How A Hidden Tupperware Became My Greatest Comfort During My Dad’s Final Days

Today, my collection includes over 70 My Little Ponies, including the holy grail I could never get my hands on as a child: the Dream Castle from 1983. I’ve learned that with enough time and patience, thrift shops are great places to find these vintage toys at a lower price point. I no longer feel pressured to buy the most expensive restored ponies because I’ve picked up restoration tricks from the other adult collectors I follow in Facebook groups. Through these communities, I’ve realized I’m not the only 40-year-old who’s taken comfort in toy collecting.

Perhaps what I’d consider a surprising grief response is part of a larger cultural trend: “kidulting,” which involves adults consuming entertainment typically created for children. If the current Labubu craze is any indicator, kidulting has reached a fever pitch. Pop Mart, the Chinese toy company behind these viral monster plushies and bag charms, reported a 170% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1, according to a recent article in Town & Country. 

However, the trend in adults purchasing children’s toys for themselves can’t be attributed solely to celebrities like Lisa from Blackpink attaching charms resembling demonic Teletubbies to their designer purses. Steve Totzke, president and chief commercial officer of Mattel, told the Los Angeles Times that adult collectors can account for up to 25% of toy sales.

I think a friend of mine said it best when I told her about my newfound collecting hobby: She suggested that the My Little Ponies must remind me of a time in my life when I felt most safe in the world. So, it makes sense that collecting them is a way to stay connected to those childhood memories and to my dad — something I’m deeply grateful for and don’t take for granted. Through all of this, I’ve learned that grief manifests in unexpected ways, and sometimes that means splurging on toys from the 1980s.

It’s been a year and a half since I lost my dad, and collecting has grown into something that’s more than a coping mechanism. It’s opened the door to new memories and connections — both online and in person. I still haven’t watched an episode of “Friendship is Magic,” but I am a member of multiple Facebook groups for Generation 1 collectors, especially for restorations. I’ve also found joy and entertainment watching restoration tips on YouTube. When my friends’ children have birthdays, they can count on me to send them My Little Ponies and cards with envelopes covered in pony stickers. I hope that as these younger friends grow up, they’ll have happy childhood associations with the toys, just like I did. 

Lauren C. Johnson is a San Francisco-based author and content marketing specialist. Her debut novel, “The West Façade,” is forthcoming from Santa Fe Writers Project in March 2026. She’s the interviews editor for The Racket Journal, where she champions experimental literature, and is a co-founder and editor of Club Chicxulub, a speculative fiction journal and reading series that amplifies emerging authors. She also co-hosts Babylon Salon, one of the longest-running reading series in the Bay Area. Her short stories, interviews and essays have appeared in 15 literary journals and magazines, including The Rumpus and Orion Magazine online.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost in December 2025.