I first came across Labubu sketches a few years back, but it wasn’t until July 2024 that I encountered them again online. This time, they have transformed into these adorable 17-cm dolls with furry, pointy ears, and a mischievous smile that shows off its nine little fangs. By then, these Labubu dolls were quickly gaining traction in the Asian market, and their popularity surged even more recently with local celebrities like Heart Evangelista, Marian Rivera, and Ruffa Gutierrez posting their collections this past week.
So, what exactly are Labubu dolls, and why do they sell out so quickly? To bring you up to speed, here are some fun facts about this must-have bag charm for 2024.
1. Labubu was created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015. After moving to the Netherlands as a young boy, he drew inspiration from Nordic fairy tales in designing Labubu. He now shuffles back and forth between the two countries.
2. In 2019, Kasing Lung began collaborating with the Chinese toy company Pop Mart, renowned for its blind boxes filled with collectible toys.
3. People started taking notice of the Labubu when Pop Mart unveiled The Monsters—Exciting Macarons Vinyl Face blind box series (or what is referred to as version one) that was released last October 2023. These 17-cm dolls are dressed in seven pastel-colored furs of Lychee Berry, Green Grape, Soymilk, Sea Salt Coconut, Sesame Bean, Toffee, and, the rarest, Chestnut Cocoa. Each of them come with a gold-tone ring clasp, allowing customers to display them on their everyday bags. This innovative design element further catapulted the popularity of the Pop Mart X Labubu dolls.
4. Blackpink’s Lisa began collecting and sharing her Labubu finds around April this year. The first piece she posted in her Instagram stories was a giant Labubu doll from the Fall in Wild series, followed by a Labubu keychain she attached to her bag. This helped boost the charm's growing popularity even further.
5. Version two, The Monsters—Have a Seat Vinyl Plush blind box series, sparked by interest in Labubu. Released in July 2024, these seated 15-cm Labubu dolls feature various facial expressions. Unlike version one, these come with ring clasps that match the doll’s color. This series comes in six colors with names such as SiSi in yellow, HeHe in gray, BaBa in light brown, Zizi in purple, QuWu in green, Dada in pink, and a rare one named DuoDuo in brown with a red nose.
6. Since then, Pop Mart has released several Labubu collections, including Happy Halloween, Lazy Yoga, Singapore-exclusive Hide an Seek series, How2work Labubu series, and a collaboration with Hong Kong designer label Pronounce, to name a few.
7. Prices for Labubu items start at P550 and can go up to P51,000 on the official Pop Mart Philippines website. Due to its popularity, many items sell out quickly, leading some buyers to pay higher prices to resellers. For example, The Monsters versions one and two, which are officially priced at P900 each, are resold between P2,500 to P3,500.
8. Buying from resellers can be risky. So how can you spot fakes? Actress Tuesday Vargas shared a quick TikTok video on how to spot the difference between the real and fake Labubus. Some of her tips include checking the QR code on the box, which can be scanned and verified on the official Pop Mart website. For version one, the doll’s left foot has the Pop Mart stamp, while version two features an engraving. Authentic dolls have nine fangs, whereas many fakes only have eight. Keep in mind that these methods are not foolproof, as manufacturers continue to improve their counterfeit products.
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