The global toys and games market is booming, projected to reach a staggering $203.1 billion by 2030. Board games are experiencing a resurgence as families seek engaging, interactive ways to spend more time at home after the pandemic. Pop culture continues to fuel demand for character-themed merchandise such as the viral Labubu. And toys that promote “learning through play” are redefining how children grow to understand the world.

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But beneath this vibrant market, a growing threat looms: counterfeit toys. From plush dolls to interactive building blocks, fake toys are infiltrating online marketplaces at an incredibly fast rate, threatening the safety of children and the integrity of legitimate brands.

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The Dangers of Counterfeit Toys: More Than Just IP Theft

A new OECD report recently found that children’s toys are among the top 10 most counterfeited product categories worldwide, a trend that continues to accelerate. Since the rise of digital marketplaces, 52% of toy brands have reported an increase in counterfeit toys, underscoring just how widespread this issue has become. Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) put this into perspective, testing more than 100 toys purchased from 10 online marketplaces, including AliExpress, Temu, Shein, and Amazon. The results were sobering: 80% of the tested toys failed to meet EU safety standards.

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Counterfeit toys not only infringe on intellectual property (IP) rights but also cut into profits for legitimate manufacturers, erode consumer trust, and damage brand reputations built over decades. In fact, 72.2% of brands surveyed by MarqVision identified reputation damage as the most significant consequence of counterfeiting.

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Even more concerning is how these counterfeits reach consumers. 31.8% of fake products are first seen on social media platforms like TikTok, where they’re marketed as “cheap dupes” and then purchased on completely different platforms – highlighting a dangerous gap in oversight. Overall, 1 in 3 counterfeit products are purchased on a different platform than where they were initially advertised, making them even harder to track and remove.

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Unsafe by Design: The Threat to Children’s Health

Fake toys bypass safety and quality regulations, exposing children to serious risks. Counterfeit items often contain high levels of banned or restricted chemicals like lead. Many fakes also pose choking, strangulation, and fire hazards: dangers that genuine brands spend years engineering out through rigorous safety testing.

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One harrowing example underscores these risks: in December 2018, a four-year-old boy broke open counterfeit magnetic building blocks and swallowed several loose magnets. The result? Severe intestinal damage requiring surgery – a tragedy that genuine Magformers products are specifically designed to prevent.

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Despite the danger, consumer awareness remains alarmingly low. MarqVision’s findings reveal that 71.6% of consumers unintentionally purchase counterfeit goods while seeking authentic items. Worse, 51.2% of American consumers believe it’s easier to find and buy counterfeits now than ever before, thanks to the explosion of platforms like DHGate and AliExpress since the pandemic.

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Research also shows that nearly 1 in 3 toy-buying parents believe counterfeit toys aren’t sold on major online marketplaces: many parents assume that big-name platforms like Amazon or eBay have rigorous controls in place to ensure every toy is safe and legitimate. In reality, bad actors exploit the global reach and accessibility of these marketplaces to sell fake toys at scale. This blind spot puts children’s safety at risk and undermines years of trust that brands have worked hard to build.

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How Brands Can Fight Back

To combat this growing threat, brands must adopt a multi-layered strategy:

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Educate Consumers
Awareness campaigns are crucial. Help customers understand the risks of fake toys and how to spot them. Transparency and honest communication about your products, paired with clear identification of authorized sellers, can go a long way in rebuilding trust.

One common tactic counterfeiters use is falsifying labels. Fake toys frequently display the deceptive “China Export” mark, which closely resembles the CE (Conformité Européenne) mark. This misleads consumers into thinking the products meet strict EU safety standards.

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Monitor Online Marketplaces
Regularly scan e-commerce platforms and social media for suspicious listings and take swift action to remove them. This is especially important given the rise of social platforms as counterfeit discovery engines: prepare for consistent monitoring before a major social media campaign to help prevent fakes from gaining traction.

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Encourage Reporting
Create easy channels for consumers to report suspicious products. Engaging your loyal customer base as partners strengthens your brand’s protective shield and can help identify high-risk listings early.

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Collaborate with Regulatory Agencies
Work with customs and safety authorities to intercept counterfeit shipments and take legal action when necessary. Shared intelligence and coordinated enforcement efforts are key to disrupting these networks.

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The Path Forward: A Safer, More Trustworthy Toy Market

The toys and games market is one of the most dynamic, creative sectors in the global economy. Toys are more than just playthings: they’re tools for development, imagination, and joy. But as counterfeit toys flood the market and exploit shifting consumer behaviors, it’s more important than ever for brands to defend the trust they’ve earned.

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The takeaway is clear: counterfeiters are evolving fast, and brand protection must evolve faster.

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Ready to take action? Schedule a demo now and discover how MarqVision’s brand protection solutions can help you identify and remove counterfeit listings, educate consumers, and protect your IP.