Labubu collector describes ‘battlefield' resale market as toys pulled from shops
Pop Mart, which makes the furry bag charms, announced it would be pulling all of its Labubu plushies from its 16 UK stores until June over safety concerns.
The toy makers wanted to 'ensure the safety and comfort of everyone' following reports of customers fighting over them and queuing overnight outside shops.
However, a UK-based collector scouring re-sale sites to secure one of the collectable characters has described the market as a 'battlefield' after sales were paused in the UK.
The toys' popularity began in 2024 after K-Pop star Lisa from girl group Blackpink shared a photo on social media of her with one, with other celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa following suit.
Part of its appeal may come down to Pop Mart's decision to sell the toys in blind boxes, which contain a random plushy chosen from the series, meaning customers do not know which toy they will receive until they open the box.
Ashley Bushey, 32, said she spent more than £1,000 on 13 Labubu toys, and countless hours scrolling on TikTok Shop, Vinted and Facebook re-sale groups to expand her collection.
Miss Bushey, a Northamptonshire-based coffee shop supervisor, said she predominantly tunes in to Pop Mart's regular TikTok livestreams which showcase the toys for fans to purchase.
'It's a battlefield. (Pop Mart) are live every day from 2pm to 7pm and I sneak out at work, like I'm always trying to score one on the (livestream),' she told the PA news agency.
She said she spends 'more time than I care to admit' finding Labubus, but added 'especially now, because they're so hard to get' after Pop Mart's decision to pause UK sales.
'I'm not even a big collector in the scheme of things. If you go into Facebook groups, I mean, some of them are insane,' she said.
Miss Bushey said she collects 90s and early 2000s toys and started buying Labubus from Pop Mart's The Monsters series in December, describing them as 'so ugly that they were cute'.
All the Labubus in The Monsters collection are female, which make male versions of the toys extremely rare finds.
The toy collector said she managed to find a rare, male toy named Zimomo which she bought for £200, but added she has seen some limited edition Labubus listed at £600 on Vinted and eBay.
In comparison, regular Labubus retail at £17.50, but are often bought by re-sellers who list them for up to £30.
Thanks to popular demand of the toys, created by the Hong-Kong born artist Kasing Lung, many go to re-sale markets and compete with fakes dubbed 'Lafufus'.
Real Labubus can be verified with a QR code on the bottom of each box, but some re-sellers may disguise a fake toy inside authentic boxes.
'There are people that are really sneaky,' Miss Bushey said.
'People are scanning these QR codes and seeing if they're real, but then the toy inside is fake, so (re-sellers) are opening them from the bottom and then putting fake ones inside of it.'
Lafufus can be identified by twisted limbs, misshapen heads, or the incorrect number of teeth whereas real Labubus have nine.
Pop Mart said it is reviewing the way its toys are distributed to help create a fair and safe environment for its customers.
It said on Instagram on Friday: 'Over the past few weeks, we've seen overwhelming enthusiasm from fans, with long queues forming outside stores – in some cases, even the night before.
'While this speaks to the love and excitement surrounding Labubu and The Monsters, it's important for us to ensure a safe, fair and comfortable shopping experience for everyone – both our customers and our store teams.
'We're currently working on a new approach for the distribution that will allow everyone a fairer chance to purchase.'
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