Beijing’s Pop Mart stores turned into fan zones on Friday morning as collectors rushed to secure the newly unveiled palm-sized Labubu dolls, the latest craze in the global toy market. Within hours of their online release, priced at just $11 each, the mini monsters sold out, sparking frenzied scenes across China.
Among the lucky few was 32-year-old Maki Li, who proudly posed outside the bustling Beijing outlet with a chain of 12 furry Labubu dolls dangling around his neck. “I’ll hang them everywhere I can,” he told AFP, grinning after unboxing a full set of 14.
The hype surrounding Labubu — created by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart — has been fuelled by celebrity endorsements. Stars like Rihanna and Dua Lipa have been spotted flaunting the toothy, “ugly-cute” characters on their handbags, cementing the dolls as a global fashion accessory rather than just a toy.
Inside the store, families joined the frenzy. Li Jianuo, a mother of two, revealed she spent over 1,000 yuan ($140) on multiple boxes as a back-to-school surprise for her children. “When they grow up, they will remember how we scrambled to get these,” she said, as her 12-year-old daughter squealed in delight after unboxing a rare model with white ears.
Part of the frenzy is driven by Pop Mart’s trademark “blind box” sales strategy, where buyers don’t know which model they’ll get until they rip open the packaging. Limited editions often spark resales online at several times the original price, though some fans insist they’ll never sell, even if demand skyrockets.
The dolls have become so culturally significant that even China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao referenced Labubu last month as an example of “new consumption trends” that could revive the country’s slowing economy. Analysts note that while big-ticket luxury purchases are slowing, the popularity of collectibles like Labubu reflects a shift toward affordable luxury.
For die-hard fans like 27-year-old Zhang Jiaru, the draw is simple: happiness. “It’s about paying for your own interests. They look ugly but cute — and that makes me smile,” she said. Or, as Maki Li put it while clutching his furry companions: “They can keep you company for a long time. It feels healing.”
