By Alice Sanderson — Executive Manager at The Australian Toy Association
For the second year in a row, the ATA team headed to Los Angeles for the LA Toy Previews, getting an exciting first look at some of the new products and ranges our members will be bringing to market in 2027, and there was certainly plenty to see!
Over the course of the week, we were welcomed into 17 showrooms, caught up with many more members outside of appointments, and met with a number of our international colleagues.
Beyond seeing the latest product, the Previews provide an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships, with a fantastic industry atmosphere across LA throughout the week.
From a trend perspective, collectables continue to show enormous strength, alongside licensed products and squishies, which look set to remain prominent throughout the final quarter of this year and well into 2027.
Nostalgia was also hard to miss, with brands and products tapping into familiar favourites and appealing strongly to the growing Kidult market.
Asian-inspired products and characters also had a significant presence, a strong category for us back home in Australia and building momentum in other markets. Buildables and construction-based play featured strongly too, extending well beyond traditional formats and into collectables, licensed properties and more design-led products.
At the same time, there was no shortage of innovation. We saw plenty of fresh thinking across categories, whether through new play patterns, clever product development, technology or simply new ways of reinventing familiar concepts.
One of the biggest takeaways from the week was the sheer breadth of product coming through for 2027. We thank everyone who made the time to show us through their showrooms. It was a fantastic week for the ATA team and a great opportunity to see firsthand what is ahead for our industry.
We look forward to seeing many of these products make their Australian debut in the year ahead, including, of course, at the 2027 Australian Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair!
The fair will take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 28 February to 3 March 2027. Registration will open in January and stands are selling fast for those who want to showcase their products to retailers.
For Toy Fair enquiries, please contact the ATA via email at: toyfair@austoy.com.au
This article also appeared in Edition 54 of The Bugg Report Magazine
