In 2023, the average age of a LEGO buyer was 43. Build-a-Bear reported adults without children as one of its fastest-growing segments. Funko Pop collectibles generated over $1 billion annually, predominantly from adults.

The phenomenon is called kidulting, and the market is large enough that it is now studied as a primary consumer trend.

Adults who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s are now in their 30s and 40s with disposable income and strong emotional connections to their childhood media and products. Nostalgia produces genuine positive emotion and lowers consumer resistance. The experience of revisiting a childhood product is associated with comfort, identity, and uncomplicated pleasure. In a high-stress adult environment, that experience commands a premium.

For brands with heritage — products or characters from current adults' childhoods — the opportunity is direct. LEGO's adult-tier sets with thousands of pieces and premium pricing directly serve the 43-year-old buyer.

For brands without heritage, the opportunity is in aesthetic and cultural reference. Products that reference the design language of specific childhood eras trigger the nostalgia response without requiring the original product.

Nostalgia marketing is multiple markets segmented by generation. The 1980s nostalgia market (Gen X) differs from the 1990s market (Millennials). Each has different reference points and different price tolerance. Brands that execute this effectively pursue specific, accurate, era-specific references rather than generic "nostalgia" aesthetics.

Kidulting represents a durable commercial trend. The combination of disposable income, strong emotional associations, and psychological nostalgia mechanisms makes the adult consumer of childhood-adjacent products a reliable and growing segment. Brands positioned accurately in this market are selling identity and emotional comfort — at the right price point, a compelling offer.