- Report ID : MD2977 |
- Pages : 220 |
- Tables : 46 |
- Formats :
The Designer Toys Market is segmented By Product Type (Urban Vinyl, Resin Toys, Designer Plush) By Demographics (Kids, Adults), and By Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, ROW).
The Designer Toys Market is expected to grow with a CAGR of X% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2033
Designer Toys, more commonly known as Art Toys are Collectible Toys inspired by Artists and Designers from around the world. These are trending with the same popularity as sneakers and streetwear. These are mostly produced by individual companies based on inspiration drawn from designers or artists. Artists use a variety of materials to produce such toys, such as vinyl, wood, metal, latex, plush, and resin. The first art toys appeared in the 1990s in Hong Kong and Japan. Many designer toy artists are self-taught or have creative backgrounds through graphic design and fine art.
Transforming a famous cartoon character into something more adult
The fundamental inspiration behind the designer toys has largely remained the same since its first hit in the mid-1990s, that is, creating or recreating a character which is famous among kids, and giving them some twists to turn them into something edgy, more suitable to the tastes of adults. A swamp of artists followed this stream, collaborated with famous toy houses, and designed the same character in different sizes and colors, releasing them as limited editions. Credit for the concept is generally given to artist Michael Lau, AKA the Godfather of designer toys, who produced a limited edition of figures for an exhibition in Hong Kong in 1999.
What inspires the artists?
Major player in the Designer Toys Market like Superplastic and Kidrobot, created art toys by chance or through inspiration from daily life. KAWS, which is one of the most renowned creations as a vinyl toy, derives its familiarity from Micky Mouse. Like most of the artists’ characters, Companion has a morbid, yet playful look about him. Brian Donnelly, the ex-Disney illustrator better known as KAWS, created this vinyl toy in 1999. Catering to the preferences of consumers desiring quality, limited and unique collectibles, the toymaker industry has seen a considerable change in the industry. In an aesthetic sense, the growing demand for customized, limited edition designer collectibles has also motivated artists to create unique pieces which have visually striking concepts across.
Types of Designer Toys based on Materials
Urban Vinyl designer art toys are made up of vinyl. These are original designs, produced in small quantities, and usually purchased by adults. As the name suggests, urban vinyl toys are inspired by the urban environment and often follow the themes of hip-hop, rap, graffiti, etc. The Urban vinyl figures are designed primarily by illustrators, graffiti artists, musicians, and DJs from urban areas in Asia (especially Japan and Hong Kong), North America (especially the United States), and Europe.
Resin toys is another category under Designer Toys, where artists use resin material to cast toys. This process is labor intensive and time consuming than the vinyl-production of toys. These are mostly produced by single independent artists.
Designer Plush, another subcategory of designer art toys, tend to be soft stuffed toys created by artists and designers.
How long will the Market sustain?
The market solely serves the rich and the upper-class society. People who value art and have a whole lot of cash to burn, like collecting and investing in designer art toys. But the preferences of the GenZ is under no one’s control. As previously noticed, the demand for sneakers has gone down by a sliver; this only proves that the demand of every product is volatile and nothing will last forever. But for today, it is unlikely that the trend will fade anytime soon as there is a growing market willing to invest in works that spark sentimentality and creativity.
How Art Toys originated from China & Japan
The Sneaker Market has lost some of its potential in China, the market for Designer Toys seems to have picked up a growing momentum. There has been an observation of shift of focus to trendy toys, ranging from the Bearbrick Collectibles produced by Japan’s Medicom Toy to Designer Toys in Mystery Boxes that attract the Gen Z fanbase. Vinyl toys are particularly popular in the Japanese market, and many KAWS toys are highly sought-after today - for collectibles that fetch large sums at auction.
Prices go up to tens of thousands
Art is essentially valued at what others are willing to pay for it, just like any other commodity, such as Gold, Bitcoin and more. Thus, consumers drive the demand and prices of Art Toys. Each collectible is designed to create a unique and beautiful toy, which are in most cases painted by hand or illustrated from scratch, giving them an extra touch of exclusivity. Often, designer toys are a part of a collection based on a theme like the ‘Hello Kitty’ theme. There is hardly any brand which has not collaborated with Hello Kitty to release a collection under their brand. In such a case, many consumers are willing to own the whole collection, driving up the demand of every product under the theme, thereby driving up the prices.
Competitive Landscape
The market is dominated by a few Major Toy producers like Kidrobot, KAWS, Medicom Toys and some independent Toy Artists like Takashi Murakami, Triston Eaton, Tara McPherson, and Yoshitomo Nara. Most of the market players are originating from China and Japan. Tenacious Toys, another major player started in 2004 in New York City and specializes in premier online retailing of limited-edition art toys in various mediums. Medicom Toy, based in Japan, is renowned for its high-quality and intricately detailed designer toys. They have collaborated with various artists and brands, including notable partnerships with fashion labels, musicians, and movie franchises. Medicoms "BE@RBRICK" series is particularly popular, featuring collectible bear-shaped figures. Kidrobot is one of the most well-known and influential designer toy companies. They collaborate with renowned artists and brands to produce limited-edition vinyl toys, plush figures, and collectibles. Kidrobots products often feature iconic characters from pop culture like Disney Mickey Mouse and its collab with Kenny Scharf, as well as original designs. Superplastic is a designer toy company that focuses on creating vibrant and eye-catching art toys. They collaborate with renowned artists and illustrators to produce limited-edition figures with unique designs. Superplastic’ s toys often incorporate bright colors, bold patterns, and distinctive character styles. The company produces and sells limited-edition designer toys and apparel based on its characters Janky and Guggimon, Dayzee and Staxx, Kranky, and ShüDog.
Recent Strategic Developments
Years considered for this report
Designer Toys Market Research Report Analysis Highlights
Designer Toys Market Segments
By Product Type (Revenue, US $Billion, 2023 - 2033)
By Demographics (Revenue, US $Billion, 2023 - 2033)
By Geography (Revenue, US $Billion, 2023 - 2033)
Designer Toys Market Players
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