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If you've scrolled through TikTok, wandered into a boutique toy shop, or tried to snag one on a resale site (good luck), you've seen them: Labubu dolls. With their wide-eyed mischief, jagged little teeth, and that chaotic-cute grin, they've become the collectible of 2025. But how exactly did these quirky vinyl creatures become the year's must-have item? And what does our collective obsession say about pop culture in the post-irony age?
Here's how Labubu went from a niche designer toy to a global phenomenon and why it's not going away anytime soon.
What Is a Labubu?
For the uninitiated (and the curious boomers), Labubu is a character created by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung. Originally part of the "Monster Little" universe and produced by POP MART, a Chinese collectibles powerhouse, Labubu started as a mischievous, slightly creepy forest imp.
Labubu figures are small, vinyl, and highly stylized. Each release comes in surprise boxes (meaning you don't know which figure you're getting), which only fuels the thrill of the hunt. Some are decked out like pirates, and others look like they escaped a Wes Anderson fever dream. And the rarest ones are flipping for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on resale platforms like StockX and eBay.
From Toy Shelf to TikTok Stardom
While Labubu has had a cult following for years, especially across Asia, 2025 is when the West finally caught up. Credit TikTok's algorithm for pushing #Labubu unboxings into the mainstream. Videos of collectors sobbing (yes, sobbing) over rare pulls or filming their elaborate display shelves have racked up millions of views. One viral video featuring a collector proposing with a rare Labubu "Starry Knight" even landed a segment on morning TV.
POP MART has mastered the limited-edition drop model, releasing Labubu in ultra-exclusive runs and region-specific collaborations that sell out in seconds. Each figure comes with the dopamine hit of a lottery ticket.
Add to that the culture of trading, the online communities (Reddit, Discord, you name it), and the resale market, and you've got a perfect storm of hype. It's Beanie Babies, Funko Pops, and Supreme drops rolled into one oddly adorable gremlin.
Why Now? The Emotional Side of the Labubu Boom
In a year that's already feeling like a rollercoaster of reality checks, Labubu offers weird, nostalgic comfort. They're not flawless or hyper-polished. They're mischievous, whimsical, and a little weird. In other words, they're us.
Owning one feels like reclaiming childhood joy but with an adult-sized thrill of collecting and curating. It's a soft rebellion against screens and sameness, a reminder that physical things can still bring absolute delight.
With Labubu mania still climbing and POP MART eyeing further global expansion, don't expect this trend to die quietly. Labubu collaborations with major fashion houses are rumored. The brand's NFT-adjacent digital collectible platform is also in beta, bridging the physical-digital gap for Gen Z collectors.
And yes, a Labubu animated series is reportedly in development, which will either cement its cultural dominance or turn it into another cautionary tale of overexposure.