Labubu Doll Craze: Inside the Pop Mart Phenomenon Fueling Sold-Out Drops and Sky-High Resale Prices

Dateline – 12 August 2025 The elf-eared Labubu doll from Chinese toy giant Pop Mart has leapt from niche designer figure to global pop-culture obsession—and the frenzy is spawning everything from all-night queues to organised crime. Surging demand, soaring prices Market-data firm Toyscope estimates that worldwide Labubu sales topped US $423 million last year, up 68 % year-on-year, making the 12 cm figurine Pop Mart’s single best-selling character. Blind-box drops priced at US $12–30 routinely sell out in minutes; limited “chase” variants now change hands for over US $2 000 on secondary platforms, according to reseller analytics app StockX. Crime wave hits collectibles stores In Los Angeles, masked thieves smashed their way into trendy toy shop Toy Jungle at 2 a.m. on Monday, making off with roughly US $7 000 worth of Labubu dolls in under three minutes, police said. Similar smash-and-grab raids have been reported in Seoul, Singapore and Paris, fuelling calls for retailers to lock high-value blind boxes in secure cabinets. Counterfeits flood the market Authorities are also battling a surge in knock-offs. Nottingham City Council in the U.K. this week seized 66 counterfeit Labubus judged “unsafe” because small parts detached easily, posing a choking hazard. Trading Standards officers warn collectors to buy only from authorised Pop Mart dealers and to check for the official anti-forgery sticker. Why everyone wants one • Celebrity hype: Rihanna, BLACKPINK’s Lisa and NBA star Devin Booker have all posted their Labubu hauls on Instagram. • “Kidult” spending power: Adults aged 20–40 now account for 75 % of global designer-toy purchases, according to consultancy Euromonitor. • Blind-box thrill: Fans liken unboxing to “micro-lottery” excitement—an experience impossible to replicate digitally. How to spot a real Labubu 1. Holographic Pop Mart seal on the base of the box. 2. Serial number starting with “LPB.” 3. Matte, not glossy, paint on the figure’s teeth and claws. What’s next Pop Mart confirms a Halloween Labubu series will launch worldwide on 18 October, with 1 in 144 odds of pulling a glow-in-the-dark “Ghost Pirate” chase. Analysts say the drop could push secondary-market prices to fresh highs as the company eyes a North American IPO later this year. SEO keywords: Labubu doll, Pop Mart Labubu, Labubu blind box, fake Labubu, Labubu resale price, Labubu theft, Pop Mart IPO