One of the most appealing aspects of collectibles has always been that they come in so many shapes and sizes, ranging from towering superhero statues to holographic trading cards. But against a backdrop of sharp inflation, a rising cost of living and potential tariffs, most toycos are turning to a “smaller” subcategory to help them weather the economic storm and keep growing.

Micro-collectibles are miniature toys that max out at three inches tall, according to market research firm Circana. First popularized in 2010 with Blip Toys’ introductory line of Squinkies mini-figures, this subcategory has since expanded to include L.O.L. Surprise blindboxes from MGA Entertainment, surprise eggs from ZURU’s Mini Brands, and Spin Master’s Micro Magical Moments range of Harry Potter figures.

“In fact, there’s not a single major toy manufacturer I know of that isn’t creating micro-collectibles,” says Circana VP and US Toys advisor Juli Lennett. “There are always consumers looking for low-priced options, and that is the perfect audience for micro-toys.”

The global market for micro-collectibles grew by 9% last year, outperforming both core collectibles (up 5%) and the overall toy industry (down 0.6%), Lennett notes.

Key drivers working in the category’s favor include the multigenerational appeal of these products with kids, tweens/teens and adults, and the fact that many of them are priced below the average toy MSRP of US$12.12.

The UK is a particularly strong market for these products, perhaps because of the rough economic conditions British families are experiencing right now. Notably, one in five toys sold in the UK last year was a collectible with an average price of US$9.81 (or £7.59), says Melissa Symonds, Circana’s UK Toys executive director. And for the second year in a row, Jazwares’ smallest Squishmallows plush assortment was the best-selling toy in that market.

“Parents are definitely susceptible to buying and having a few low-priced collectibles stashed away to reward and motivate their children when they do something good,” notes Lennett. “There’s also the adrenaline rush that comes into play when kids are hunting for a [limited-edition item] or when they manage to obtain the last piece they need to complete their set or collection.”

Smaller is better
One major micro-collectibles player is Florida-based Basic Fun!, which has been expanding on its mini-toy assortments for more than a decade. Key properties in this part of its portfolio include Micro Teenies plush, Mash’ems squishy blind bags and the Littlest Pet Shop range licensed from brand owner Hasbro.

When Basic Fun! relaunched LPS in April 2024, it was a huge hit, and eventually ended the year as the fastest-growing line in the dolls, playsets and accessories category across all markets that Circana tracks. The company’s global brand marketing VP Maureen Dilger attributes these strong early results to the work Basic Fun! put into reimagining the IP for a younger generation, including creating a new range of more than 120 pets and dipping into other markets that are highly relevant to
kids—such as trading cards and Roblox experiences—to support its core products.

While an accessible price point is one of the mini-collectible category’s defining features, keeping up with key social trends (like kawaii, for example) and providing a fun unboxing experience are just as critical to success, says Dilger.

Last year, LPS’s social and marketing channels generated more than 15 billion impressions worldwide, with influencer toy unboxings helping to convert viewers into new customers. By comparison, the Littlest Pet Shop Roblox experience from Misfits Gaming has generated 12.7 million plays since it launched in December 2023.

Basic Fun! also aims to drive collectibility by introducing “chase” figures into the product mix, promoting community engagement as consumers show off their latest purchases and rarest pulls online, says global brand marketing VP Lisa Doiron. This active community also serves as the toyco’s core research group for seeking constructive feedback to learn where its toy line can expand next.

“A great advantage of making smaller collectibles, as opposed to larger-scale ones, is that they provide an opportunity for on-the-go fun,” says Doiron. “With a smaller scale, there’s more opportunity and appetite for consumers to take their collectibles on the road and show them off in person with friends and other collectors.”

Short and sweet
Just Play has pretty much always had a stake in the micro-collectibles game, going all the way back to its relaunch of MEG Toys’ popular ’90s line Puppy in My Pocket in 2011, just a year after opening its doors. But the Miami-based toyco’s real claim to fame in micro-toys is its licensed Disney Doorables brand, which ranked as the top-performing licensed collectible doll range and the number-two licensed collectibles range in Circana’s global rankings for 2024.

Disney Doorables, Just Play’s flagship collectibles brand, spans 13 waves of at least 40 characters each

This Disney-branded toy range rolled out to retailers worldwide in 2018 and now spans more than 13 series of collectibles, with each new wave adding a minimum of 40 characters, ranging from nostalgic ones like Snow White and Belle, to current favorites such as Moana and Judy Hopps from Zootopia.

“Every season, our team levels up the collectibility of our lines with new features and new ways to collect,” says Sunny Lauridsen, Just Play’s SVP of brand strategy and marketing. “With Disney Doorables, we’re always trying to introduce a new trend segment every year and challenge ourselves to up the surprise-and-delight elements to continue building fandom and keep our [community] engaged.”

What has kept the brand going strong for seven years is its broad multigenerational audience, and Just Play looks for trends that appeal to each demo, Lauridsen adds. Kids love the unboxing experience and imaginative play; tweens are drawn into the distinct chibi style of their favorite characters; and even adults are jumping into collecting because of their deep Disney nostalgia and the ability to share an experience with their children.

By leveraging this active audience, Just Play has used Disney Doorables as a gateway product to expand into a broad range of trending toy categories over the years, such as Japanese Gashapon (vending) machines, surprise eggs, buildable movie scene play-sets and even vehicles. Its next series of mini-figures is slated to roll out to retailers worldwide this fall, but the toyco is keeping the theme under wraps until July.

“The smaller scale of Doorables allows us to introduce more characters and themes with each new series, giving fans countless ways to build and expand their collections, regardless of the space they have to display or store them,” says Lauridsen. “Beyond affordability, there’s something undeniably adorable and fun about micro-collectibles. Everything is just cuter in micro size.”

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen’s Q2 2025 magazine issue.