When CNN proclaims that there is “a toy too popular to sell,” you can’t help but sit up and take notice.
The toy in question is Labubu, a line of plush critters with devilish, teeth-bearing grins that are causing riots at locations across the globe. The toyline’s distributor, Pop Mart, is pulling the toys off store shelves and only selling them online to avoid what CNN scribe Olivia Kemp cited as “chaotic scenes of queueing, crowd surges and reported fights.”
“Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we’ve seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days — with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops (self-service stores),” the company announced on its Instagram page.
What Is a Labubu
For those old enough to remember the hype around Beanie Babies, LOL! Surprise and other past toy crazes, the latest heated items will assuredly stir up investment memories.
The newest “it” collectible is Labubu, a series of creeperific backpack accessories. Molded with a nightmarish grin that seems more appropriate for Wes Craven than K-pop, Labubus is a hot-as-hell seller causing riots in-store. They’ve also become a target for gamblers on TikTok.
Sealed in blind bags, the Labubus have staggered rarity akin to Shopkins and other toys, but celebrity influence has shot these toys to the top of the must-have charts.
The first such endorsement came from Blackpink member Lisa, who posted one of her acquisitions on social media. Since then, other prominent names in entertainment like Rihanna and Dua Lipa have joined the fray.
The pint-size cuddlers are the brainchild of Kasing Lung, an artist and writer from Hong Kong. Rather than a series of characters, Labubu is a single being part of a larger troop known as The Monsters. The variation is in Labubu’s outfits and looks.
While the toys have been around for a few years, the breakout came in 2024. As Pop Mart North America Head of Licensing Emily Brough told NBC News, revenue from this character exceeded $419 million. “The passion and demand we have seen for Labubu over the last few months, and most recently with the Into Energy release, has surpassed our expectations!” stated Brough. “It’s been wonderful to see the impact our mischievous and lovable Labubu is having globally.”
And it’s not just the primary market seeing huge sales. As noted in the WorthPoint Price Guide, a set of six figures sold for more than $78,000 in November 2024.
Buyers Beware
Like many other toys today, shoppers should consider investment concerns, particularly regarding counterfeiting.
Counterfeits of Labubu figures, similar to Funko Pops and other toys, are appearing online. While encountering a fraud may be okay for children anxious to get their hands on anything resembling the freakish figures, it can result in an investment nightmare for collectors. Dubbed “Lafufus” by die-hards, these fakes are increasingly similar to the real thing.
“Some fakes look pretty real especially the new counterfeits but once you know what to look for, it gets easier to tell the difference,” cited hobby site labubucollector.com.
The website details telltale signs of the fraudulent pieces, including off-design elements such as different numbers of teeth, misprinted logos, and different fonts. But there is one security tell-all on unopened Labubus.
“Real boxes have a foil surface inside with a hidden ‘Have a Seat’ watermark when light is shined on it. If it’s just plain silver, it’s likely not the real Labubu,” Labubucollector.com explained.
Longview on Labubu
The question that remains is whether there is forecasted sustained value and interest in Labubu. The answer is a bit cloudy.
First, in terms of short-term gain and attention, it’s fair to say that Labubu is only starting toward its apex. The hype around the plush toys is increasing, as is social and mainstream media attention. We’re also early in the cross-platform era for these toys, before the ultimate likelihood of oversaturation.
At the same time, it’s safe to say that Labubus will not be a new forever keepsake. Strange toys have a limited shelf life before kids gravitate to another hot hype piece, driving the consumer market to shift again. Toys born out of Roblox games like Piggy are a perfect example of this—they were hot for a few moments. Still, they ultimately became dollar store fodder, and twenty years from now, they will only have faint recollections of pursuing the product amid nostalgia. Labubu, especially with the fleeting nature of influencer-endorsed products, will have difficulty sustaining interest.
All this said, Labubu is a very reasonable, quick-in / quick-out investment. Getting a few pieces now is not a bad idea, but be prepared to flip them as soon as they arrive at your doorstep. The best way to establish your prices is through the WorthPoint Price Guide. We currently have more than 27,000 listings for Labubu, so make the informed choice as you head to market with your coveted listings.
Jon Waldman is a Winnipeg-based writer. He has written for Beckett, Go GTS, Canadian Sports Collector, and several other hobby outlets over his two decades in the hobby. His experience also includes two books on sports cards and memorabilia. Connect with Jon on Twitter at @jonwaldman.
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