HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — On a recent day, Jocelyn Saenz drove more than an hour from her home in the Inland Empire to Hollywood.
She waited in line for another two hours in front of the Funko Hollywood store to get one of the hottest toys this year: a Funko Pop! figurine custom version of herself.
"I think this is really cool," Saenz said as she looked at the different accessory combinations to make a toy collectible version of herself. "I just hope it'll look like me."
Since Funko launched its Pop People collectible toy on Dec. 11, lines of people have been out the door, and with social distancing measures – literally, around the block. One worker said Funko is only making 150 custom Pops a day exclusively at its Hollywood store and, since its launch, has reached that cap every day the store has been opened.
The demand for the Pop People toy line highlights the popularity of toys during the coronavirus pandemic. With lockdown orders in place, toy sales have skyrocketed since the pandemic began, according to experts.
According to NPD Group, toy industry sales were flat from January to February, pre-COVID-19.
Once the states began implementing stay-at-home orders in mid-March, sales increased 17% over the next five weeks, the NPD Group reported.
In total, in the first three quarters of the year, toy sales are up 19% year-over-year.
"During this unprecedented time of uncertainty parents and families have turned to toys for entertainment, distraction, and joy," said Juli Lennett, NPD's toys industry advisory, in a news release. "The pandemic clearly had a positive impact on toy sales in Q2 and Q3; however, whether that momentum will carry through to the peak holiday shopping season still remains to be seen."
Bloomberg News reported that parents and grandparents are spending for their children this holiday season because of everything they may have had to endure, including remote learning, missed birthday parties, and vacations. They called it "COVID guilt."
Toy Insider Editor-in-Chief Marissa DiBartolo told Spectrum News 1 to expect toy sales to continue their upward momentum during this holiday season and through next year. Every year, Toy Insider produces an annual holiday gift guide published in November. Some of those items listed on that guide have sold out, DiBartolo said.
So what are some of the hottest toys this holiday season? Many people know that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are out of stock, but there are still plenty of toys out there to enjoy for the whole family.
DiBartolo shares some of her favorites that might still be available.
DiBartolo said The Child, better known as Grogu or Baby Yoda from the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian, is the must-have toy this holiday season.
"Anything related to The Child is hot," DiBartolo said.
Specifically, Hasbro's Star Wars Collection: The Child Animatronic Edition is mostly sold-out in many retail locations but can still be found in some retailers. The animatronic toy makes different sounds that range from happy, excited to babbling. While it makes the sound, it does a range of motion with its head, ears, and eyes.
Another must-have toy is Disney's and Mattel's The Child Real Moves Plush. Using a remote-controlled strapped on your wrist, you can have The Child follow you around the room, instruct it to make the force gesture, or move it forward, backward, and side to side.
Even Build-a-Bear and other companies expect to capitalize on the Baby Yoda phenomenon.
Board games have also been flying off the shelves since the pandemic began, DiBartolo said. From March to May, board game and puzzles sales were up 94% year-over-year.
"This is a category that has been steady and stagnant the past couple of years," she said.
This holiday season, she likes a couple of board games.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Battle Academy board game gives players the ability to learn how to play with Pokemon's popular collectible trading cards.
Another game DiBartolo likes is Hasbro's Deer Pong. A plastic mounted snarky stag called Bucky the Stag cracks jokes as players try to bounce ping pong balls into small cups on its antlers.
She mentions other hot toys this holiday: Lego's Super Mario Brothers line, Nerf's Ultra Series collections, Spin Master's Present Pets, and LOL Surprise Pets.
Funko, which specializes in creating a toy based on pop culture character, has also unveiled several collectibles this holiday season, including several exclusives. On a recent day, the company unveiled a new Marvel Stan Lee Pop, a Chester Cheetah wearing sunglasses, and MTV's Moon Person.
Additionally, the company has several The Child and Mandalorian toys in many different forms, said Funko Senior Manager, Retail Brand Strategy, Bianca Calingo. They've been hot sellers this season, Calingo said.
She said aside from some of the exclusives, some of the popular items people have been buying include Snapsies and Funko's board games.
"I think a lot of people come here because many of our items are affordable," she said. "Our products range from $3 to $100."
Though the coronavirus and other mandates have limited foot traffic and some sales, Funko's flagship 40,000 square foot store is still getting its fair share of sales. She said the store in Hollywood is not only a place to shop but a great experience.
"The fact that we're dropping exclusives on a weekly or monthly basis is driving traffic to the store," Calingo said. "Many of our hardcore fans wait in line early and in the middle of the day to toward the end of the day, we see people wandering in and our casual fans coming in and experiencing our immersive environment. With theme parks closed, this is the next big thing to do with the family."
Saenz, a 19-year-old toy collector, said she drove down from the Inland Empire because she got tired of staying home due to the lockdown orders. She wanted to experience a nice setting and shop. She said she planned to spend a lot of money at Funko's Hollywood store for gifts for her and her family.
“Why not? It’s Christmas,” she said.