New Trends in Toy Categories: Remote Control Cars and Building Toys

Recently, eBay announced four high-potential products in the toy category to help Chinese sellers seize the development opportunities and seize the future growth points of the market.

As one of the world’s most dynamic online retail markets for toys, eBay provides buyers from all over the world with hundreds of thousands of toys, from the most novel and popular toys to hard-to-find retro toys on the market, out-of-print toys, and classic toys for kids of all ages, including action figures, plush toys, STEM toys, outdoor toys, family games, model trains, collectible toys and more. Not only is eBay the best place to fulfill kids’ wish lists, it’s also the go-to trading platform for adult toy enthusiasts.

At the same time, based on the massive data of the platform and the analysis and insights of the expert team, eBay releases an annual list of hot toys and fashion trends for the holiday season every year, providing insights into the latest trends of the season and sharing the hottest toy lists.

Specific categories are as follows

1. Remote control toys

Remote control toys are suitable for all ages and are the largest toy category on the eBay platform. According to statistics from the American business information company BusinessWire, the global market size will reach 8 billion US dollars in 2031. About 41% of the market share comes from the North American market, which has the largest market growth. The contributors are a huge number of Millennials. Remote control cars are the most popular, accounting for 35%; the demand for remote control drones will continue to grow as the millennial generation grows up. Remote control toy parts and accessories account for the largest proportion of the entire category, especially among professional players, with huge demand. Popular development categories include batteries, battery chargers, chassis, bodies, etc.

 

2. Alloy toy cars

Alloy car models have very high collection value and resale value. They have great room for appreciation among collectors and the second-hand market, and the market demand continues to be strong. BusinessWire predicts that the global market size of alloy cars and toys will reach US$4.5 billion in 2027. The North American market deserves special attention. From children to collectors, the enthusiasm for alloy cars is very high. Popular development categories include tractors, dump trucks, semi-trailer trucks, school buses, logistics express vehicles and other service vehicles. In addition, the market for tanks and military vehicles is growing rapidly. Retro models and limited edition models are highly sought after by collectors. Toy cars that combine super large alloy cars with ABS plastic are very popular among children.

3. Building toys

Represented by the LEGO brand, construction toys are popular all over the world. According to Yahoo Research, construction toys generated total revenue of US$13.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$18.5 billion in 2023. Building block ranks first in market share among construction toys. 50% of the world’s total revenue from construction toys comes from this category. It will maintain steady growth in the future and remains the main growth point for global sellers. Chinese sellers have obvious industrial advantages in this market. Construction toys sold in complete sets are growing rapidly, and they have begun to focus on branding and self-research and innovation capabilities. Market segments worthy of attention: plastic building blocks (ranked first in market share), wooden construction toys (in line with environmental protection concepts, ranked second in market share), educational structural toys (construction toys with the highest growth rate) .

4. Model toys

The global model toy market continues to grow rapidly. According to the research agency Reliable Research Report, the market has a compound annual growth rate of 10.9% (2023-2030). Among them, North America leads the world in growth, followed by European markets such as Britain and Germany. At present, adult professional enthusiasts have become the most important consumer group of model toys. They have a high repurchase rate and have stable expectations for product prices. In recent years, the average transaction price on major eBay sites has been high and stable. The sales growth rate of Chinese sellers in this market exceeds the average level of global sellers, and accessories, tools, humanoid dolls, and boats are the dominant categories. Popular development categories include traditional military/classic element model products, such as car models and aircraft; entry-level model toys for children; and accessory products, such as spray guns, air dust collectors, cutters, acrylic boxes, art glue, etc.

 

Discount stores become a new channel for domestic toy retail

In China, as competition in the retail market becomes increasingly fierce, it has become a common choice for retailers to try various new business formats. Against this background, retailers have set their sights on discount stores. Some large retail companies such as Wumart and Hema have deployed related businesses to supplement their own retail systems or explore multiple formats; in addition, emerging discount store brands. They are also constantly emerging to provide consumers with cost-effective products.

Trendy toys are toys that incorporate multiple elements such as art, design, fashion, painting, sculpture, and animation. They were created by Hong Kong designer Michael Lau in 1999. Their categories include movable figures, vinyl toys, Japanese soft plastic, and resin toys. Platform toys, blind box dolls, building block toys, etc., range in size from a few centimeters to dozens of centimeters.

The main categories of trendy toys include blind box dolls, hand models, art toys, and ball-jointed dolls. In addition, there are many subcategories in the industry. Each category basically originates from overseas, but the development trajectory is different. . In recent years, two types of toys, blind box dolls and hand models, have flourished in China and are quite representative. Judging from the categories of trendy toys purchased, trendy toy users prefer blind boxes, followed by figures and models, accounting for 62.95%, 52.33% and 52.07% respectively.

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