Gen X ‘kidults’ spend over S$1,000 annually on collectibles, just behind Millennials

SINGAPORE: Millennials and Gen Z have often been called “kidults” for their emotional spending and habit of collecting viral trends. Surprisingly, a recent Carousell poll shows the same is true for Gen X, with many in their 40s now among Singapore’s most committed and active collectors.

According to the recommerce platform, 42% of Carousell users browsing its Hobbies & Toys category were aged 41 and above. Of this group, 30% were collectors aged 41 to 50.
Notably, 40% of them spend over S$1,000 a year on collectibles, making them the second-highest spending group, just behind those aged 26 to 30 (56%).

According to the report, collecting has become a weekly routine for Gen X collectors, with nearly half saying they browse for collectibles at least once a week to keep an eye on new listings and market trends.

Some 47% actively organise and catalogue their collections, and one in five use tools like spreadsheets or digital documents to track what they own.

When it comes to shopping for collectibles, half of the respondents aged 41 and above said they use Carousell to discover and buy them. Meanwhile, 33% of those who prefer to purchase offline said they buy at brick-and-mortar stores, while another 19% attend events or conventions.

The most popular collectibles were figurines and toys (59%), trading cards (24%), and LEGO (22%). Among older collectors, LEGO stood out as a favourite, along with more traditional picks like coins and notes.

Carousell’s Toys and Games subcategory under Hobbies & Toys data from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 reflected the same trend.

Over the last two quarters, Pop Mart’s characters “Labubu” and “Crybaby” were the first and fourth most-searched keywords in the city-state. Labubu dominated Singapore’s microtrend scene last year after Blackpink’s Lisa shared an Instagram story in April 2024 featuring a Labubu plush toy and bag charm.

Meanwhile, “Mofusand”, created by Japanese illustrator Junko Noji, jumped from 32nd in Q4 2024 to second in Q1 2025.

The new Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) set “Prismatic Evolutions”, launched in the previous quarter, also rose from the 68th most-searched keyword in Q4 2024 to third in Q1 2025. Searches for “Pokémon” in general rose from ninth to fifth place.

Meanwhile, LEGO remained the sixth most-searched keyword over the last two quarters, proving its appeal among age groups. Search for “Jellycat” also rose from tenth to seventh, signalling a growing interest among collectors in the British plush toy brand. /TISG 

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