How big is the online toy community?
 

I'm really wondering how big the online toy community is, and out of that demographic, how many are Transformers collectors.
Anyone have any ideas to even start figuring this out?
Or maybe even a shot in the dark at the answer?

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

I assume most collectors at least know of online places like these and definitely know how to shop online for their colelctions. And according to Hasbro, collectors/fans make about 30% of the toy market so I would use that same number. That includes anyone above the age of 10.

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

30%? And the rest is all the little kids toys? I guess from spending my energy observing like minded collectors that seems a bit low to me. But they would definitely know

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

30%that does 70% of the buying lol ....
..seriously I would like to know what the collecting community spends opposed to the rest of the %pie.....if the growth of third party companys Is any indication its seems vary large..i think hasbro has underestamated that %....at least when it comes to transformers and star wars collectors.....

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

I've heard of the 30% number as well, from one of Hasbro's investor phone calls I believe. That number almost certainly reflects sales numbers and not number of collectors (people).

Assuming a 10 year old + collector will buy more in a year than an average little kid, that means that, counted in people, collectors are a small minority.

Does this make sense?

OB

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

I you really mean that, then that means that collectors buy most of the one steps from all lines, the 3 steps, the tiny titans, the big simplified toys, and a big chunk of the RID and Rescue Bots toys.

All of which is untrue, since those are for kids and bought for kids. Nobody's toy haul on this site consists of tons of one steps and if they do 70% of the buying then thats what it should be, for all of us, it isnt.

Fans buy 30% of the product, thats where the number comes from. If collectors really bought most of the product, then there would be no holiday season, since collectors dont buy toys just during the holidays but all year. The product you see on the shelves are for parents to buy for their kids and collectors will buy 30% of it, give or take. Thats what the 30% reffers to.

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

collectors are the ones that buy the figures all year long, they are the ones that will buy an entire wave of figures at one time and clean out the pegs at walmarts that only get a case or 2 tops with each restock. Families are the ones that buy at christmas which accounts for alot of the stores total numbers but make no mistake, it is the collectors that are the ones buying all year long. When You see a sighting in the sightings thread and you get there and its gone, its a collector buying it up, not kids and that is a fact of collecting. Collectors are the ones waiting at the door at opening to get the new releases, they're the ones that go late at night to see if the truck was unloaded and new figures were put out before close. You all know that the the provided numbers are outdated and flat out wrong now. all of those kid specific lines like onesteps clog the shelves, we all see it. kids are just not buying figures like they used too, its all about the digital games and lego. the only real time that kids buy transformers is during christmas holidays, thats when those shelf warmers may start to move but alot will still be there after the new year.

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

Great points. Keep in mind that there are millions of kids out there. Even if one in ten bought one TF per year that probably still outweighs us.

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

The answer is 42.

Re: How big is the online toy community?
 

Yeah, and I dont really know why anyone would think otherwise when we actually have the numbers.

Sure, collectors buy all year round (then again a kid's birthday can happen any day during the year and toys are bought for that occasion too) and buy first, but as Hasbro said, its only 30% of the market. Kids still make up 70% of the market, and that means 70% of the product is sold to kids (through their parents). That explains all those TLK Wave 1 Deluxe Bees and Voyager Primes that were sold out for a while. Collectors didnt buy all of those, at least not all through the summer.

If only fans bought TFs, then they wouldnt have their own section at TRU or Walmart, they would instead be like Figuarts figures, available online and in collector shops. Lets hope it stays that way because the fact that parents keep buying them for their kids means there is still enough demand for Hasbro to be using economies of scale, making these toys affordable for everyone.