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I didn’t quite know how to respond to the Christmas gift a friend gave me last December. Staring back at me was a beige, furry creature with wide eyes and a mischievous, snaggletoothed smile. Its pointed ears resembled those of a rabbit, and it was dressed in a custom black and white tweed dress that looked straight out of a Chanel campaign. “Do you like it?” my friend asked me. “It’s a Labubu!” While I was grateful, a part of me felt I was too old to be gifted cute toys in my early 30s. Little did I know, I was holding a hot commodity. Soon after, my social media feeds were filled with unboxing videos and extensive Labubu collections. These dolls have caused a frenzy outside Pop Mart locations, a Chinese retailer that is the official home of Labubu merchandise. They’ve also taken over the resale market, with the most expensive ones reselling for double the price on websites like eBay and StockX. The Labubu craze has also landed in Canada, says Chris Tsang, the owner of the collectable toy shop Mindzai. He says it started in 2024 after Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink was seen with a Labubu dangling from her Louis Vuitton handbag. Her fans immediately hopped aboard the Labubu train; Tsang says he struggled for weeks to get them into his store. When Tsang did end up getting a shipment of 75 units of Labubu toys, his store saw a lineup of more than 150 people. He adds that most of the people lining up for Labubu were millennials and Gen Z. “Everyone loves toys because it makes people feel young. [Labubu’s] sort of turned into a little status symbol… because it’s just so difficult to acquire.”
Photo via Getty Images
Labubu is the latest in a string of adorable collectable Asian characters to take the world by storm, following the likes of Hello Kitty, Gudetama, Sonny Angel and Smiski. First launched in 2015, Labubu is designed by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist who grew up in the Netherlands. It was there that he became fascinated with Nordic folklore and graphic novels. Lung has even published graphic novels based on Labubu, known as The Monsters Trilogy. In 2019, Lung signed a partnership with Pop Mart, further growing Labubu’s popularity. According to Bloomberg, Pop Mart reported US$1.8 billion in revenue in 2024—with Labubu and The Monsters products contributing US$400 million in revenue last year. One of the ways Pop Mart has been able to draw hype for Labubu is by offering them in “blind boxes.” Not knowing which specific toy is concealed within a box adds to the allure of the collecting experience. For collectors like J.R. Tinapay, collecting the latest Labubu drops all comes down to “the thrill” of the experience. “I grew up collecting Pokemon cards so it’s kind of the same thing where you’re opening it and there’s a possibility that you’re going to get something rare.” Since starting his Labubu collection in 2024, Tinapay says he now owns more than 20—in variations of white, brown and pink. In late April, when Pop Mart released a new Labubu colour scheme called “Big Into Energy” online, Tinapay found himself waking up at 2 a.m. just to score a few at their standard retail price ($38)—a rarity in a marketplace crowded with resellers. “I’m very self aware that this is a ridiculous thing that I’m doing,” he says. “But to me, this is my therapy.” For 27-year-old Carmi Relova, a tattoo artist in Toronto, collecting Labubu has also become a form of self-expression. She says she’s even tattooed the forehead of a mint-coloured Labubu she owns. “I feel like every girl loves a cute little thing to put on her bag,” she says.
Image courtesy of Carmi Relova
The popularity of Labubu keychains have also driven Chinese retailers to create their own plush pendants, says Tsang. CryBaby, another Pop Mart offering, has been a popular product at his store. LuLu the Piggy is also garnering attention with customers. “In my experience over these 12 years, there’s companies that have skyrocketed to ultra popularity and then disappeared,” he said. “Labubu might stay for a while, but there’s always something that’s gonna topple over it.” Older characters like 1974’s Monchhichi and Miffy, a character that dates back to 1955, have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with partnerships with clothing retailers like Urban Outfitters. There’s also been growing interest in offerings by the London-based brand Jellycat, with a specific croissant charm becoming a highly sought-after accessory. Whether the trend stays or not, I fear the Labubu craze is starting to get to me, as I’ve started hanging mine on my Baggu crescent bag. It accompanies me on my field trips around the city, like a little friend that’s with me at all times. Tinapay agrees. As he shows me his collection, he begins clipping multiple Labubus onto his Alexander Wang Hobo Lock tote, which gives the edgy black bag new life. “I think Labubus inject a little bit of personality and joy into what we’re wearing,” he says.. “Labubus make fashion fun.” Continue Reading
