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Yes, affordable fun still sells
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Pocket money toys and collectibles may be small in size and low in price, but the numbers behind them are anything but. According to recent Toy World’s research, this category continues to be one of the most resilient and reliable categories in the toy industry. Why? Because affordable fun sells. For us, this isn’t news. At Gamaco, we already knew that. ;-)
Talking terms
Pocket money toys are impulse-driven play items that actually fit in your pocket. Since they don’t cost much, they are typically bought with a child’s own spending money. Collectibles are series-based products designed to be gathered, traded and talked about. At school for example.
Proven on the playground and in-store
Pocket money toys and collectibles don’t just sell once. They thrive on the thrill of not knowing what comes next and social influence. Think about it: children measure joy in surprise; in the split second between “What is it?” and “I got it!”. As well as in the show-offs or exchanges at school. Collectibles tap into something timeless instead of a one-off momentum: the fun of completing a set, and of trading, sharing and comparing. Another key strength of pocket money toys lies in their accessibility. At a friendly price point, they lower the barrier to play and make saying “yes” easy. For parents, and for kids spending their own pocket money.
Backed by research
Recent industry insight from Toy World Magazine and key supplier commentary shows the toys' ongoing success. Here are the patterns from 2025, that’ll probably keep popping up in 2026.
- Collectibles showed a growth of +30%.
Making up a large share of the market’s 7% growth as well. - 8 out of the top 10 value-earning items were collectibles.
This indicated that the trend of 2024 seems to be continuing. - Small prices winIn those top performing categories, five averaged under 10 pounds.Three were less than 5 pounds.
Great news, isn’t it? There’s a target audience driven heavily by pocket-money purchases, which underlines the continuous interest in miniscule figurines.
A natural home in vending
All of this makes pocket money collectibles indispensable in vending environments. One twist leads to another. One surprise sparks curiosity for what’s next. And one visit might ignite return visits. Who knows. For vending operators, this combination delivers low-risk toys with high emotional and reliable turnover. It’s a space Gamaco knows inside out.
