The Guardian view on Lego for adults: play is a serious business | Editorial
Toy sales to grownups are growing – offering relief to manufacturers and consumers alike
“When I became a man, I put away childish things,” Paul told the Corinthians. Two thousand years on, many grownups are getting them out again. The adult taste for toys has thrown a lifeline to manufacturers faced with shrinking sales. When the London Toy Fair opens next week, the industry will have “kidults” in its sight as well as parents. According to the market research firm NPD, purchases for over-12s account for 23% of all toy sales in Europe, and spending for this age group was 11% higher in the year to September than in the same period in 2016-17.
Play can bring parents closer to their children – even if, as the Lego Movie showed, differing expectations can cause tensions. But the primary audience for many of Lego’s new products is adults, regardless of whether they have children. The advantages for Europe’s biggest toy producer are obvious: the model of Old Trafford released this week and aimed at over-16s costs £250 – hardly pocket-money pricing. The Forma range of mechanical models is for “adults looking for a fun, engaging way to reconnect with their creative side”. A US version of Channel 4’s Lego Masters – a sort of Great British Brick Off – will soon air. In November, the company bought BrickLink, the world’s largest online community of adult fans, to strengthen its ties with older users.
