Meet the Labubu, the ugly-cute doll that's all the rage

Boston Globe

22-07-2025

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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
A fluffy body, monstrous grin, pointy ears, a perfect keychain size, and a global craze — meet the Labubu.
The mischievous-looking plush dolls have
gasps of delight.
backpacks and purses across Boston.
The quirky dolls are sold by the Chinese toy giant Pop Mart, and have sent fans, young and old, scrambling to
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Here's what you need to know about the ugly-cute dolls.
What is a Labubu?
Labubus come in over 300 sizes and styles, from key rings to pendants to 3-foot 'Super Labubus.'
The dolls were designed in 2015 by
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Lung collaborated with
But the toys really took off last April when LISA, a member of the band BLACKPINK, a Korean girl group,
The craze exploded and has not slowed since.
There are different Labubu series under 'The Monsters' brand, according to a online
Fans can buy the toys in box sets that come with six or 12 toys in 'blind boxes.' Serious collectors look for 'secret' Labubus, the rarest editions of the dolls, such as the
For those who aren't willing to shell out big money, there are knock-off versions called Lafufus.
Why are the dolls popular?
Mary ET Boyle, a senior continuing lecturer at the University of California, San Diego, said the Labubu trend hits the cognitive 'trifecta.'
First, social media and our identities have become heavily intertwined, said Boyle, a neuroscientist.
'So then if everybody on social media has this doll' we're going to want one, too, she said.
People also don't want to 'miss out,' Boyle said. So when Labubus are hard to find, primal instinct makes us want to acquire them.
Finally, the idea of opening a 'blind box' and finding a rare Labubu is akin to 'gambling,' Boyle said.
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'That random part makes your brain go crazy,' she said. 'It's the dopamine moment.'
Are these the new ... Beanie Babies?
Labubus may recall the Beanie Baby craze of the mid-90s. Back then, the $5 stuffed animals became so sought after that some eventually sold for thousands of dollars.
Zac Bissonnette, the author of 'The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute' described the Beanie Baby as the 'first indicator that the internet could drive people mad.'
'What happened with [Beanie Babies] then was a harbinger of many things to come,' he said. 'Both good and bad.'
What's happening in Boston?
In Boston, the Labubu market is tough. Stores like Newbury Comics that carry Pop Mart brands have been sold out for months.
Muniz, who runs a young adult lifestyle account on TikTok, loved the 'blind boxes' and having a 'cute'
Labubu charm on her bag.
As she walked down Newbury Street after buying them, Muniz said she noticed people pointing and whispering: 'Oh my God, she has a Labubu.'
Outside Newbury Comics on a Wednesday in early July, Terri Morgan, 55, who was visiting Boston from Los Angeles, flaunted two Labubu key chains on her purse.
Terri Morgan shows off the Labubu doll on her purse. The dolls have taken over social media and are the latest toy craze.
Joanna Malvas
'They were hard to get,' said Morgan, who owns 15 Labubus. It's all about 'the thrill of trying to find something that you can't get,' she said.
At the height of her obsession, Morgan was buying custom Labubus, large-size versions, and even clothes for the dolls.
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Eventually, it got to be too much, she said.
Raine Montgomery, 30, the
store manager at Newbury Comics at Faneuil Hall, said they started selling Pop Mart items in large quantity around the start of 2025. But after March, Pop Mart no longer supplied them, Montgomery said.
But they still get as many as 10 to 15
requests a day for Labubus.
'As soon as I hear 'La-,' I'm like, 'Oh, nope,'' Montgomery said.
A spokesperson for Pop Mart Americas said the 'Monsters Vinyl Face blind boxes are only available for sale directly from official POP MART sales channels at this time.'
Sunday Market in Allston was the rare local store where Labubus were plentiful.
The owner, Kun Chen, 29, buys them from resellers in Asia. Based on their prices, Chen says he may have to sell the Labubus for almost $70.
Since he started selling Labubus in late April, sales have increased 80 percent.
'They are so hard to find,' said Muniz, the TikToker, 'That just makes you want it more.'
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