression and amusement”, and MGA’s marketing plans include influencer campaigns, social media advertising and more, to keep the online passion going for longer.

The mini food items come in blind packaging for an added level of unboxing excitement and this autumn, the brand will expand its portfolio with a new series, the Lifestyle collection, a miniature food multipack, kitchen set and an All You Can Eat set which includes more than 100 collectibles. Only brought to market this year, the brand has already moved into Top 5 positioning of Circana’s Top New Properties in the UK market in June (No.5), as well as ranking as the No.3 Miscellaneous Toy.

Zuru also revealed its own on-trend miniature food brand this year, merging two in-demand toy categories to bring something unique to the sector. With licensing a key mainstay of its overall business growth strategy, Zuru used this to its advantage for the new release; Snackles is a collectible plush range, available in two sizes, bringing kids adorable characters with mini replica snacks based on some of the world’s biggest brands.

Available as Super-size and Small versions, both series offer 11 characters to collect. As with Miniverse, the smaller lines are blind-packaged capsules to provide a surprise reveal, while the Super-size styles allow consumers to select the collectible animal characters and favourite household brands. Froot Loops, Reese’s, Mike and Ike and Chupa Chups are just some of the brands to be given the Snackles treatment, all paired with cuddly characters. Each character comes with its own backstory and includes a comic strip to show how it fell in love with its snack, further increasing brand connection and the desire to collect.

Will Collinson, general manager at Zuru UK, told us: “We're constantly tracking trends and assessing what’s hot in the market to ensure we continue to deliver product that is relevant. Social media is a great reference point to ensure we keep close to what kids are engaging with and responding to. Generally, we like to incorporate a chase element within the collectibles to drive that interest and desire to collect. We’re super targeted with our digital marketing – we base it on users’ tastes and interests as well as our past experience.”

Looking at ways to encourage impulse buys from consumers is one of the main factors for toy companies when coming up with the next collectible line. Colour, design and price are the top factors under consideration for One for Fun, according to CEO David Mordecai. He expanded: “There is also the cost of production, possible line extensions, colourways and connectivity, design and impulse buy appeal and increased play value. Now, especially, retail cost is key. We constantly monitor and use social media and our PR takes advantage of current newsworthy items and hooks in our products where possible. We are using playground ambassadors and we channel our message into mainstream too for the older demographic.”

At the forefront of One for Fun’s pocket-money range is Pushpoppers, a sensory fidget toy. The tactile feel of the product stays constant in the collection, but there are changing themes to give consumers new options. Scrunchems are also a best seller for the company, again having a squishy addictive appeal to them. In January, One for Fun introduced Micro Fidgetz which add a layer of collectability along with a surprise element from the sealed bags.

Also with a sensory element, Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty is an enduring pocket money line that has come back strongly in the UK market. A favourite of the specialist independent trade, the tins sell in huge quantities - and at great margins. DKB became the brand’s distribution partner just over a year ago, and in July this year celebrated the sale of the 200,000th Crazy Aaron’s tin since it did so. Available at a range of accessible price points, the range is expanding for Q4, making it even more collectible, and Mini Thinking Putty tins offer a perfect pocket money option. DKB describes these as “small, fun, addictive and packed with more innovation than their size belies,” and throughout the range, new styles are continually introduced to keep the collection interesting and appealing.

Consumer-focused marketing and an influencer campaign plus dedicated instore POS, retailer window and permanent display fixtures across the key summer holiday period will ensure the Crazy Aaron’s brand remains front of mind with kids before they return to school in September. As Back to School fever takes over retail, as well as ticking off the required equipment, bags, stationery items and lunchboxes with their parents, kids stock up on the pocket money items they will at last be able to share with their classmates.

Playground crazes often fuel this market; kids naturally like to show off their latest purchases, brag about their collections and even swap items with friends. This creates a trickle-down effect for demand of certain lines. Marbles is a tried and tested playground favourite, offering both a competitive, fun activity and a trading/collectability element, and World Alive has brought the world of Marbles bang up to date with its new Freak Marbles. These 3cm characterised marbles have 360 decoration depicting monsters, robots, nightmares, animals and more, and come with matching skins to convert them into figurines to play or display. With unique characters, dynamic gameplay and captivating designs, the company is confident that the line will soon be the talk of the playground for kids everywhere.

Pat Avenue’s new Battle Heads collection is another line which is perfect to become playground “currency” and offers long-lasting repeat play value. With 90 characters to collect, the affordable collectible lets kids battle the figures thanks to their action functions, and the fun can be extended beyond the playground once new Battle Heads play sets launch later this year.

Activity and crafting is a sector that is always attractive to retailers; consumers see value in products that will keep them/their kids engaged and create a sense of satisfaction once completed. One for Fun’s Loom bands offer that craft appeal at a pick-up price point, while also being a way for friends to connect, as the finished bands can be gifted and swapped.

Mini dolls offer engagement in the form of storytelling and interaction with friends. MGA’s L.O.L. Surprise! offers fans an enhanced play experience and the fun of trying to find a new character in the surprise packaging. The most recent launch for the brand is the new Bubble Surprise range which allows fans to explore a brand-new bubbling reveal feature for the first time. According to Circana data, the brand has maintained its position as the No.1 item in UK Playset Dolls and Collectibles in total value sales. New characters and playsets are set to launch in autumn/winter, to drive collectability and keep the collection fresh.

Similarly, Zapf Creation has recently revealed a new Baby born pocket money line: Baby Born Minis. Already an extremely popular doll brand, the company has found a place in the market for a new, lower-priced and collectible Baby born option. Ellie Moore, Sales director at Zapf Creation, said: “Initial feedback to the Baby born Minis has been incredible. There’s an increased appetite amongst children for collecting and keeping hold of their precious toys on the go, and this new range offers the ability to do just that. With the Baby born Minis, children can bring Baby born into their world, no matter where they are. They are the perfect size to pop in a bag for a bit of courage ahead of a big day at school, or as a stocking filler for Christmas gifting.”

Keeping collectibles up to the minute, suppliers have begun to take inspiration from popular gaming properties, knowing that a vast and dedicated fanbase exists. They have also been inspired by NFTs, a recent phenomenon which has only been around for the last decade. NFT - or non-fungible token – is a unique cryptographic token which exists on a blockchain and cannot be replicated, which can come in digital form. The Pudgy Penguins NFTs became a craze this year with 8,888 unique digital chubby penguins in its collection. PMI Kids World became the master toy partner to the IP, and in May launched a toy range on Amazon. 24 hours after hitting the Amazon marketplace, the Pudgy Samurai Action Figure had become the No.1 toy on the platform, while the Pudgy Penguins Huggable Plush was sitting at No.5 in a very competitive Top 10 that also included Pokémon, Barbie, Disney and Lego.

Also in PMI’s portfolio of licences is Toikido’s Piñata Smashlings, a premium quality game where players explore, capture and train Smashlings, magical pet-like creatures that live in the Piñataverse, and marks a first-of-its-kind integration of digital gameplay and product. PMI has partnered with Toikido to produce a range of collectible toys which launched in July. The range will be distributed by Character Options in the UK.

PMI’s COO Omer Dekel commented: “The internet has offered a great amount of transparency when it comes to seeing what’s buzzing at the moment, so we can focus on what crazes will best translate into the physical world. In addition, our scouting team works closely with global gamers and reports on what games are gaining traction as well as their respective trends. We hope to see the same excitement in our Piñata Smashlings launch with Toikido.”

He added: “Every trend’s demographic has an influential figure or early adopter who it is essential to understand if you want to tap into a trend successfully. Within the video game community, that can be anything from a popular streamer, a high-ranking gamer, to a dedicated forum moderator. We’re very particular when choosing a new IP, as we want to fully understand the ecosystem behind the trend before moving forward. IP strength has been a huge contributor in the success of our licensed products. The evergreen popularity of Sonic Prime - the top trending series on Netflix, the dedicated digital community behind Pudgy Penguins and the loyal Among Us fans have all contributed to the success of our toy lines.”

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at what lines kids are going to be clamouring to collect, or spend their precious pocket money on, in the coming months.