The Pop Insider’s 2026 Holiday Gift Guide Spotlights Anime, Fantasy and Collectibles

The Pop Insider’s 2026 Holiday Gift Guide points to a broadening mix of fandom merchandise: nearly 200 products from more than 100 companies, spanning collectibles, home goods, apparel and novelties. Anime and fantasy readers are among the year’s standout audiences, while long-running properties such as Pokémon, Star Wars and Star Trek remain prominent. For collectors and retailers, the selection offers a useful snapshot of the categories and licenses receiving editorial attention this season.

The publication released its eighth annual guide on Oct. 8, 2026, alongside the opening of New York Comic Con. Visitors can pick up a printed copy at Booth No. 1935 at the Javits Center from Oct. 8-11, while the full guide is available online. The guide also includes reviewed merchandise beyond its featured picks, giving shoppers and trade readers a wider view of products tied to current and established fandoms.

Anime and fantasy find a larger place

Marissa Silva, editor-in-chief of The Pop Insider, singled out the rise of anime and the enthusiasm of fantasy readers as notable themes in this year’s selection. She said the guide balances products for those audiences with familiar favorites, aiming to give fans choices across interests and price scales. The source provides no price list or sales figures, so the guide’s value here is as an editorial survey of product variety rather than a measure of demand.

That mix is apparent in the named picks. Anime and manga-related entries include Girls Crew x One Piece jewelry and Jazwares’ 8-inch Squishmallows Original KPop Demon Hunters plush. Fantasy titles include Dungeon Crawler Carl Dungeon Highlights from The Borant Corp., Goliath’s Fourth Wing: Rise of the Wingleader, and a Dune: Bene Gesserit Tarot Deck and Guide Collector’s Edition from Insight Editions. The list also reaches readers of A Court of Thorns and Roses through Funko’s Pop! item, and listeners of Project Hail Mary through Milan Records’ original motion picture score.

For collectors, these examples show how a single fan interest can appear across different formats: plush, jewelry, games, printed items and display pieces. The guide does not provide production quantities, edition sizes or grading details for the products, so those specifics should be checked with each maker or seller. Still, the range matters for retailers planning assortments: fandom merchandise can sit alongside toys and collectibles while also reaching into apparel, accessories and home use.

The Pop 20 selection

The guide’s Pop 20 highlights picks from different fandoms and product categories. The selection includes the Pokémon Trading Card Game 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box from The Pokémon Co. International, LEGO Ideas E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and LEGO Shrek, Donkey, & Puss in Boots from The LEGO Group, plus McFarlane Toys’ Doctor Doom Avengers Doomsday 1:6-scale collectible. Other entries bring in classic and contemporary entertainment: an Arcade1Up Sonic the Hedgehog Deluxe Series Home Arcade Machine from Basic Fun!, a Star Wars Original Trilogy Chess Set from The Noble Collection, and a Spock cosplay mini backpack with coin bag from Loungefly.

The range continues well beyond figures and building sets. Crayola All Grown Up represents creative products; Fast & Furious Toretto’s Garage Moto Jacket from BoxLunch brings a film property into apparel; and Theory11’s Spider-Man 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle offers a tabletop format. The list also includes Harry Potter Playing Cards Anniversary Set from Aquarius, Owala’s Star Wars Grogu FreeSip stainless steel water bottle from Trove Brands, and MGA Entertainment’s Miniverse Real Music Record Player.

Readers can view the full Pop 20 list and explore the broader guide at thepopinsider.com. The physical copies are available at the publication’s convention booth during the Oct. 8-11 event.

A cross-category guide for the season

The Pop Insider launched in 2018 and covers licensed merchandise through news, product listings and features. Its parent company, Adventure Media and Events, also publishes The Toy Book and The Toy Insider. The Pop Insider’s site features information on convention exclusives, limited-edition releases and other fandom merchandise, with updates also shared through Instagram.

For hobby shops and collectors, the clearest takeaway is the breadth of formats gathered under one fan-focused guide. The named products range from trading cards and a 1:6-scale collectible to a building set, plush, apparel and a home arcade machine. As the holiday season approaches, the guide gives readers a concrete list of releases to investigate, with product specifics best confirmed through the companies behind each item.