Labubu Mania: Pop Mart’s Viral Monster Toy Is Selling Out Fast—Here’s Where to Buy It

Pop Mart’s mischievous Labubu creature has leapt from designer-toy niche to global sensation almost overnight, and the fallout is now everywhere—from viral TikTok “unboxings” to police blotters. Surging demand meets tight supply Chinese collectibles giant Pop Mart produces Labubu in blind boxes, meaning buyers do not know which of the 72 possible figures—plus rarer “secret” variants—they will receive. That scarcity model fuels feverish repeat purchases; business analysts say Pop Mart’s profit is on track to jump more than 350 percent this year as international demand explodes. On resale platforms, limited-edition Labubus routinely list for double or triple retail price, and rare versions have cleared four-figure sums. Crime wave follows the craze Collectors’ willingness to pay premiums has turned the tiny plush monster into a lucrative target. Last week four masked thieves smashed into One Stop Sales near Los Angeles and stole the store’s entire Labubu inventory—about $7,000 worth—before speeding off in a stolen car. Similar smash-and-grab incidents have been reported in London, Toronto and Kuala Lumpur, forcing specialty retailers to install reinforced glass and GPS trackers in shipping crates. TikTok virality drives cultural footprint On social media the hashtag #Labubu has surpassed 2.3 billion views, with creators filming 30-second “adoption” skits and luxury outfit swaps that position the snaggle-toothed doll as Gen Z’s answer to Hello Kitty. “It’s the perfect blend of creepy-cute and mystery,” cultural researcher Dr. Mei Huang told NPR, adding that blind-box psychology “gamifies shopping in a way Funko Pop never did”. Economic tea-leaf? Not everyone is charmed. Economist Sarah Wolfe argues the Labubu boom may signal a “last hurrah” in discretionary spending before a downturn; she points to previous manias—Beanie Babies in 1998, Squishmallows in 2021—that crested just before consumer confidence slipped. For now, though, Pop Mart’s pop-up lines still wrap city blocks, and fans camp overnight to secure launch-day boxes. Sustainability concerns grow Environmental activists warn that blind-box overconsumption generates mountains of plastic shells and discarded “duplicates.” Pop Mart says it is piloting cardboard packaging and a buy-back program for unwanted figures, but no rollout date has been confirmed. What’s next for the little monster? Pop Mart has quietly filed trademarks for “Labubu Cinematic Universe,” hinting at animated shorts and gaming tie-ins. Meanwhile, secondary-market prices for the looming Halloween series have already doubled in preorders, and collectors speculate that a chrome-painted “Ultra-Secret” will headline the drop. Whether Labubu proves a fleeting fad or the next global character franchise, one thing is certain: in 2025, the snaggle-toothed rabbit-goblin sits at the center of culture, commerce and controversy—and it’s not letting go anytime soon.