Toys “R” Us is making one of its biggest U.S. moves in years — and the timing says a lot about where the collectibles market is headed.
On September 17, 2026, Toys “R” Us announced plans to open 120 new standalone stores across the United States for the 2026 holiday season through its partnership with Go! Retail Group. The expansion is expected to bring the chain to roughly 160 standalone U.S. stores, in addition to its existing Toys “R” Us shops inside Macy’s.
For anyone who grew up wandering Toys “R” Us aisles, that alone is a serious nostalgia hit. But the bigger story is why the toy business is suddenly strong enough to support such a major expansion.
Adults Are Driving a Huge Share of Toy Spending
According to Circana, U.S. toy dollar sales rose 17% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, the industry’s strongest first-half performance in six years.
Even more interesting for collectors: adult-only households accounted for 55% of toy sales during that period. Toy sales for adult recipients ages 18 and older grew 25%, and teens and adults together generated nearly 60% of the industry’s incremental dollar growth.
That means toys are increasingly functioning as more than children’s products. They are becoming hobbies, fandom collections, display pieces, investments, conversation starters, and ways for adults to reconnect with the things they loved growing up.
Trading Cards, Collectibles and Licensed Products Are Leading the Charge
The categories showing the strongest momentum aren’t random, either. Circana reported major growth in trading cards, collectibles, licensed products, building sets, action figures and other fandom-driven categories.
Licensed toys were up 24% and represented 39% of U.S. toy sales in the first half of 2026. Pokémon, LEGO, sports properties and other established fandoms continue to blur the line between “toy aisle” and “collector market.”
That makes the Toys “R” Us expansion feel less like a simple retail comeback and more like recognition that nostalgia and collecting have become mainstream consumer behavior.
Toys “R” Us Is Building for Collectors, Not Just Kids
The company’s official expansion announcement says the new stores will range from roughly 3,500 to 7,500 square feet. Some locations are also expected to include café concepts, candy shops and new creator-focused spaces designed for product launches and content creation.
That is a very different retail environment from the enormous warehouse-style Toys “R” Us stores many of us remember. The new model is smaller, more curated and increasingly built around experiences, brands and fandom.
And honestly, that may fit the modern collector market better.
What This Means for Vintage and Secondary-Market Collectors
A bigger Toys “R” Us presence does not mean vintage sellers suddenly need to compete head-to-head with a national chain. If anything, it highlights the difference between new retail nostalgia and the secondary market.
A retailer can stock the newest Pokémon release, current LEGO sets, new Hot Wheels and modern licensed figures. What it cannot easily recreate at scale is the thrill of finding an older piece that disappeared from store shelves years ago.
That is where vintage and resale markets remain interesting:
- Discontinued toys and action figures
- Older trading cards and collectibles
- Vintage licensed clothing
- Original gaming merchandise and promotional material
- Older comics, magazines and pop-culture ephemera
- Hard-to-find variants, regional releases and limited editions
The nostalgia economy works because collectors are not always looking for the newest thing. Sometimes they want the exact thing they remember seeing in a store when they were ten years old.
Nostalgia Is Becoming a Serious Retail Category
For years, “kidult” collecting could be treated as a niche. The numbers now make that harder to argue.
When adult households account for more than half of toy sales and a major toy retailer responds by opening 120 new stores in one holiday season, nostalgia is no longer just a side market. It is becoming part of the core retail strategy.
That is good news for collectors because more mainstream interest tends to bring more products, more events, more content and more new people into collecting. It can also introduce younger collectors to franchises and brands that have decades of history behind them.
For those of us who never completely stopped caring about comics, toys, games, cards and the stuff we grew up with, this comeback feels pretty fitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Toys “R” Us stores are opening in 2026?
Toys “R” Us announced plans to open 120 new standalone U.S. stores for the 2026 holiday season. Combined with its existing standalone locations, the company says it expects to have about 160 standalone U.S. stores open by the holiday season.
Why is Toys “R” Us expanding again?
The expansion comes during a strong period for the U.S. toy industry. Circana reported 17% year-over-year dollar-sales growth in the first half of 2026, driven heavily by trading cards, collectibles, licensed products and older consumers.
Are adults really buying that many toys?
Yes. Circana reported that adult-only households accounted for 55% of U.S. toy sales in the first half of 2026. Toy sales for adults ages 18 and older also grew 25% during the period.
What toy categories are growing fastest?
Trading cards, collectibles, licensed products, games and puzzles, building sets, and action figures have all been important growth areas in 2026.
Does the Toys “R” Us comeback matter for vintage collectors?
It does not replace the secondary market, but it is another sign that nostalgia, fandom and collecting are becoming increasingly mainstream. Vintage collectors will still rely on resale markets for discontinued products, older releases and genuinely hard-to-find items that modern retailers cannot stock at scale.
Looking for more nostalgia? Browse the latest comics, collectibles, vintage apparel and other finds at Nostalgik Vibes.
Sources: Toys “R” Us / PR Newswire, September 17, 2026; Circana U.S. Toy Industry report, August 12, 2026.