‘My inner child is having a blast’: How Labubu dolls became a global sensation

With its wide eyes, pointy ears, toothy grin and elvish features, this collectible creature can be seen hanging from bags, dangling from belt loops and smiling mischievously on social media.

Meet the newest trendy toy: the Labubu doll.

Cute to some, creepy to others, the trinkets have caused a viral global craze. Created a decade ago by artist Kasing Lung, the character is part of his Nordic fairy tale picture book series, “The Monsters.” In 2019, Lung partnered with the Chinese toy company Pop Mart to bring his drawings to life.

Celebrities like Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink, Dua Lipa and Rihanna helped kick off the Labubu trend last year. Thanks to social media, Labubu’s popularity has blown up since.

“There are people of all age groups embracing the fact that we just love these toys,” said Vanessa Conquest, a content creator from Schaumburg who shares her Labubu collection with the more than 56,000 who follow her TikTok account, @itsvanessanotnessa.

“My inner child is having a blast.”

While the plush key chains sell for $27.99 at Pop Mart, some resellers offer them for double or triple the price. The dolls are difficult to find and fans flock to stores, waiting hours in line to get their hands on one.

“We’ve seen Labubu drops sell out within minutes both in-store and online,” said Emily Brough, head of licensing at Pop Mart North America. “Demand has spiked significantly over the past year.”

And there’s a twist: Labubus are sold in blind boxes, so buyers have no idea which one they will get. The surprise is part of what makes them so captivating, as collectors hunt for their favorites, including rare “secret” Labubus.

“People that like arcade and gambling-type games love the idea of the mystery box,” Conquest said. “From the content creating side of it, it’s exciting to open it with my audience.”

Labubu has become a central figure in Pop Mart’s lineup. “The Monsters” family, which Labubu leads, generated more than $419 million globally in 2024, Brough said.

“Labubu blends cute and creepy in a way that resonates with fans across cultures,” she added. “It’s not just a toy; Labubu is a character full of personality, imagination and story.”

Collectors must also beware the risk of encountering “Lafufus,” which are counterfeit Labubus.

Conquest discovered Labubus in February when she saw one dangling from a friend’s backpack.

“I was like, ‘OK, they’re kind of cute,’” she said. “If you liked ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ and weren’t creeped out or scared off by the monsters, you probably think these guys are cute, too.”

Michelle Tran of Long Grove admits she thought Labubus were ugly at first, but decided to get one to understand the hype after hearing about them on social media.

“I opened it, and I actually thought it was pretty cute,” she said. “It’s made pretty well — soft to the touch.”

Since Conquest got her first Labubu in March, her collection has grown to more than 20, including customized dolls.

“They are really hard to come across,” she said. “The easiest, most readily available I’ve been able to find them is on TikTok livestream sales.”

Despite their growing popularity, not everyone understands the Labubu hype. Alex Palacios of Gurnee heard about the toy through a girl she babysits and while she collects key chains, she doesn’t own a Labubu and hasn’t seen any in stores.

“People have their own quirks of what they like to collect,” she said. “I think it is, at this point, a collectors’ item because of how rare they are.”

Though Pop Mart is the official retailer, other businesses have joined the Labubu fad by selling clothing and accessories for the dolls. Among them is Gugu’s Teahouse in Naperville.

“It’s a way for people to express their love to their Labubus,” Gugu’s manager Ariel Zhang said. “Our Labubu clothing sells really fast. People love shopping for their Labubus.”

Customizing Labubus doesn’t stop at clothing. Some collectors add braces, makeup or tattoos. There are also Labubu pop ups and meetups, where people can shop for clothes or make Labubu art.

“There is an actual community starting to build around it,” Conquest said.

Like similar viral toys — troll dolls, Furbies and Beanie Babies — the scarcity of Labubus is part of the appeal.

“I think it’ll eventually die down like the Beanie Babies, but it’ll have its own legacy to it,” Conquest said. “Ten years from now, there will be people like, ‘Hey, remember when we got crazy about the Labubus?’”