Labubu human-sized figure sells for over US$150,000 at Beijing auction
BEIJING/SHANGHAI: A Beijing auction house sold a human-sized Labubu figure for 1.08 million yuan (US$150,275.51, S$193,320) on Tuesday (Jun 10), setting a new record for the "blind box" toy as it moves from craze to collectible.
The event held by Yongle International Auction, which traditionally specialises in modern art as well as jewellery, marked the first ever auction dedicated to Labubu, toothy monster figurines that are mainly sold by China's toy company Pop Mart and have been at the centre of a global frenzy for the past year.
The auction offered 48 lots for sale and was attended in person by roughly 200 people, while over a thousand bidders put down offers via Yongle's mobile app, the auction house said. The starting price for all the items started at zero and it eventually raised a total of 3.73 million yuan.
The highest grossing item, a mint green, 131cm tall Labubu figure, received several bids to sell for 1.08 million yuan. The auctioneer said it was the only one available in the world.
A set of three Labubu sculptures, about 40cm tall and made of PVC material, sold for 510,000 yuan. The set, from a series called "Three Wise Labubu", was limited to a run of 120 sets in 2017 and another one sold for HKD 203,200 (US$25,889.64, S$33,322) at Sotheby's most recent auction in Hong Kong.
Labubu was created a decade ago by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung agreed to let them be sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that markets collectable figurines often sold in "blind boxes".
A buyer of a blind box toy does not know exactly what design they will receive until they open the packaging. The starting price for Labubu blind box toys sold in Pop Mart's stores is around 50 yuan.
The character's popularity skyrocketed after Lisa of the Korean pop music group Blackpink was spotted with a Labubu and praised the doll in interviews and online posts. Many celebrities followed. In May, British football star David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram of his Labubu attached to a bag.
One Yongle auction bidder, a restaurant owner who only gave her surname as Du, said she had planned to spend a maximum of 20,000 yuan but walked away empty handed as the final prices were too high.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
HK actress and beauty queen Crystal Fung denies disagreement with fellow celebrity Louisa Mak
Photo: Instagram/Crystal Fung HONG KONG: At a recent event in Hong Kong, actress Crystal Fung addressed all those rumours floating around about a disagreement with her good friend, fellow beauty queen Louisa Mak, according to The Star. Photo: Instagram/Louisa Mak Fung, who's 31 and actually won the Miss Hong Kong crown back in 2016, flat-out denied those rumours. Mak, 33, won Miss Hong Kong a year earlier in 2015. Rumours of falling out According to the beauty queen, the misunderstanding came about when a journalist asked if she had visited Mak and her baby. She explained that she simply said she hadn't had the chance yet, but that response sparked rumours of a falling out between them. 'We're all still in touch — we've got a group chat going, and we're actually planning a birthday dinner for next month! We're just trying to figure out a date that works for everyone right now,' she shared, as translated by Jaynestars . Fung admitted they haven't seen each other in over six months, but she quickly explained it by saying that Louisa Mak has been incredibly busy since getting married and having a baby. See also BTS is the most popular group based on Idol Chart's 'Acha Ranking' No tension between them 'She's just been swamped, really. We're actually trying to plan a get-together so she can catch up with all of us at once, instead of having to meet everyone one by one,' Fung explained, making it clear there's no tension at all between them. And although both women have moved into the education field, Fung brushed off any talk of competition, saying there's really none of that between them. 'We're just heading in slightly different directions these days,' she said. 'Louisa's really diving deep into early childhood education, and I've been putting my energy into supporting primary and secondary school students — and their parents — on the emotional side of things.' She added that she'd just come from giving a talk at a local secondary school. When asked if their friendship had shifted, Fung simply replied, 'Nope, our friendship hasn't changed a bit!' Winning Miss Hong Kong Crystal Fung is a Hong Kong actress, and she actually won the Miss Hong Kong title back in 2016. She was born on June 10, 1994, making her 31 years old. See also Actress Kim Sae Ron found dead at the age of 24 While she has a career in acting, appearing in various TV shows and dramas, she has also been pursuing academic interests. She's actually putting a lot of her energy into offering emotional support to primary and secondary students, and even their parents. In fact, she recently gave a talk at a secondary school, sharing insights from this very work. This is a different area of focus compared to her friend Louisa Mak, who specialises in early childhood education. Incredibly bright Louisa Mak Ming-sze, born on December 11, 1991, is a prominent figure in Hong Kong, known for her diverse career as an actress, television host, lawyer, and entrepreneur. Winning the Miss Hong Kong Pageant in 2015 was truly the moment she first stepped into the spotlight and gained widespread recognition. Louisa Mak is also incredibly bright; she actually earned a law degree from the prestigious University of Cambridge and even got admitted to the New York Bar in 2018 . See also Selena Gomez might retire from music After her time in entertainment, she pivoted to the corporate world, working at the consulting giant McKinsey & Company as a junior associate and then an engagement manager from 2019 to 2022.
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular coming to Singapore in March 2026
Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular will be arriving in Singapore in March 2026 at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Priority access to tickets start on Jun 23 at 10am but a waitlist to be first in line when tickets go on sale is now open until Jun 22, 2025, 11.59pm. Les Miserables The Arena Spectacular will feature an extraordinary new design specifically created for larger venues, a company of over 65 internationally acclaimed cast and orchestra members, and a production enhanced with new set and lighting designs. It is expanded from the successful Les Miserables The Staged Concert, which played for over 200 record-breaking performances in the West End, according to a press release by Base Entertainment. The full casting for the Singapore shows will be announced soon. The UOB x Klook priority sale will run from Jun 23, 10am to Jun 30, 11.59pm and the UOB presale via Marina Bay Sands, Sistic and Klook will run from Jun 24, 10am to Jun 30, 11.59pm, both with a 20 per cent discount. The pre-sale for waitlist and Base Entertainment Asia members will be from Jun 24, 10am to Jun 30, 11.59pm with a 15 per cent discount. The early bird sale via Marina Bay Sands, Sistic and Klook will run from Jun 26, 10am to Jul 31, 11.59pm, with a 10 per cent discount, and the general sale will start from Jul 1, 10am onwards, where UOB cardmembers get a 15 per cent discount exclusively via Marina Bay Sands, Sistic and Klook.
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
New Labubu collection dropping Jun 13 has the character as food items including cup noodles and shrimp tempura
At this point, it's hard not to notice Labubu figures everywhere. You can't walk down the street without spotting a Labubu charm dangling from someone's bag. With the signature ears and mischievous grin, the monster elves have fans clamouring to get the latest editions. Come Friday (Jun 13), Labubu fans can get their hands on a new series of blind boxes: The Monsters Wacky Mart series, inspired by favourites you can pick up at a convenience store, or konbini. View this post on Instagram A post shared by POP MART (@popmart) There's a cup noodle, a carton of milk, onigiri, corn cob, a bag of chips and a can of sardines, among others. And the secret rare is a Labubu with a microwave. There are three blind boxes to choose from: The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Figures (S$19.99) ,The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Pinch Pendant Blind Box (S$18.99) and The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Fridge Magnet Blind Box (S$19.99). The series will also include plush keychains and accessories. Highlights include The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Earphone Case (S$25.99) featuring a tempura shrimp Labubu that doubles up as a pouch for your earphones and The Monsters Wacky Mart Series Pillow styled as a bag of chips (S$44.99) While the collection is already listed on Pop Mart Singapore's website, it will only be available for purchase from 10am this Friday. Labubu is a character in a series of stories called The Monsters by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung who was raised in the Netherlands. Inspired by Nordic fairy tales, Lung created The Monsters universe in 2015 and modelled his characters after elves, fairies and monsters. The character became a highly sought-after collectible figure globally in April 2024 after Blackpink member Lisa posted an Instagram story of her holding a giant Labubu plush toy and another of her with a Labubu charm.
