They’re ugly. They’re cute. They’re monsters. They’re expensive. (And yet, I have one).
Labubus have taken over the internet. From China to the United States, these plush pendants have people in a frenzy for them. If anything, the expressed love from consumers could probably single-handedly fix U.S.-China relations. However, the energy and hype around Labubus went from being just another viral, trending toy to becoming a safety hazard. As it becomes increasingly difficult to secure one, there have been more frequent reports of people assaulting others in efforts to have one. From overnight camp outs to full blown fights, how did this company manage to have grown adults fighting over toys like children?
Let me explain the lore of Labubus to you.
Labubu’s Launch
The lore of Labubus start all the way back to her birthday. The first ever appearances of these were in a children’s book created by Kasing Lung in 2015. Kasing Lung is both an artist and an author who was born in Hong Kong. He grew to fame and recognition for his unique style in children’s books, specifically, with this release of “The Monsters” series. Within this series, it included Labubu as well as similar creations such as Zimono.
Although Labubus made their initial debut in 2015, it wasn’t until 2019 when they started to gain traction with their collaboration with the company, Pop Mart.
Why was this so significant? Here are some notable points about Pop-Mart:
- Pop Mart is a Chinese blind-box company, primarily known for selling collectible toys. Many consumers note that this company was able to set themselves apart, not only for their unique collections, but also their quality. For the price point and quality, Pop Mart has been able to designate themselves as a “designer toy” company, appealing towards both children and adult audiences. As a result, when Pop Mart first released the plush pendant versions of Labubu in 2023, it sold-out within minutes. In fact, every single release since then has sold-out just the same.
The Timeline:
- Labubu’s first plush pendant series named, “Exciting Macaron” launched in October of 2023 – sells out within minutes to this day.
- Their second plush pendant series named, “Have a Seat” launched in July 2024 – sells out within minutes to this day.
- Lastly, their most recent release named. “Big Into Energy” launched in April 2025 – sells out within minutes to this day.
Every single restock, whether online or in-person stores, is a dog fight to try to secure one.
addictive monsters (not the energy drinks)
The primary reason for Pop Mart’s popularity is in large part due to their sales format. A majority of their merchandise is sold in a “blind box” format that has proven to be both adrenaline-inducing and addictive. When a customer purchases a box, they have no idea what version of an item they may get, presenting it as a surprise when they open one. With no guarantee of receiving a different one, the marketing tactic encourages people to buy multiple boxes at a time, in the hopes of securing their most coveted design. Additionally, in order to throw another incentive to buying more, for every series, there is a “chaser” or “secret” aka a rare one to try to find. With the secret usually being a 1/144 chance, it can usually be resold online for over hundreds of dollars, depending on the series and rarity. With these in mind and the fact that the company has a large social media presence, they were able to build a strong customer base, fostering a sense of loyalty to the brand. This sentiment is evidently displayed on their TikTok live shows with people consistently commenting and asking when the next drop will be.
In addition to their marketing tactics of little supply and high demand, Pop Mart was also able to grow significantly with collaborations with artists as well as being featured by famous celebrities. Some of the most notable being Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and K-Pop idol, Lisa from BlackPick.
However, as they grow in popularity, the amount of frustration from the average consumer has also grown. In the most recent launch of their third series, consumers have voiced their concern and annoyance about Pop Mart’s lack of action towards a major problem in the resell market: scalpers, resellers, and bots. With no Captcha or any other bot-detecting mechanism, people on the website are competing with bots. With resellers selling them for over double the retail price, these highly sought-after pendants are becoming less and less accessible. In fact, they are so difficult to buy, videos of others giving advice on how to prepare purchasing one online have been trending.
Despite these guides and videos, it hasn’t halted the sense of urgency and desperation of buyers. If anything, we have seen a severe escalation as seen in the previous month.
hype and hysteria
During the most recent launch, people all over the world began to camp outside of Pop Mart stores in hopes of securing a box. Westfield Century City Mall was no exception. With people lining up from midnight the night before, it was a recipe for chaos. The second the mall doors opened to the public, people ran inside, pushing and shoving each other until it was just a massive crowd. With employees and security guards pleading people to line up or leave, it was an unsafe scene for everyone. The equivalence of children fighting over the last lollipop. Except this time, it was stuffed plushies retailing for $28.
The end result? The event was cancelled. No one left Century City mall with a Labubu despite waiting for hours. However, this is mild compared to what happened in the UK.
Within the UK, there have been multiple incidents shared online that show several men punching each other in order to try to purchase one of these dolls. Following multiple reports of shoppers assaulting others or exhibiting aggressive behavior such as this, UK stores have officially temporarily suspended sales. Knowing that Pop Mart is aware of these releases being safety concerns, buyers are just praying for the company to try to come up with a fair and safe way to facilitate purchasing in the future.
Trendy or timeless?
Yet, some buyers are playing the long game. Knowing how insane but quick trends are, “true” fans are waiting for the hype to die to down before attempting to buy one again. But with continued trends and expansions, it doesn’t appear to happen any time soon.
For example, Labubus seem to be following a similar pattern to typical dolls with people dressing them up. It has now become another trend to make or purchase clothes for their plushies. Dressing up their plushies to match their personal aesthetic has, once again, sparked people’s obsession.
Additionally, it seems that Pop Mart fully intends to ride this wave. By creating Pop Mart’s first ever amusement park in China, there is a whole featured section dedicated to Labubu.
Although the trend has turned dangerous for some, at the end of the day, Pop Mart has been able to partake in healing some people’s inner childs. They have been able to mark themselves in the culture of the internet. Now the only question is how long they will be able to ride this wave. I do believe they will continue to grow as long as they show indicators of listening to their audiences. If they are able to install systems that decrease the amount of scalpers and bots, it may prove to be less dangerous for some people to get their hands on these plushies. Although scarcity sells, safety should always be the priority for customers (especially to sustain their loyalty), and I hope Pop Mart will continue to value that.
Until the issue of bots and scalpers are resolved, if you are someone looking to purchase one, I wish you luck and may the odds ever be in your favor.