How This Labubu Sold for a Record-Breaking Price of AED38,000 on eBay
Originally priced at just $85 (around AED 312), the doll's resale fetched 125 times its retail value. It was part of a 2023 Pop Mart × Vans collaboration, released in a blind box, making it one of the ultra‑rare editions highly sought after by collectors.
Labubu figures, designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold by Pop Mart, have exploded in popularity among collectors. Sold in blind boxes with randomized figures, these toys are known for featuring rare 'secret' editions with odds as slim as 1 in 72 or 1 in 144, making certain collectibles extremely rare and valuable.
The appeal of Labubu lies in its stylized, whimsically eerie design—often described as 'cute‑ugly'—and Pop Mart's marketing model that creates scarcity and hype. Releases typically sell out within minutes, with fans lining up in stores or battling bots online to secure a blind box.
Experts say some early or rare editions like this Vans‑clad Labubu are likely to hold or grow in value over time. Lori Verderame, collectibles appraiser, notes that these figures may remain valuable long-term due to their unique charm and scarcity. Similarly, Alex Fung of Goldin Auctions suggests early Pop Mart releases are the ones most likely to retain collectible value.
This eBay sale has spotlighted the explosive collector culture surrounding Labubu. From an $85 impulse buy to an eye‑watering resale price, it underscores how limited editions and emotional fandom can transform a simple toy into a high‑stakes collectable—turning tiny figures into serious investments for some and playful treasures for many.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UAE Moments
a day ago
- UAE Moments
How This Labubu Sold for a Record-Breaking Price of AED38,000 on eBay
A rare gray‑brown Labubu toy, adorned in Vans streetwear—complete with sneakers, sweatshirt, and a blue‑orange hat labelled 'The Monsters'—recently sold on eBay for an astounding AED 38,035 (approximately $10,500), making it the most expensive Labubu ever sold. Originally priced at just $85 (around AED 312), the doll's resale fetched 125 times its retail value. It was part of a 2023 Pop Mart × Vans collaboration, released in a blind box, making it one of the ultra‑rare editions highly sought after by collectors. Labubu figures, designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold by Pop Mart, have exploded in popularity among collectors. Sold in blind boxes with randomized figures, these toys are known for featuring rare 'secret' editions with odds as slim as 1 in 72 or 1 in 144, making certain collectibles extremely rare and valuable. The appeal of Labubu lies in its stylized, whimsically eerie design—often described as 'cute‑ugly'—and Pop Mart's marketing model that creates scarcity and hype. Releases typically sell out within minutes, with fans lining up in stores or battling bots online to secure a blind box. Experts say some early or rare editions like this Vans‑clad Labubu are likely to hold or grow in value over time. Lori Verderame, collectibles appraiser, notes that these figures may remain valuable long-term due to their unique charm and scarcity. Similarly, Alex Fung of Goldin Auctions suggests early Pop Mart releases are the ones most likely to retain collectible value. This eBay sale has spotlighted the explosive collector culture surrounding Labubu. From an $85 impulse buy to an eye‑watering resale price, it underscores how limited editions and emotional fandom can transform a simple toy into a high‑stakes collectable—turning tiny figures into serious investments for some and playful treasures for many.
Web Release
a day ago
- Web Release
End Your Weekend with a Feast of Flavour as the Ultimate Sunday Roast Returns to The Stables
End Your Weekend with a Feast of Flavour as the Ultimate Sunday Roast Returns to The Stables Sundays just got a whole lot more delicious at The Stables. Back by popular demand, this beloved British gastropub is once again dishing up the most hearty and wholesome Sunday Roast in town, perfect for capping off the weekend in delicious fashion. Perfect for the whole family and priced at just AED 69 per person, the new roast menu features an irresistible selection of succulent mains, including vegetarian options, all served with generous helpings of classic sides and rich gravy, making it the ultimate end-of-week treat. There's no better place to unwind on a Sunday than The Stables. Nestled along Sheikh Zayed Road, this vintage-style British gastropub offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere that feels like home. With its cosy interiors, plush seating, friendly service, and screens showing all the latest sports action, it's the perfect blend of comfort and buzz where the vibe is always spot on. The Sunday Roast menu is all about flavour and familiarity, offering guests a choice between four mouthwatering mains, including Half Slow-Roasted Chicken glazed in a rich jus, 9-Hour Braised Australian Lamb Shoulder that melts in your mouth, perfectly seared Grain-Fed Rump Cap Beef prepared sous-vide for unmatched tenderness, or a satisfying vegetarian option with the Mushroom & Walnut Wellington, packed with mushrooms, walnuts, spinach, garlic, and herbs, and wrapped in golden puff pastry. Each roast is served with a delicious spread of sides that brings the full Sunday Roast experience to life. Expect Yorkshire puddings, crisp roast potatoes, confit shallots, French beans, honey-roasted root vegetables, braised red cabbage with apple, creamed cauliflower cheese with parmesan crumb, and lashings of house-made gravy. Every bite is a celebration of classic comfort and big-hearted British flavour. Adding to the mouthwatering spread of delicious food, there will also be an array of activities to keep the little ones entertained throughout the day. With a fun kids slide to help them release some energy, and vibrant face painting where they can transform into their favourite superheroes, animals, and more, there's plenty to spark young imaginations while the grown-ups unwind. Hearty, wholesome, and cooked with care, this is a roast that delivers in every sense, offering generous portions, balanced flavours, and an atmosphere that turns a simple meal into a Sunday ritual. For a slice of nostalgia and a satisfying end to your weekend, The Stables has your table ready. When: Every Sunday, from 12pm onwards Offer: Sunday Roast featuring your choice of main and all the classic sides Price: AED 69 per person *All prices are inclusive of 5% UAE VAT, 7% Municipality Fee, and 10% Service Charges *For bookings and more information, call +971 54 417 7028 or email [email protected]
Arabian Business
2 days ago
- Arabian Business
Labubu mania is proof that modern capitalism has officially lost its mind
By all accounts, the creature is hideous. With its bugged-out eyes, devilish grin, and posture that suggests it has just hatched a plan to haunt your sleep, Labubu is not what anyone would call conventionally cute. Yet here we are, grown adults living in a world where spending power is high and trends travel faster than traffic, hoarding these toys like they're bricks of gold. Labubu, a character from the Hong Kong-based Pop Mart universe, is the newest darling of the designer toy craze. Originally sold for under $20, some Labubus are now reselling for as much as $5,000 online, depending on rarity, edition, and box condition. A 4-foot mint-green model recently sold for $172,800 at auction in Beijing. If this is the new investment class, forgive me for being old-fashioned, but I miss the days when we bought stocks. Labubu phenomenon Price tag aside, what's baffling to me is the narrative surrounding them. Friends well into their 30s are swapping Labubu tips like they're talking property portfolios. Instagram is filled with videos of adults unboxing blind boxes with a trembling reverence usually reserved for engagement rings. In Dubai, it's not unusual to see young women proudly showcasing shelves of Labubus next to Diptyque candles and Loewe bags. It would be easy to dismiss this as nostalgia. After all, we've been here before. In the late 90s, Beanie Babies turned living rooms into speculative trading floors. A Princess Diana bear once sold for $500,000. Try selling one now and you'll be lucky to get $5. But at least with Beanie Babies, the market felt more innocent. The internet was still in its infancy, eBay was the Wild West, and speculation didn't masquerade as strategy. The Labubu phenomenon, on the other hand, is hyper-modern. A toy being pitched as an 'alternative asset.' The designer toy market grew 26 per cent over the past year, and prices for sought-after Labubus have surged over 741 per cent. Some platforms even suggest these toys belong in a 'diversified portfolio' alongside ETFs and crypto. Vertu, a luxury lifestyle publication, recently called Labubu 'perfect for collectors and smart investors'. Forbes dubbed it a 'cultural and commercial juggernaut.' The mechanics behind its success are artificial scarcity through blind boxes, limited drops, and celebrity endorsements from Rihanna and BLACKPINK's Lisa. Add to that social media virality amplified by TikTok haul culture. Labubu has even dipped into NFTs, bridging physical collectibles with Web3. It's a perfect storm of hype, novelty, and algorithmic obsession. Let's compare it with Furby — another strange, arguably creepy toy that once captured the imagination of millennials. While Furbies aren't clogging luxury apartment shelves anymore, rare models still fetch decent prices from collectors. The difference is that Furbies were at least animated. Labubu just… sits there. And unlike Pokémon cards or rare sneakers, it doesn't carry much cultural nostalgia or intergenerational storytelling. It's a blank slate whose value is dictated almost entirely by manufactured scarcity and the social validation loop. Here's the thing. If people genuinely start seeing this as a serious form of investment, I'm sorry, but this is hype. And if history serves as a guide, hype never lasts. The Beanie Baby bubble was fuelled by novelty, not fundamentals. Labubu is similar — except now it's being repackaged with glossy investor language and viral marketing. The veneer may be smarter, but the formula hasn't changed. Which brings me to the bigger issue. Why are we looking at novelties like Labubus when the region's capital markets are booming? In the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, retail investors are making steady returns from IPOs. Broker platforms have become more accessible, and financial education is increasingly within reach. Yet, some are still drawn to toys over traditional investing. This is a symptom of hyper-driven consumerism and the strange incentives of modern capitalism. It's not that I don't understand the appeal of collecting. I do. But there's a difference between curating a personal art collection and flipping a plastic troll for rent money. At what point does 'fun' cross into financial delusion? Are we really okay with normalising speculative trading of children's figurines while dismissing actual investment vehicles that could grow personal wealth over time? This is the paradox. We say we want stability, yet we're drawn to the chaos of hype. Labubu is the symptom of a broader cultural pattern: our obsession with identity-driven consumption. For many, buying one is less about joy and more about being seen. It's a symbol, a statement, a membership badge to an exclusive internet club. It's Instagrammable capital. But like all capital built on vibes, it's volatile. And maybe that's the biggest lesson from the Beanie Baby crash. Scarcity can be manufactured, demand can be inflated, and value is only real if it's sustained — if it outlasts the trend. The difference today is that social platforms can compress the entire cycle of mania and collapse into a few weeks. Beanie Babies took years to fade. Labubu could implode in an afternoon if TikTok decides it's cringe. Ultimately, we should be asking: who decides when these things are valuable? The market? Influencers? A marketing team in Shenzhen with a spreadsheet and an algorithm? You'll have to forgive my scepticism. I'm just not convinced. In an era where AI is transforming entire industries, where sovereign wealth funds are investing in real innovation, and where millennials and Gen Z finally have greater access than before to tools that can build generational wealth, it seems absurd that so many are betting big on something that looks like it crawled out of a fever dream. Cute or creepy, Labubu is less about joy and more about FOMO. And that's the kind of market trend history usually writes off with a smirk.
