The nation’s largest EDC (Every Day Carry, referring to small portable items people carry daily) trend toy exhibition kicked off in Shanghai on April 18–19.

Reporters noted that VIP tickets for the exhibition were priced at 399 yuan each and available only via a lottery draw. VIP holders could enter half an hour earlier and enjoy priority purchasing rights.

These niche stress-relief toys have attracted crowds of enthusiasts willing to pay for emotional value. At the entrance, reporters from Shell Finance saw long queues consisting of seasoned collectors and new beginners, who form the core consumer group driving this booming market.

▲ Fidget spinners are a typical category of EDC toys, with prices ranging from several hundred yuan to over ten thousand yuan. Photo by Yu Jinmin, Reporter of Shell Finance under Beijing News.

Li Xiang, an enthusiast from Beijing, shared that he has collected EDC items since 2019, focusing mainly on fidget spinners, and has spent a total of 700,000 to 800,000 yuan on his collection. “There are various types, such as those made of superconducting materials and copper, as well as silent models. Entry-level products cost a few hundred yuan, while high-end versions can go for tens of thousands of yuan.”

Some visitors traveled all the way from Nanning and three others came from Shenzhen. They revealed that each had set aside a budget of roughly 20,000 yuan for the exhibition. “Exclusive limited-edition products are only available on-site here, which is the biggest perk of VIP access. After the exhibition, such limited items will see drastic price hikes,” explained a visitor surnamed Liu. He added that playing with these toys helps him get inspired during work and relieves stress when feeling irritable, bringing different moods and experiences day by day.

On display and for sale at the exhibition were fidget sliders, coin spinners, desktop spinners, pendants, fidget spinners and rotating rings, among other products. This marks the second time the country’s largest offline EDC gathering has been held in Shanghai. The venue was packed with visitors, and transactions remained brisk throughout the event.

Qian Zhengyang, founder of Tie Jiang, the exhibition organizer, introduced that these palm-sized metal gadgets are EDC toys. What started out as a hobby for a small group of enthusiasts has now become a new favorite in the trendy toy industry. These exquisitely crafted metal products, priced from dozens to tens of thousands of yuan, serve both stress relief and ornamental purposes, blurring the line between toys and accessories.

Far from being a niche pastime, EDC toys have evolved into a fast-growing new track in the consumer market. Taotian Group launched an independent category for EDC toys on its platform back in October 2024. According to official data, four new products achieved annual sales of over one million yuan during the Double 11 Shopping Festival in the very first year of the category’s launch. The total transaction volume has maintained a year-on-year triple-digit growth for two consecutive years.

2025 was a landmark year for EDC toys as they gained mainstream popularity. Their transaction volume surged more than five times year on year. The number of merchant stores rose by over 30%, and product variety expanded rapidly with a year-on-year increase of over 200%. During the 618 Shopping Festival in 2025, the sales of EDC toys on Taobao and Tmall exceeded 10 million yuan, up over 400% year on year. Sales of premium products priced above 1,500 yuan jumped by 112% year on year.

At the exhibition, a Shenzhen-based exhibitor presented a fidget spinner made of superconducting materials priced at 10,000 yuan. “It was reserved within the first three minutes after opening, and we generated nearly 180,000 yuan in sales in about an hour.” Another enthusiast said he visited four to five booths within an hour and spent around 20,000 yuan on purchases.

Consumer profiling released by Taotian shows that male users account for over 70% of EDC toy buyers. The core consumer group is aged between 18 and 40, with males aged 18 to 24 posting the fastest growth. The average order value ranges from 50 yuan to 5,000 yuan.

Many entrepreneurs also attended the exhibition to explore business opportunities. Wang Jun, head of a metal processing enterprise in Wuxi with nearly 20 years of industry experience, decided to embark on a second venture into the EDC sector after noticing the potential of stress-relief toys back in 2017. “Our monthly sales were merely a few hundred yuan in 2017, but now our annual revenue reaches tens of millions of yuan with robust growth.” He expanded production lines for hand carving and polishing, which also boosted his related industrial businesses. “I’m here to learn more about industry trends, as entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey.”

Despite the market boom, many enthusiasts stay rational. They stated that they collect these toys for fun rather than for speculation or resale profits, and insist that consumption should stay within affordable limits. “For fidget spinners, I would only consider products priced at around 100 yuan. After all, they are just small toys.”

Official statistics show that the market size of stress-relief toys in China doubled from 5 billion yuan to 10 billion yuan between 2015 and 2019, and surpassed 20 billion yuan in 2024. Currently, there are roughly 200 to 300 registered domestic EDC brands with independent product lines, yet only dozens of them enjoy solid customer bases and mainstream popularity.

Source: Yu Jinmin, Reporter of Shell Finance (Beijing News)

Editor: Yue Caizhou

Proofreader: Zhang Yanjun

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