Gifts / Sports & Toys

Model play usually refers to models and toys. It is a general term for models, toys, props, scene layouts, etc. that are launched to meet the needs of enthusiasts. Since model play is a derivative product of the animation, game, and film industries, it will be loved by fans and even become a collectible item with extremely high added value.

At present, the average annual growth rate of the domestic model game market has exceeded 30%. What kind of charm does model play have that can attract a large number of consumers?

1

Consumers pay for "feelings"

The annual growth rate of the model play market exceeds 30%

Xiao Wang, who lives in Changning District, Shanghai, is a fan of model play. "Star Wars" and "Spiderman" are his favorite movies. Therefore, most of his monthly salary is used to buy model toys for movie characters. Home decoration.

In addition to falling in love with film games, many people also pay for their childhood feelings. Yu Yinghao, who is engaged in design work, told reporters that the mods he bought were mainly Transformers, which came from the animations he watched in childhood.

Over the past few decades, Yu Yinghao has collected more than a thousand Transformers. So far, he still maintains the habit of buying regularly.

According to data from iiMedia, the size of China's trendy toy market has grown from 6.3 billion yuan in 2015 to 29.48 billion yuan in 2020. It is expected to increase to 38.43 billion yuan in 2021 at a growth rate of 30.4%. Many companies have also aimed at this area, opening a large number of offline model and play collection stores. We sell all kinds of IP model products at home and abroad.

In addition to the substantial increase in market size, the per capita consumption amount of consumers is also changing. Some consumers said that they would spend about one thousand yuan a month.

2

The rapid development of independent IP model play

China-made molds are sought after

For a long time, when we talk about model play, we only think of European, American, Japanese and other manufacturers. The most popular products in China are counterfeit products. However, with the development of the domestic mold play market in recent years, the products produced by domestic mold play manufacturers have become the target of global enthusiasts.

There are many types of model games, usually divided into blind boxes, soldiers, figures, statues, etc. The volume of these four types of molds varies from small to large, and the materials used are also very different. Statues are generally higher than 40 cm, and the unit price is generally more than 4,000 yuan.

The reporter learned that the statues are usually made of materials such as silica gel and Polystone. Many products will use a 1:1 ratio to truly restore the image of characters in movies and animations.

The reporter learned that statues that are almost the same as real people are a new category in the model game market in recent years, and the design cycle usually exceeds half a year. After obtaining the authorization of the copyright owner, the designer first needs to complete the 3D modeling on the computer, and then enter the stage of partial printing and painting. During this period, the product needs to be modified together with the copyright owner before mass production can finally be carried out.

Yu Guanglai, the founder of a statue studio in Shanghai, told reporters that due to the long production cycle and high unit price of statues, they are generally sold in limited quantities. Each piece of work will attract global model-playing enthusiasts to snap up. At present, the studio is producing 130 projects at the same time, an increase of more than 20 compared to the same period last year.

In addition to statues, more and more domestic manufacturers have emerged in the figure market originally dominated by Japanese companies.

The unit price of the figure is mostly between 600 yuan and 1,000 yuan, which is lower than the price of the statue. Due to the short life of the steel abrasive tools used in the production of products, the accuracy of the abrasive tools will decrease after 15,000 pieces are produced. Therefore, the output of both hand-made and statues is lower than the market demand, and there is often a phenomenon that demand exceeds supply.

The reporter learned that before the domestic consumers mainly used to buy IP games from the United States and Japan. However, in recent years, with the rise of a new generation of consumer groups, the rapid development of domestic film, animation, games and other industries has driven it. The development of domestic independent IP model play.

3

The second-hand mold play market is growing

Create new business opportunities and new professions

The rapid development of the model play market has also given birth to the growth of the second-hand market. Many new professions have been born around the huge model and play market.

In Songjiang District, Shanghai, the reporter saw fairy tales for mold-play lovers. Unlike other enthusiasts, fairy tales collected thousands of second-hand mold-plays, most of which were products from 30 to 40 years ago.

The fairy tale told reporters that there is no more authoritative platform in the model play market. Players mostly trade second-hand products through online platforms, and the prices are not fixed. They are evaluated based on rarity and preservation. However, there are already platforms in foreign countries that specifically identify the preservation status of model play.

The second-hand trading platform provides enthusiasts with a "depression" for picking up missing molds and playing with collections-this is also an unprecedented business opportunity in the past. After several years of appreciating the games that many consumers snapped up, they can still be sold at a higher price than the original in the second-hand market.

Due to the high unit price of model play, many consumers will fully understand the details of the workmanship of the product before buying, so model play review bloggers came into being. At present, there are nearly a hundred model play evaluation programs on various video websites. Video producers get model play samples from manufacturers in advance for evaluation, telling consumers that the value is not worth starting.