Manga and anime brands are now revealed as some of the biggest sellers in the £510m sector

At the Toy Fair in London’s Olympia last month, there were some less familiar faces alongside the Bluey plushies and Minions fart blasters. Hatsune Miku, Tanjiro Kamado and Labubu aren’t household names in the UK, but collectible figurines and merchandise based on manga, anime and video games, are some of the biggest sellers for the British toy industry.

Collectibles – ornamental toys sold with the objective of collecting a definable set – are now a £510m sector in the UK, according to research by the British Toy & Hobby Association and Circana.