By Onilede Titi Faith
Outside a bustling Pop Mart store in Beijing, fan Maki Li proudly posed with a dozen furry Labubu dolls strung around his neck.
The latest palm-sized creations from Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, priced at about $11 each, sold out online almost instantly after their release Thursday night.
The quirky, fanged “ugly-cute” dolls already spotted on celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa have become a global craze.
Li was among the lucky few to secure a full box of 14. “I’ll hang them everywhere I can,” the 32-year-old said after unboxing.
At the store, another shopper, Li Jianuo, filmed her children unwrapping their new toys after she spent more than 1,000 yuan ($140) as a back-to-school gift. “It’s so cute!” her 12-year-old daughter squealed. The mother said she wouldn’t sell them even if the children lost interest: “When they grow up, they’ll remember how we scrambled to get it.”
Labubus are typically sold in limited “blind boxes,” where buyers only discover which model they’ve purchased after opening. The scarcity fuels demand, turning the dolls into prized collectibles.
The craze has even drawn official attention. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao recently hailed Labubus as a symbol of “new forms of consumption” that could boost China’s slowing economy.
For young fans, the dolls’ appeal lies in their affordability and emotional comfort. “People can’t afford the big-ticket items anymore, they can’t buy Balenciaga, so they buy Pop Mart instead,” Li said. “Wearing them feels healing. They can keep you company for a long time.”
