Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Stanley coolers have all had their moments in the sun. Now, make way for Labubu.
The viral stuffed toy is already familiar to avid TikTok users, but it’s starting to ping the radar of the rest of the world—and it’s selling out at a ludicrous pace, with fans lining up outside of stores and stalking online refreshes.
So, what is a Labubu? It’s a plush pendant toy that’s part of a larger group of toys called “the Monsters.” Created by Hong Kong artist and author Kasing Lung, the characters made their debut in a 2015 book and were turned into toys in 2019 by toy company Pop Mart.
It wasn’t long before influencers and celebrities began attaching the creepy-looking “elvish creature” to their handbags and word began to spread.
Want to get up to speed? Here’s what you need to know:
How does one get a Labubu?
Luck helps. Labubus are typically sold in “blind boxes,” meaning the buyer doesn’t know what color or design they’re getting until they open it. And even getting your hands on one of those boxes is tricky.
Pop Mart restocks its online Labubu collections on Thursdays. Real-world stores (and vending machines) refresh on Friday. In both cases, people swarm the stores, with online refreshes selling in seconds and lines forming outside physical locations hours before they open.
What made Labubu so popular?
One of the first celebrities to popularize the toy was rapper Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink (who also was featured on season 3 of The White Lotus). Last year, for example, she shared photos of a Christmas tree decorated with several of the dolls.
Other stars have since pledged their loyalty, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
How much are people paying for a Labubu?
The dolls retail for as little as $44 (though certain vinyl-faced dolls go for $180 on Pop Mart), but because demand is so intense, there’s a thriving secondary market. Resale site eBay is loaded with people asking thousands of dollars for certain models (but with the “best offer” caveat letting them sell for much less). StockX, which lets people bid on items, has seen prices topping $5,000 for some of the dolls. And in China, a one-of-a-kind human-size Labubu doll recently sold for $150,000.
How many different kinds of Labubu are there?
The way to keep a viral sensation hot is to have lots of variety—with some being especially rare. There are over 300 different sorts of Labubu at this point, some dressed in special clothes, and some that are part of brand collaborations, like one with Coca-Cola.
Is it true some stores are refusing to sell Labubu?
Yep. Last month, Pop Mart decided to stop selling Labubus in its 16 U.K. Stores for a while as people were getting into fights in their fervor to get (and possibly resell) one. The stores have reportedly since been restocked.
Okay, so what the heck is a Lafufu?
With something this popular, there were bound to be knockoffs. A Lafufu is a fake Labubu. If you see someone selling a Labubu on the street, it’s likely a Lafufu. Buyer beware when purchasing online from anyone other than Pop Mart as well.
How much fun is it to say “Labubu”?
A lot.
