
The frenzied, gamified chase for Labubus
Something that's lost in the Labubu mania is that actually buying one from the source is, in one word, maddening. There are, of course, countless fake options ('Lafufus') that some collectors have come to embrace. But if you want a guaranteed real one, you have to go to the source. Pop Mart, the Chinese toy company that sells Labubu products, has created a series of Sisyphean tasks to subject shoppers to, a humiliation ritual with the chance of getting a little figurine at the end. Unlike many other rare, trendy, or collectible items, the barrier to entry for Labubus is not the cost of the item ($27.99) — it's everything you need to learn how to do before you buy them.
I spent about a day researching how to actually purchase a legit Labubu from Pop Mart. It's not a straightforward shopping experience of simply clicking 'check out' faster than everyone else. Pop Mart has created a digital frenzy that somewhat resembles what shopping in-person on Black Friday is like: interactive illustrations show display cases stocked with up to six boxes of Labubus. Seconds after they hit the site, all of the boxes are grayed out, meaning someone has at least temporarily claimed them. If you haven't secured a Labubu, you must scroll through a seemingly endless list of display cases, looking for the rare box up for grabs; more often, though, you must tap constantly, looking for a gray box with a timer that is about to expire, at which point it will be released and available again. You have to play what is essentially a mobile game to even get a chance to buy a Labubu.
The complexity and finickiness of the Pop Mart app mean that there is no shortage of content with tips, hints, and hacks for securing a Labubu. Some influencers have racked up millions of views almost exclusively making videos about how to score popular Pop Mart products. Some of the tips I studied ended up helping me: when I tapped too many times and was blocked by the app, turning Wi-Fi on and off did indeed fix the problem. But other suggestions from collectors were impossible to follow. Some fans swear by camping out on Pop Mart's hourslong TikTok live streams, waiting for the host to randomly list Labubus for sale on the platform's shopping page; the auctioneer-style monologues were simply too much for me to listen to.
After about 30 minutes of uninterrupted two-handed tapping, close encounters, and error messages, I finally spammed a gray box right at the moment it was released. The mystery Labubu was mine. I 'shook' the virtual box, which gave me a hint as to what color character was inside: it was not orange or green (I didn't have a color preference, but other shoppers might at this point abandon a box that Pop Mart says does not contain their color of choice). After checkout, I opted to reveal which Labubu I had purchased — it was the blue one, named 'Hope.'
It's not entirely surprising that Labubus have taken off like this: the more you are forced to look at them, the cuter they become (maybe). They're not the first so-called blind box toy to gain a cult following, and there's a somewhat dark comparison to be made between Labubus and gambling — for serious collectors, the thrill is in the reveal, the chance that you hit the rare color that Pop Mart says is in one out of 72 boxes. It's addictive, plain and simple.
But the longer I spent on Labubu forums or on the Pop Mart site, the more I understood that the toy at the end is almost beside the point: legit Labubus represent the time and effort that came before the unboxing, along with the pure luck of what's inside. A friend who has scored dozens of Labubus for their network told me flipping the dolls isn't even worth it unless it's an unopened box or a rare color — the margins are too low to make real money. The pervasiveness of Lafufus no doubt helps to push prices down. The real value of Labubus is in the ridiculous hoops you have to jump through to get a shot at something collectible.
According to Google Trends, search volume for 'Labubu' is as high as it's been. The TikTok livestreams will drone on, the bots will be deployed nightly, and the viral unboxings will pull in views. The hype will die down only when it's no longer torture to buy one, when the little guys (who are actually canonically girls) are just a toy, not a stand-in for your effort. When that will happen is anyone's guess; my Labubu is scheduled to ship out in September.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Travis Kelce Debuts New Bangs at Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp
Originally appeared on E! Online Travis Kelce is kicking off the 2025 football season with a bang. The three-time Super Bowl champion arrived at training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the upcoming NFL season sporting a shaggy hairstyle with side-swept bangs, a new look for the tight end. The team posted a photo July 22 of Travis wearing his jersey and smiling as his waves blew in the wind, complementing his facial hair. The team captioned the X post, "Training Camp Trav," with a bow and arrow emoji, alluding to the 35-year-old's signature touchdown celebration move. The New Heights podcast host has frequently changed up his hairdo, switching from a buzz cut to a '90s style with extra space long hair on top and buzzed sides and, recently, a slicked-back look. His hair has even been such a popular point of conversation that his hairstylist, Vince Garcia, has spoken out about their "really great relationship.' 'Throughout the years, he'll come to my barbershop [or] he'll come to my house and get cut,' he told Us Weekly in an interview published April 30. 'He keeps me around to get him ready for an appearance or a TV show. Over the years of doing that consistently with him, it's just like any relationship. The more you see each other, the more you grow personally.' More from E! Online Sharon Osbourne Reacts to Ozzy Osbourne Tribute After His Death Chad Michael Murray's Kids Make Red Carpet Debut in Rare Family Photo With Wife Sarah Roemer Erik Menendez Diagnosed With "Serious Medical Condition" Back in March, Vince even shared a behind-the-scenes look at one of their sessions. "Always good catching up with my brother @killatrav," he wrote on Instagram alongside a video of Travis getting his fresh cut. "Glad you running it back next season fam, you def one of the best TE to ever play the game." Training Camp Trav 🏹 Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 22, 2025 Travis' teammate Patrick Mahomes has also discussed his hair, crediting the Happy Gilmore 2 actor's girlfriend Taylor Swift as the inspiration behind Travis' luscious locks. 'I've been trying to get him to grow his hair out," he shared with SiriusXM NFL Radio last August, "and all of a sudden Taylor gets him to do it.' For more iconic celeb hair transformations, read on. Chris PrattFinn WolfhardSebastian StanJoJo SiwaEmily RatajkowskiGypsy Rose BlanchardWhitney RoseHailey BieberLily CollinsKatie HolmesKylie JennerLisa RinnaPriyanka ChopraJessica BielMegan FoxDannielynn BirkheadDemi LovatoKelly OsbourneKim KardashianRihannaDelilah Belle HamlinMegan FoxZendayaElle Fanning For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Fate of Wednesday Revealed After Season 2
Originally appeared on E! Online Wednesday will dance, dance, dance another day. The Netflix series, which stars as Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family, has been renewed for a third season ahead of its season two premiere, the streaming service confirmed July 23. 'It's been a dark delight to watch Wednesday cast her spell over audiences across the globe—one deadpan quip at a time,' the show's creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said in a press release. 'We're beyond thrilled she'll be returning to stalk the halls of Nevermore in season three. This time, she'll unearth more of the school's sinister secrets—and descend even deeper into the Addams family crypt. Or, as Wednesday would say: 'Nothing brings a family together like a good exhumation.'' Part one of Wednesday season two will drop on August 6, with part two set to drop a few weeks later on September 3. The news comes as the series' director Tim Burton evaded a question about how many seasons he'd "ideally" want the show, which also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwendoline Christie and Luis Guzmán, to last. "I don't think that way," he told The Hollywood Reporter in a joint interview with Jenna published July 23. "You're talking to two of the worst people to ask that question." Regardless of how long the series ends up lasting, there are ideas percolating about a potential Wednesday spinoff. "It's something we're definitely noodling," Alfred told THR. "There are other characters we can look at." More from E! Online Sharon Osbourne Reacts to Ozzy Osbourne Tribute After His Death Chad Michael Murray's Kids Make Red Carpet Debut in Rare Family Photo With Wife Sarah Roemer Why Amy Duggar King Felt Like Her Cousins Wearing Pants Was a "Slap in the Face" "I don't think that way," he told The Hollywood Reporter in a joint interview with Jenna published July 23. "You're talking to two of the worst people to ask that question." Regardless of how long the series ends up lasting, there are ideas percolating about a potential Wednesday spinoff. "It's something we're definitely noodling," Alfred told THR. "There are other characters we can look at." "Everything is very graphic,' she told E! News in March, adding, 'It's very exciting and inspiring to work with someone like that who gets you excited about the shots that you're doing every day." Which is saying something, considering that the 22-year-old admitted that shooting the show "isn't always easy." "Everything is very graphic,' she told E! News in March, adding, 'It's very exciting and inspiring to work with someone like that who gets you excited about the shots that you're doing every day." Which is saying something, considering that the 22-year-old admitted that shooting the show "isn't always easy." 'Sometimes it's a crawl to the finish line,' Jenna explained, "but he always keeps it exciting and it's hard to get tired of a character like Wednesday." Keep reading for the fate of more fan-favorite TV shows... Renewed: Top ChefRenewed: WednesdayCanceled: The Late Show With Stephen ColbertRenewed: King of Collectibles: The Goldin TouchRenewed: The Ultimatum: Marry or Move onRenewed: MurderbotRenewed: The Flip OffCanceled: The Flipping El MoussasCanceled: Christina on the CoastEnding: UploadRenewed: Squid Game: The ChallengeEnding: Queer EyeRenewed: Slow HorsesRenewed: The BearRenewed: The BachelorCanceled: Doctor OdysseyRenewed: Outlande: Blood of My BloodRenewed: MoblandRenewed: ReacherRenewed: My Guest Needs No Introduction With David LettermanRenewed: Watch What Happens LiveRenewed: Maxton Hall - The World Between UsRenewed: Love Island USARenewed: The Great American Baking ShowSolve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman offers pregnant sister hundreds of dollars to not use dream baby name
Sometimes, sisters don't want to share everything — especially baby names. In a recent post shared to the popular 'Am I The Asshole?' Reddit forum, a 30-year-old woman questioned if she was in the wrong for asking her sibling, who's about to have a baby, not to use her 'dream baby name.' The woman's sister, 27, is eight months pregnant with a baby girl. The Reddit user explained that while it's her dream to have children, she's not sure if she can carry them due to fertility issues. She was recently talking about baby names with her sister, who 'proudly said they chose' the name Isla for her baby girl because it's 'unique and special.' However, the 30-year-old said that she'd always wanted to name her child Isla, which her sister knew. 'I have been saying this since I was a teenager. Everyone in our family knows this,' she explained. 'So when she told me her name choice, I told her that she cannot use it because it has been my dream name forever. I explained that if she uses it, she will ruin my future experience if I ever get pregnant.' While the pregnant woman laughed at this conversation, she later realized her sister was being serious. The soon-to-be mother then told her older sibling: 'You might never have kids. I am literally about to give birth,' which the Reddit user thought was a 'cruel' comment. The 30-year-old also told her sibling that if she cared about her, she'd pick a different name. But the mother-to-be is firm on naming her child Isla, which has caused a divide between the family. However, the older sibling still wanted the name for her baby one day, so she offered to pay her sister a hefty sum to pick a different moniker. 'My parents think she should keep her name because she is the one having the baby, but some cousins agree with me that it is messed up for her to take the name she knows I have wanted for years,' the post continued. 'I even offered to pay her $500 to pick something else. She said I am being controlling and weird. She posted about it on Facebook, and now I am getting hate from strangers calling me unhinged.' In an update to her post, after receiving a lot of criticism in the comments, the Reddit user doubled down on wanting to keep the baby name for her future child. 'People saying 'you don't own a name' — technically true, but morally, I think family should respect each other's wishes. Second, things have escalated,' she wrote. 'My sister posted screenshots of our private messages on Facebook, calling me 'toxic' and 'controlling,' and now half the family is gossiping.' She said that if her sibling uses the baby name, she wouldn't be there when the soon-to-be-parent has a baby shower or even gives birth. The woman's sister 'laughed in [her] face' about this remark. However, the Reddit user said that she'll still name her daughter Isla, even if her sister uses that name for her soon-to-be-born baby. While the pregnant woman called this 'psychotic,' her older sister 'said it's called consistency.' The 30-year-old added that she's taking the next steps to have a child, explaining she's booked her first IVF consultation. She also noted that her fiancé agrees with her in this situation with her family, and he's even urging her to announce the baby name now on Instagram as one 'reserved for [their] daughter.' Many Reddit users in the comments encouraged the woman to let her pregnant sister use the name Isla for her baby. 'When you get pregnant, find a new, wonderful name you can use. Would I do what your sister did? No. It's hurtful. But you're making yourself look bad by throwing a fit about this,' a stranger wrote. 'Let it go and focus on your own life. When you eventually get pregnant, you'll have a wonderful experience regardless.' 'What your sister said was thoughtless and unkind, but you can't put 'dibs' on a name. Plus, there's nothing to stop you from calling your daughter Isla as well, or maybe changing it to something similar, e.g. Isla-Marie,' another wrote. 'I also think it's poor form that your sister has put it on Facebook. It is something that should be dealt with privately.' Solve the daily Crossword