玩具不再專屬兒童 “童心未泯的一代”崛起

For Rob Willner, when work finishes, playtime begins. He likes nothing more when he gets home of an evening, than to kick off his shoes and upturn a crate of sleek Scandinavian Lego.

對于羅布•維爾納來說，工作結束以后，游戲時間就開始了。傍晚下班回到家，踢掉鞋子，搬出酷炫的丹麥樂高積木箱，這就是他最幸福的時刻。

“It’s not like I’m obsessed with it, but there’s a simplicity to Lego models that’s quite nice – to clear your mind and help it focus a bit,” he says, only a touch sheepishly.

“我并沒有沉迷于此，不過，樂高玩具的確有一種簡單質樸的美好，它可以讓我保持頭腦清醒，幫我集中注意力，”他有點害羞地說。

Willner is 25 years old, and combines studying for a PhD in anthropology and religion at the University of Kent with youth work in north London, where he lives with his wife, Adele, a teacher. And he is not alone in his childish after-work habits.

維爾納今年25歲，他在肯特大學攻讀人類學與宗教的博士學位，同時還在北倫敦從事青少年工作，他的妻子阿黛爾是一名老師，兩人一起住在北倫敦。說到他下班后孩子氣的興趣愛好，其實很多人都和他一樣。

According to new research conducted by NPD Group, a retail analyst, sales of toys to adults have increased by almost two thirds over the past five years, and by more than 20 percent in just the last year. As a result, the ‘toys for adults’ market (which, by the way, is a careful Google search, best done at home) is now worth £300m – and said to be growing three times faster than the children’s toy market itself.

市場調研機構NPD的一項新研究表明，過去五年中，賣給成人的玩具數量幾乎增長了三分之二，光是去年就超過20%。所以“成人玩具”的市場(順便說一句，如果你要用谷歌搜索這個關鍵詞，一定要小心，最好在家搜索)如今已價值3億英鎊(26億元人民幣)，并且據說比兒童玩具市場的增長還快三倍。

As with most things, millennials are largely to blame. More than half of the ‘kidult’ spend comes from 18 to 34-year-olds, snapping up everything from £500 Scalextric sets to drones, Nerf guns and £2,00 Star Wars Lego models.

與很多其他事情一樣，千禧一代是主要的責任人。超過半數的“購買兒童玩具的成年人”年齡在18到34歲之間，從500英鎊的Scalextric賽車系列到無人機，從Nerf手槍到200英鎊的星球大戰(zhàn)樂高模型，無一不是他們搶購的對象。

For some it’s a chance to recapture the careless raptures of childhood, while for others it’s a chance to escape the hassle and hardships of adult life – akin to other ‘mindfulness aids’ like adult colouring books and dot-to-dot. For Willner, it’s both.

對一些人來說，這些玩具可以重溫童年時代無憂無慮的幸福，而對于另一些人來說，它們可以使人逃離成人世界的困擾和艱辛——就像其他幫助“正念”的成人填色本和點對點智力游戲一樣。對于維爾納來說，這兩種原因都有。

“It reminds me of the playful side of life, but also helps me to keep perspective. Lego isn’t transcendent, but it’s fun, and gives you a chance to think about what’s really important.”

“它總能讓我想到生活有意思的一面，但同時也引導我客觀地看世界。樂高并不是什么超然的東西，但是它十分有趣，它可以讓你思考什么是真正重要的事物。”

At home in Enfield, he has two technicolour crates of loose childhood Lego tucked away under a bed, but also various large “sentimental” models ornamenting the house. For instance, there’s a Lego VW campervan (worth £85) he and Adele received as a wedding present last summer, reminding them of the full-size version they drove across New Zealand. Or the Star Wars’ ‘X-Wing Fighter’ his youth group recently clubbed together to get him as a thank-you present. Privately, he adds to his collection with a new model every two months or so, normally from the infrastructure-for-fun Lego City range – which isn’t as babyish as some.

在恩菲爾德的家中，他在床底下存放著兩只彩色箱子，里面是童年時代已經松動的樂高玩具，他還用各式各樣懷舊的大件模型來裝飾房子。比如有一只大眾牌露營車的樂高玩具(價值85英鎊)，這是去年夏天他與阿黛爾收到的結婚禮物，這件樂高總是讓他們想起在新西蘭時開的那輛大眾車。還有一只星球大戰(zhàn)的“X-Wing戰(zhàn)斗機”，這是他所在的青年組織一起買給他的謝禮。而私下里，他每兩個月左右就添一件新的收藏品，通常都是樂高城市系列的趣玩基礎款，這些東西不像有些玩具那么幼稚。

“In a way, this comes around with each generation,” says Lou Ellerton, a brand consultant with considerable experience tracking consumer trends. “A decade ago, people might remember board game cafés being all over the news. That was Generation X experiencing the same nostalgia and backlash against work; we called them ‘greenagers’ – grown-up teenagers. What we’re seeing now is Generation Y having the same feelings, and they’re less ashamed about it.”

“某種程度上說，每代人都會這樣，”善于捕捉消費趨勢的品牌顧問盧•伊勒頓說，“十年之前，人們或許還記得，新聞中全是桌游咖啡廳的報道。那是有著相同的懷舊情緒并且同樣厭惡工作的X一代(出生于1970年代的美國人)，我們稱他們是“成年的孩子們”。而我們現在所看到的是Y一代(出生于1980年后的美國人)相同的情感，只不過他們不那么感到羞愧了。”

Indeed, as millennials have sought to return to the toys of their own childhoods, clever brands have pandered to their every needs, often charging very adult prices for essentially souped-up versions of 90s toys. Could it be that Gen Y, unable to afford to move on with their lives in the traditional sense – getting a mortgage, for one – are seeking more immediate pleasures?

的確，當千禧一代回歸各種兒時的玩具時，精明商家便努力迎合他們的各種需求，經常把改裝過的90年代的玩具高價賣給成年人。Y一代會不會因為承擔不起傳統(tǒng)意義上長大的代價——比如支付不起抵押貸款——而去尋求更加直接的樂趣呢?

“Probably true,” says Ellerton. “If they put every spare pound they get into savings now, it could [still] take 10 or 15 years to get a deposit. This generation is characterised by not putting off today for tomorrow – they spend on experiences, so £500 for a toy is worth it to them.”

伊勒頓說：“很有可能是這樣。如果他們把多余的每一分錢都存進銀行，也得花10到15年才能有一筆像樣的存款。這一代人的特點就是及時行樂，他們喜歡花錢體驗生活，所以一個價值500英鎊的玩具對他們來說是物有所值。”

And it’s not just millennials. The ‘middle aged’ bracket of 34-50 may be least likely to buy their own toys – as they’re most likely to have young children themselves – but baby boomers account for a fifth of the ‘kidult’ market spend.

不僅僅千禧一代是如此。34到50歲的中年一代應該是最不可能給自己買玩具的人群，畢竟他們基本都有自己的孩子了，而事實卻是，戰(zhàn)后嬰兒潮一代(1946年-1964年出生人群)的消費竟占據了五分之一的“成人玩具”市場。

“I have a lot of toys around the house, but it’s more of a way of connecting with the kids,” says Andrew Birkin, a 71-year-old screenwriter with young children from his second marriage. “[The toys] went away when my older ones grew up, but now I get them out to spend time with them and fiddle about myself. I’m fortunate – my five-year-old loves World War One and rockets and planes, so that’s interesting for me as well. I even bought a drone, to take photos and show him.”

“我家里有很多玩具，但這些大多都是與孩子們一起玩耍用的，”71歲的編劇安德魯•伯金這樣說，他與繼子女住在一起。“年紀大一些的孩子們長大后，他們的玩具就都收起來了，但是現在我把它們找了出來，陪孩子們玩，自己同時也以此打發(fā)時間。我很慶幸我五歲的小兒子喜歡一戰(zhàn)玩具，還喜歡火箭和飛機，我對這些也很感興趣。我甚至還買了一架無人機，用來拍照并給我的小兒子展示。”

Willner’s motivations are slightly more profound. When he became a man, it was important he didn’t put away childish things.

而維爾納想得更深刻一些。當他長大成人時，還能葆有一顆簡單的童心是多么的重要。

“I don’t want to be one of these people surrounded by models or spending all my money [on toys], but it’s more like a symbol of what really matters – fun.”

“我不想成為那些整天圍著玩具模型團團轉的人，也不想把所有錢都花在玩具上，但是這些玩具卻能夠代表生活中真正重要的東西，那就是樂趣。”