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Top 5 Collectible Figure Companies in the US
Hasbro, Lego, and Mattel are the dominant players in the overall toy market industry. Funko made a total of $400 million in revenue for 2016 with Pop! line as its best-seller. Nintendo's Amiibo is considered as a different market category but remains a popular collectible. More details on the collectibles market are discussed below.
METHODOLOGY
Industry and market research reports, as well as trusted media sites, were extensively reviewed. Overall, it appears that the collectibles market is subdivided into different market categories and a clear distinction as to which company dominates the overall collectibles space is unclear. Based on several market research reports that were reviewed, the top players in the overall toys market are Hasbro, Lego, and Mattel. Each has their own respective lines within the collectibles market.
Funko, while part of the collectibles market, does not appear to be among the biggest players in the overall space. However, information on it was included as requested.
Nintendo's Amiibo, on the other hand, is considered part of the "toy to life market," which research suggests is a different category. However, the Amiibo line itself is considered a collectible, the history of which is included along with other information, as requested. Also, Nintendo is generally more considered as an electronics company and does not appear to be listed among the top players in the toy collectible market. Please note that one article from 2015 was used a reference due to its relevance to Nintendo's Amiibo line.
Where available, market sales revenues were provided along with product lines which were considered successful by trusted media reports. Sales or units sold were not available for some items. More details can be found below.
TOP COMPANIES
1. HASBRO
• Sales:
Hasbro, Inc. is said to be the #2 toymaker in the U.S. In the first quarter of 2017, its revenue rose to $849.7 million due to a high demand for toys based on franchises such as "Transformers." Hasbro’s total sales for 2017 was $5.21 billion.
Hasbro’s Franchise Brands were also said to have grown by 10% to US$2.56 billion in 2017. Their Partner Brands reported a net revenue of US $1.27 billion.
• Product Lines:
Early this year, Hasbro rebooted their Mighty Muggs line by recently releasing Star and Marvel characters. They also registered the Mighty Muggs brand at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under the category of "Toy action figures/collectible toy figures." It is speculated that they did this to re-enter the area now dominated by Funko. No information appears to be available on the sales or units specific for this line.
Hasbro's top revenue source is from its Franchise brands, which covers many iconic Hasbro toys such as Transformers and Magic: The Gathering. Its Partner Brands came second, which includes Star Wars collectibles. Sales or units for these brands or specific product lines also do not appear available.
2. MATTEL
• Sales:
• Product Line:
In general, Mattel’s top lines include Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Fisher Price, and Barbie. They also have a line of Star Wars, Cars 3, and Wonder Woman toys, some of which compete with Hasbro's. Total units for each product line, except for Barbie's did not appear available. Mattel's Barbie brand generated gross sales that amounted to $954.9 million in 2017. Barbie dolls are also considered collectible toys with some of the more valuable ones fetching up to $160 or more.
3. LEGO
• Sales
Lego's total North American Sales were at $3.79 B for 2015-2016, however, no breakdown for the US appears available.
• Product Lines
Lego's collectibles line includes Lego Brickheadz which was launched early in 2017. The line features Lego bricks and illustrated instruction manuals and includes a collectible figure. No information seems to be available on units sold or on other successful collectible product lines.
4. FUNKO
• Sales:
In 2016, the company was said to have posted $400 million in revenue, which was 50% higher than the previous year.
• Product Lines:
Funko’s Pop!, which came out in 2010, is its best-known and best-selling line. It is its main growth driver, having sold different types of collectibles from “Star Wars” to the “Golden Girls.” The Funko collectibles market is also said to have been growing from 25% to 50% annually for the last several years. Hasbro and Mattel have also licensed their properties to Funko.
5. NINTENDO
Nintendo is mainly known for selling electronic entertainment products internationally. They provide "video game platforms, playing cards, Karuta, and other products; and handheld and home console hardware and related software." A short overview and history of its Amiibo product line are given below.
• Sales:
In the first nine months of 2017, the company's sales more than doubled from a year earlier to JPY 857 billion ($7.9 billion).
• Product Line:
In 2014, Nintendo entered what is referred to as the “toys-to-life” gaming category. The first line of figures they released was the Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U. By the first half of fiscal 2015, they had shipped a total of 21.10 million Amiibo toys with 7 million being sold in the U.S. The total amount is said to have represented more than $270 million in revenue for Nintendo. These toys are considered as collectibles as there is a "large community of collectors who are willing to invest $13 to collect a tangible representation of each of their favorite characters." During the first three quarters of 2017, roughly 6.5 million Amiibo units were sold.
Over the years, however, Nintendo's home console and handheld gaming device has been its top product lines; units sold were not included since they are not part of the collectible toys market. No other information appears to be available on other collectible toys they sell.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the top competitors in the overall toy market industry are Hasbro, Lego, and Mattel. Funko does not appear to be a dominant player but made a total of $400 million in revenue for 2016. Nintendo's Amiibo is considered part of the “toys-to-life” market but appears to be a popular collectible.