Walk down the halls of Schaumburg High School, through Woodfield Mall and you’ll see them. Everywhere. On everyone. Little plush key chains dangling from backpacks, shoulder bags, and belts. Labubus are all the craze.
Originally invented in 2015 by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist, Labubus hit their peak in 2024 after Lisa of BLACKPINK was photographed with a Labubu causing a popularity explosion in her native Thailand.
Labubus are notoriously overpriced due to their rarity. They fly off shelves and get resold on the second-hand market for double their retail cost. Labubus on the Pop Mart site, where they are officially sold alongside physical Pop Mart locations, only cost $23, but they easily fetch double the price on Ebay.
When asked about Labubus, Patrick Ozga, a sophomore at Schaumburg High School, stated, “They’re scamming—I guess adults—because their children want some…miniature doll that will be trendy for a few weeks.”
It is not just overpriced merchandise that is affecting the Labubu market, bootlegs are also common! However, Labubu bootlegs have gained their own subculture and have gained the nickname, Lafufu. They are seen as a cheaper, safer alternative to Labubus.
Drake Garcia, when posed with a question about Labubus and Lafufus, stated, “…I don’t support the idea of the fake or real Labubus just because they contribute to overconsumption that eventually becomes waste. And then on top of that, it kind of gets kids the same feeling like gambling. Like, oh, man, a mystery box, let me see what’s in here. And then they proceed to buy a bunch of them thinking they can get the rare one. It’s just kind of like the negative on both sides, but I guess it can be positive because, hey, you got a cool little doll now, which I think they might believe”.
There’s no end in sight for Labubus. Pop Mart appears to also produce Labubu figures, featuring licensed characters and parodies. They even have a Spongebob Labubu! Labubu will definitely end up as one of the staple trends of the year, just like the Stanley cups of 2021 and so on. Just be wary of Labubu larcenists, lurches, and lurkers, and don’t fall for overpriced eBay listings.
Pop Mart, the makers of Labubu, now believe that prices have begun to fall back to normal, which would allow casual fans to become regular customers. There are even plans to open a Pop Mart store in Times Square in New York, further proof of its status. But will it be passing fad or lasting icon?