Gold medalist Quan Hongchan of China attends the awarding ceremony after the women's 10m platform final of diving at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Saint-Denis, France, Aug. 6, 2024. (Xinhua)

After being shared by China's diving stellar Quan Hongchan on her social media channel, a turtle toy known as the "Matching up Turtle" has recently created a sensation across various livestream platforms, becoming one of the trendiest toys. 

Several of the toy's manufacturers located in regions such as Zhejiang Province revealed to media that there has been a dramatic spike in wholesale orders, with some even facing production pressures and extended lead times of more than a week. 

"We'll produce around 50,000 to 100,000 turtles every day and they will sell out in one day," one of the toy's manufacturers in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, told media. 

On China's biggest e-commerce platform Taobao, some sellers have listed "Quan Hongchan" in the item description. Quan was first spotted playing with the toy during breaks from training and competitions, expressing a strong interest in these toys. 

Not only did she participate in unboxing "blind box" versions of the toys during livestreams, but she also frequently posted about her growing collection on social media. Her innocent and genuine joy resonated with a large number of fans, quickly turning the turtle toys into a viral sensation. 

As Quan's popularity continued to rise, especially after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, fans appeared to be more eager to follow her lead, joining the trend of unboxing turtle blind boxes and collecting the toys. 

"Our factory is working overtime to meet the demand, but we still can't keep up," a manufacture representative in Yiwu said. To cope with the booming demand, they have expanded production capacity and added new production lines. It is reported that the wholesale price of a 46 millimeter turtle toy is 0.5 yuan (7 cents). If the manufacturer can ship 100,000 yuan per day for 30 days, the turtle toy alone could bring in a monthly income of 1.5 million yuan. 

Zhu Siqian, a market researcher, told the Global Times that such a surge in sales not only highlights Quan's "significant influence as a sport idol" but also reflects the "modern consumer's enthusiasm for unique and entertaining toys."

"The internet has played a crucial role in spreading this craze nationwide, turning what was once a niche product into a new consumer trend," Zhu told the Global Times. 

Quan's "influencer effect" demonstrates the immense potential of idol-driven economies. Yet Zhu told the Global Times that the market needs to "address concerns about guiding consumers toward rational purchasing, avoiding trends and maintaining market order."

"We need to take a rational approach to following these sports stars, which includes not only rational purchasing behaviors but also respect for their privacy," Zhu emphasized.