For the fourth consecutive year, Circana and Ecomaison have jointly produced an analysis of the secondhand toys and games market to gain a better understanding of industry trends, the challenges of reuse, and the evolution of the secondhand market.
What are the trends for 2025?
In 2025, the secondhand games and toys market grew by more than 14% in value and 12% in volume compared to 2024. This growth trend has continued year after year: sales value has increased 2.5-fold compared to 2021. Currently, sales of secondhand toys account for 7.3% of total toy and game sales. Regarding the profile of buyers of secondhand toys and games, the “kidult” demographic—which emerged several years ago in the new toy market—also appears to be increasingly turning to secondhand purchases.
To learn more, watch the recording of the webinar:
A Look at the 2024 Survey Results
With insights from Matthieu Goutti, Head of the Toy Division at Ecomaison, followed by an interview with Mickael Blot, Retail Analytics Director for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) at Circana.
Committed to a more ambitious circular economy, Ecomaison closely monitors developments in the secondhand market in France. It was therefore a natural step for Ecomaison to collaborate with Circana on the Secondhand Games and Toys Barometer, following two years of analysis of this sector. As Matthieu Goutti points out, “This barometer helps us develop a strategy for expanding the reuse of games and toys. In this rapidly growing market, it is important to understand trends in terms of volume, value, and consumer behavior.”
While the growth of the second-hand market affects many sectors, such as textiles and electronics, it is essential to better understand the specificities of the second-hand toy and game market, as well as the new expectations of consumers. This is exactly what Ecomaison is looking for in this barometer: to track the determinants of this new form of consumption for these products every year with Circana.
Matthieu Goutti points out that Ecomaison is already investing heavily in supporting socially responsible reuse through a dedicated fund, benefiting the long-standing players in this market—reuse centers, recycling centers, and nonprofit organizations.“The goal now with this barometer is to also identify other tools and growth drivers so that as many toys as possible can find a second life with new families,” he insists .
Four Questions for Mickael Blot (Circana) on the 2024 Barometer
Why did Ecomaison and Circana join forces to produce this barometer?
Ecomaison is the guarantor of collection, recycling and best practices in terms of managing the second life of toys and games. As the eco-organization that sets the course, it wanted to have a global vision of the second-hand toy and game market. At Circana, as a toy market panelist, we had an interest in tracking new consumer trends, complementing our analyses of the new toy market with those of second-hand toys.
"Ecomaison is the guarantor of collection, recycling and best practices in terms of managing the second life of toys and games."
Michael Blot (Circana)
How do you explain the rise of the toys & games segment on the second-hand market in recent years?
It shows that consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental aspect, which reinforces the main motivation, i.e. price. Second-hand products are also increasingly trusted, thanks to positive word-of-mouth. It has also become more common and acceptable than before to offer second-hand toys and games.
What are the profiles of people who choose second-hand toys and games?
Almost every segment of the population is involved, starting with historic buyers such as collectors (10%) and grandparents (29%), who are accustomed to finding toys and games at markets, flea markets and so on. Large families (7%) have taken up the idea for financial reasons, while ecologically-minded individuals (9%) use it above all to reduce their environmental footprint. The most recent categories are the "opportunists" (29%), ready to seize bargains, and the "unabashed". The latter (16%), who tend to be younger, consider the act of buying second-hand as natural. Many of them are tomorrow's parents, and therefore the core target of toy and game retailers.
What obstacles need to be overcome to increase sales of second-hand toys and games?
The main obstacle to the growth of second-hand toys is the lack of confidence in product quality. Physical players have an opportunity by reconditioning toys and upgrading them with simple packaging to reassure buyers. However, they also face the challenge of competing with the very wide online offer, especially in the face of children's specific demands. We need to reflect on the real needs of consumers in order to adapt the model. Ecomaison, in conjunction with solidarity-based re-employment and retailers, could play a key role in facilitating in-store sales.