Labubu Is the New Purse Pet… and Honestly, We’re Confused.
What is a Labubu? And what’s all the hype about?
If you’ve been scrolling social lately, chances are you’ve stumbled across a Labubu. These quirky little creatures have completely taken over the internet, from Instagram and TikTok to live selling apps like Whatnot. They’re weird, wide-eyed, and extremely odd-looking (or adorable, depending on who you ask).
And if you haven’t heard, they’ve officially become the latest collectible craze, but this is honestly one trend that has us scratching our heads. 😂😬
What’s a Labubu?
Labubu is a character from the POP MART universe—a Chinese designer toy company known for making collectible blind box figures. Think Funko Pop meets something your nightmares might be made of. 😂 With spiky hair, big toothy grins, and an overall “is it cute or creepy?” vibe, Labubu comes in a variety of styles—from “fairy tale” themes to holiday drops and luxury fashion collabs.
Collectors are going wild over these things, snatching them up so fast that they sell out almost instantly. Some figures are rare, and resellers list them for hundreds of dollars a pop. 😳 Yep…for a tiny vinyl figure that fits in a box smaller than your hand. Like, what?!
And the drama around hunting for the rares? It’s a full-on spectacle. People open blind boxes live, build entire display walls dedicated to Labubu, and flood stores with demand. Some stores say they can’t even get stock fast enough to keep up!
But…why is everyone so obsessed? 🤔
Honestly, your guess is as good as ours. 😆 Maybe it’s the thrill of the blind box. Maybe it’s the collector culture. Or maybe Labubu is just weirdly lovable once you get used to its funky little face? 😬😂 Either way, we’re not here to judge. If it sparks joy, you do, you!
But us? We’re officially confused and admitting our confusion in an upcoming “Worth It?” email. Each week, our team shares a few things that were totally worth our time (and money) — and one that just flopped. Enter your email here to get all the deets in your inbox!
Do YOU get the Labubu hype? Are you collecting? Are your kids begging for them? Or are you just as confused as we are? 😂 Drop us a comment and let’s talk Labubu.
These are the dummest craze and waste of money ever – honestly make a cheap ugly toy and call it a collectible. I don’t get it or who would spend money on it and on top of it they are made in China .. if I were to waste money I could think of many far better things to waste it on LOL
I agree. There are so many beautiful things that people can collect. And still they prefer to spend money on cheaply made mass production garbage. Instead of supporting local handcraft. Shame. You teach your children to appreciate ignorance.
just FYI the price in China for it has just crashed for those of you is planning for resell
It’s like hello kitty— but for males
I think :/
Still without the cartoons and storybooks that go with it.
There are videos and some storylines behind the different monsters and coloring pages— maybe a good toy to inspire kids to write their own stories about the characters. Or maybe the books and anime series will come later— if it’s not already fizzled out by now.
Labubu has been around for 10 years. They gained popularity last year when Lisa from Blackpink started carrying them on her designer purses. Then eventually the trend hit the US and went viral on TT.
Furby meets Beanie Babies
I have never heard of them, or purse pets, for that matter. They remind me of monchichi. But evil ones!
I have a co-worker that bragged about getting one for triple the list price. I was like, what?? It’s a flex to overpay now? Sorry – I’d like to pay three times less. But these things are ugly.
I’ve seen these darn things for over a year now, and they are still not cute. Whatever – hope the collectors are enjoying themselves though. It’s always fun to hunt for things you like.
I dont think we’re meant to “get it”. It’s the same as monster, jewel whatever trolls, pokemon, ty babies, etc. etc. Also the demographic are primarily Asian. “Labubu is a character from the “The Monsters” series, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung” Hope that helps, and no, I don’t own any 🙂 but I don’t judge since all of us have our vices. Mine is on skincare. lol
The Labubu monster reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are, a book by Maurice Sendak. Looks suspiciously like one of the monsters on the front cover. Surprised there have been no trademark infringement claims.
the power of heavy advertisement! Sad….
I have 6 and more coming. I bought mine for retail price $27.99.
If I have duplicates, I sell them for $30.
I don’t get why people complain about them collecting them. They’re no different from people who enjoy collecting Squishmallows, Sanrio, Disney, or Happy Meal toys.
I think they’re cute and fun! Having a little toy on my purse doesn’t hurt anyone and it brings me joy! I 100% agree that if something sparks joy, then do you!
Honestly, it’s not any different than any other trend… I see H2S posts stanleys and lululemon multiple times a week, which I dont really get the hype. I don’t understand why people like to hate on these little cuties so much. 😕 Hating something because it’s popular doesn’t make someone more special.
Let people have their fun!