谷子

What does 谷子 mean?

谷子 means 'grain', but in fan slang it is simply a sound-alike for 'goods', meaning official merchandise from anime, manga, games and idol groups. Typical 谷子 are pin badges, acrylic stands, character cards, posters and keychains. Buying them is called 吃谷 ('eating grain'), and dedicated collectors jokingly call themselves 谷子人 or say their wallets have been 'eaten'. The spending boom around these items is known as 谷子经济, the 'goods economy'. English-speaking fans would just say 'merch'.

Where does 谷子 come from?

The word goes back to 'goods' as used in Japanese otaku culture (グッズ, guzzu), which Chinese fans rendered with the similar-sounding 谷子. For years it was niche ACG slang, but in 2024 and 2025 dedicated merch malls and shops opened in cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, and the term went mainstream. 《咬文嚼字》 included 谷子 in its top ten buzzwords of 2025.

How to use 谷子

• 这个月工资又全拿去吃谷了。
  Zhège yuè gōngzī yòu quán ná qù chī gǔ le.
  I've blown my whole salary on anime merch again this month.
• 新出的谷子一上架就卖空了。
  Xīn chū de gǔzi yí shàngjià jiù mài kōng le.
  The new merch sold out the moment it went on sale.