Puzzling out “Toyrism”: Conceptualizing value co-creation in toy tourism

Abstract This study discusses the value of “toyrism,” the emerging mobile and social play patterns in association with toys through the object-based, but technologically enhanced practices of toy tourism. The study combines the value dimensions of play value afforded in the toys with the value generated in the co-creative activity of toy tourism, involving artifacts, affects, and touristic playscapes. Based on literature reviews on toy play, tourism experiences, and souvenirs, a conceptual framework was created and empirically examined through interview data. According to the results, the value of toyrism manifests in the functional value of making toys mobile and the emotional value of creative and visual documentation of toys' journeys. Furthermore, the value of toyrism is co-created through playful encounters between the player and the toy while traveling and in the process of playing: enabling experiences, documenting, and sharing the toy travels for others to enjoy through social media platforms.