Why the adult toy market's heating up

Adult toys are all the rage right now.

No, not those ones.

Think you’re too old to play with dolls? These tiny, bare-butted, cherub-faced, headgear-wearing babies will make you think again. 

Over the past year, Sonny Angels, the 3-inch-tall, adorable figurines have taken over hearts, minds, phones, shelves, and bedside tables of collectors all over the world.

They’ve become an obsession. The dolls have garnered millions of views on social media. They've been seen with celebrities. And they even have their own skit on SNL. The Sonny Angels craze raises the question, why is everybody so obsessed with these little guys?

While money can’t buy you happiness, it can buy you a Sonny Angel. And as the official slogan goes, 'He may bring you happiness.' That’s close enough for me.

So what exactly is a Sonny Angel?

Sneakerheads move along. There’s a new collectable in town and he is SO MUCH CUTER. Created in 2004 by manufacturer Toru 'Sonny' Soeya and inspired by Japanese cartoon character Kewpie, these teeny dolls are having their moment.

Standing at 7cm, each biblically inaccurate angel is adorned with little wings and a funny hat. Some wear full outfits. Most are pant-less. And all are sold in themed collections that include animals, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

You can also buy 'blind boxes.' This means you only know the theme, but not the specific figure you’re getting, until you open the box.

All of them share the same rounded features, including circular eyes. They're always looking up and to the side instead of straight on. And this makes them look like they’re either shy or embarrassed, further adding to their charm.

They’re Gen Z’s 'tiny boyfriends.' A comfort and joy to all who wield them. Just look at Smiski, a-glow-in-the-dark figurine originally made to help children afraid of the dark feel safe, who’s having a moment with adult audiences.

But mostly, they’re a gateway drug to the addiction that is blind box collecting, which has begun to spread all over the world.

But this toy obsession isn’t limited to Sonny Angels. Toy collecting in general is insanely popular right now.

Japanese entertainment powerhouse Sanrio continues its rein with Hello Kitty and Kuromi. But now, the Dutch fictional rabbit Miffy has made her epic comeback, as have Sylvanian Families, Jellycats and LEGOs.

In 2020, Hasbro introduced an adult version of Play-Doh perfumed with smells like 'overpriced latte' and 'fresh-cut grass.' In 2021, Fisher-Price brought out a Bluetooth-enabled version of the vintage Chatter Phone, the one with a face on its dial pad, to the market.

And who’s collecting them? (Mostly) Gen Z and Millennial women.

Are these just trends for social media? Or is this sudden toy revival indicative of something deeper?

Right now, we're seeing the wave of the inner-child consumer.

There has been an overwhelming pop-psychology imperative in recent years to 'heal your inner child.'

Mix this with a global pandemic, a looming recession, and international conflicts running rampant across the globe. Now more than ever, we're feeling the need to escape back to their childhoods.

So when you give our kinda depressed, kinda scared, very nostalgic generation cute little toys reminiscent of our childhood to collect and cherish, AND post on TikTok?

Cue the current era of social contagion.

Unsurprisingly, toy company revenue has grown alongside rising levels of nostalgia.

Toy sales from adults buying themselves toys increased by $666 million from September 2022 to September 2023, according to Circana.

And brands are fully aware that nostalgia is a very effective way to sell us things. So these toy brands are playing into the fact that we'd all love to go back somewhere in time. That's why today, at Target you can buy brand new Furbies, Tamagotchis, and My Little Ponies.

Whether it’s a coincidence or genius ploy of late-stage capitalism, we took the bait. Hook, line and sinker.

You might be thinking, that’s so stupid? They’re toys? They serve no purpose.

That, my friend, is the key.

Those of us in our 20s and 30s have lived through some pretty insane world/life altering events. We missed out on a lot of the carefree eras previous generations had the liberty of experiencing.

A useless collectable toy is exactly what we need to bring peace to our lives. Something cute. And sweet. And removed from it all.

And hey, maybe we are regressing. But at least there’s little naked angels where we’re going!!

-Sophie, Writer