Troll-like Labubu dolls have taken over the consumer world. Their creator, Pop Mart, has reported a near 400% net profit so far this year, while some have spent thousands on the toys second-hand.
The frenzy over the furry dolls has led to huge queues outside the Chinese retailer’s stores, and even forced the company to stop selling them at its 16 UK locations to avoid fighting among customers.
Now, “dangerous” knock-offs are being pumped out to try and capitalise on the fact demand is exceeding supply.
But how did Labubus get so popular, how long have they been around and how much are they actually worth?
What are they?
The mischievous looking plush dolls are part of a series by Pop Mart called The Monsters, created by Hong Kong artist and author Kasing Lung.
The Labubu and the rest of The Monsters first featured in a Nordic mythology-inspired picture book trilogy in 2015, before Pop Mart turned them into the furry dolls in 2019.
It started as one character, which Pop Mart describes as an “elvish creature” who is “kind-hearted and always wants to help,” but “often accidentally achieves the opposite”.
Now, Labubus are a full-on brand, with different colours, facial expressions and sometimes clothing.
The most popular type of Labubu is the roughly-15cm pendant, which is often hooked onto people’s bags.
These are typically sold in “blind boxes” – meaning you pay for a Labubu, but you don’t know what type you’ve got until you open the packaging up after purchasing.
Pop Mart releases different series with different themes, and some figures are much rarer collectables than others.
But there are all sorts of products for sale, from plush dolls over double that size, to hard figurines, Labubu-themed bags, cups and laptop cases.
Different types of Labubu products…
