Around 80% of Europe and the US toys are made in China. China toy factories and wholesale suppliers are mainly concentrated in Guangdong and Zhejiang industrial clusters.
As international purchasers, you only focus on the two biggest toy wholesale markets: Yiwu and Shantou.
Yiwu market gathers the most complete toy categories.
1 in 4 toys around the world comes from the Yiwu market. From flying drones to jet-skiing motorboats, off-road mountain bikes to talking cacti—and so much more. Whatever toy you’re after, you’ll find it here!
Why buyers like Yiwu toy market?
More than 450,000 toy styles are available in the Yiwu market, and 2,000+ toy suppliers are together in one place–Yiwu International Trade City District 1, first floor. The first floor is split into 5 areas, each with 10 streets, all labeled by letters for the area and numbers for the floor. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- B1 – Plush toys
- C1 – Inflatable toys
- D1 – Electric toys
- E1 – Common toys
- The only exception is A1— flowers and accessories.
It’s easy for buyers to quickly compare prices from dozens of suppliers, test samples, place orders, and arrange shipments—all in a very short time. It really speeds up the sourcing process.
What’s more, Yiwu has a knack for spotting trends early and starting mass production, especially in small toys, known as the “cradle of hot sellers”.
For example, the global 3D-printed toys that took off in 2024—like dragon eggs and octopuses—are mostly made in Yiwu, China. When the Chinese animated film Nezha 2 hit theaters on January 29, 2025, it sparked a craze for related toys. POP MART’s “Nezha 2” Blind Box launched on January 30 and sold out fast in China. Yiwu is riding the wave. Below are some of the Nezha 2 action figure toys available on Yiwugo–the Yiwu suppliers’ directory online.
What buyers source from Yiwu toy markets?
International buyers going to Yiwu market usually run offline chain store owners and wholesalers from developing regions like Africa, the Middle East, etc.
And they usually choose directly from ready-made styles, and say: “This style, that one—5 carton boxes, 10 carton boxes…” For small toys, each carton box contains hundreds, while larger toys might only have a few dozen per box. Then, they negotiate prices, note carton volume, and handle shipping.
NB! Suppliers in the Yiwu toy market aren’t good at customization. They might be willing to help you stick logo labels, but if you want your logo printed directly on the toys or need custom packaging, most suppliers won’t be able to do that.
Buyers with toy customization requests usually work with Yiwu agents like JingSourcing. Right in front of the Yiwu Market and with 10 years of experience in toy customization, they are able to:
- Find separate printing factories for custom toy logos and packaging.
- Inspect toys to control quality as your requirements
- Arrange shipping to your place at the best rates.
At every step of your toy sourcing, they offer expert help. Feel free to reach out.
Shantou Chenghai market produces 1/3 of the world’s plastic toys.
One-third of the world’s plastic toys, and half of China’s, come from the Chenghai district in Shantou, Guangdong. Besides plastic toy production, Chenghai also has advantages in electronic and high-tech toy production. 70% of Chenghai’s toy orders come from overseas.
In Chenghai, you’ll find streets lined with three- to five-story buildings, and inside these buildings, over 50,000 toy businesses have sprung up. Most of them are small-scale, but each specializes in different chains, such as injection molding, dyeing, printing, packaging, toy accessory making, assembly, and more. This specialization greatly improves toy production efficiency.
Over 30 big & small toy showrooms/exhibition halls, each a wholesale market.
Typically, small and medium-sized factories display their toys in exhibition halls, where trading companies guide overseas clients through the showrooms to discuss orders. These factories don’t deal directly with overseas buyers but work through trading companies.
There are over 30 big and small toy showrooms/exhibition halls. For example, the YS WIN-WIN Exhibition Hall (耀昇玩具展厅) is recognized by WRCA (World Record Certification Authority) as “the largest toy showroom in the world” and “the showroom with the most toy varieties on display.
P.A. International Toys City (宝奥国际玩具城)
This 800,000-square-meter modern shopping mall offers one-stop toy sourcing. Here, you’ll find over 2,000 shops offering finished toys and 300 shops selling toy materials and accessories.
- Intersection of Jin Hong Road, Lianshang Town and Lianxia Town, Chenghai District, Shantou City (汕头市澄海区金鸿公路莲上镇与莲下镇交汇处).
Chenghai Plastic City Toy Wholesale Market (澄海塑料城玩具批发市场)
Chenghai Plastic City (澄海塑料城) is one of the most concentrated toy wholesale markets, established in 1998 and located in the heart of Chenghai District, covering an area of 38,000 square meters.
Inside, there are more than 400 toy wholesale shops with a wide variety of products, and a few offer retail as well. Most of the buyers who visit here are street vendors or those looking for inventory toys.
- No. 82-83, Building 5, Plastic City, Zhongshan North Road, Chenghai District, Shantou City (汕头市澄海区中山北路塑料城5幢82-83号).
1688 Chenghai Toy Selection Center (1688澄海玩具选品中心)
Jointly launched by 1688 and the Shantou government in June 2024, it has quickly become a popular market among domestic toy businesses, offering more toy options than Chenghai Plastic City. It’s almost like shopping in a supermarket!
If you’re not familiar with the Chinese language but want to visit the 1688 Chenghai Toy Selection Center, it’s a good idea to hire a translator or sourcing agent to assist you.
- No.10, Xiushui West Road, Chenghai District, Shantou City (汕头市澄海区秀水西路10号).
Nearby cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou have around 90% of their toy suppliers sourcing accessories from Chenghai factories. Several toy wholesale markets have also formed.
In addition, thousands of Chenghai toy suppliers have their booths on the first floor, Yiwu Market District 1, selling remote-controlled toys, educational puzzles, licensed IP toys, and more. According to incomplete statistics, over $1.5 billion worth of Chenghai toys are sold through Yiwu to hundreds of countries and regions worldwide each year.
The bottom line
Hope this blog helps you navigate toy wholesale markets in China! If you found it useful, feel free to share. Got any questions? Drop a comment below.
As a leading sourcing company based in Yiwu, JingSourcing has been trusted by more than 1,000 worldwide toy businesses to source toys in China. Chat with us about your toy projects—it’s completely free before you place an order.
