Latest news with #Crybaby
ITV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
A sneak peak look at the top toys flying off the shelves!
They're the viral toys which have been pulled from shelves over safety concerns following reports of customers fighting over them at shopping centres. So, if you are one of the thousands of people waiting to get your hands on the coveted Labubu dolls, Steve Wilson is here to give us a sneak peak of the new toys that are sure to fly off the shelves next. Advertisement. We earn commission from some links on this page. When you click on a link, our affiliate partner sets cookies - you can opt out here. Our full disclosure notice is here. Labubu, From £31.50 Crybaby, From £13.50 Jelly Cat, From £25 Funko, From £13 Crystal Art Pins, From £7.99 Disney Lorcana, From £3 Star Wars Unlimited Booster Packs, £4.40 Mini Verse, From £9.99 Sylvanian Families, From £19.99 Mighty Jaxx, £14.99 Matchbox Toy Cars, From £7.99 YuMe, From £12.89 Freak Marbles, From £4 Disney Doorables, From £4.99 Squishmallows, From £3.99 Lego Formula One Cars, From £3.49 Noodoll, From £22.50 Terms and Conditions for more information.
Business Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Therapy in a box? ‘Kidults' turn to Labubu & Pop Mart for comfort
[SINGAPORE] If you thought Pop Mart's viral toy empire was powered solely by Gen Zs and TikTokers, think again. In Singapore, it's the 40-somethings – middle-aged professionals juggling careers, kids and caregiving – who are also driving the collectibles boom. Based on a recent poll by online marketplace Carousell, 42 per cent of users in its Hobbies and Toys category are aged 41 and above. Even more striking: 40 per cent of these older collectors report spending more than S$1,000 annually on collectibles, just behind the 26-30 age group at 56 per cent. Their favorite collectibles? Labubu, followed by Mofusand, Prismatic Evolutions, Crybaby, Pokemon, Lego and Jellycat. For these midlifers, collecting is more than a hobby – it's a much-needed coping mechanism. With names such as Happiness and Serenity, Labubu's latest plushies series is all about making people feel good. PHOTO: POP MART Just ask Valerie Koh, deputy director of Arts House Limited and mother of four, who owns more than a hundred Pop Mart toys. 'After a stressful day, you buy one and you feel better. It's that simple,' she says. She admits to buying at least one blind box a week, sometimes more, since her kids also enjoy the toys. Her current obsession? Crybaby, which she hangs on her designer bags. 'They're just cute little things that make me happy. They're little mood boosters for adults with disposable cash.' Pop Mart certainly knows this: Its latest Labubu plushies series has characters called Happiness, Serenity and Hope, while its latest Space Molly series is inspired by emojis. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Both men and women of a certain age are seeking solace in Labubu. PHOTO: AFP Emotional benefits galore Dr Hannah H Chang, associate professor of marketing at Singapore Management University, is not surprised by Carousell's findings. 'People in their 40s are among the most stressed,' she explains. 'They often have young kids and ageing parents. They're at the age where they have a lot of responsibilities at work – but at the same time, they also have a stable salary with which they can easily afford a toy that typically costs between S$15.90 and S$24.90.' These toys offer emotional benefits for the buyers – relief from daily burdens, as well as reminders of simpler times when they were kids and had less to worry about. 'So they buy these toys to find some semblance of control and joy in a small object – and that can be a surprisingly powerful emotion,' says Dr Chang. The phenomenon of 'kidults' has certainly been gaining ground. 'The pandemic was tough on everyone, but now there's the tariff wars that may likely impact economies and jobs. People in their 40s are among the most worried about the future right now – so it's no surprise they're turning to toys for escapism,' she adds. Mega Space Molly's latest Emoji series focuses on capturing people's moods. PHOTO: POP MART Pop Mart's financials reflect this trend. In 2024, the Chinese company's net income rose 188 per cent to 3.1 billion yuan (S$555 million), with full-year sales more than doubling to 13 billion yuan. Sales of The Monsters dolls, including Labubu, rose to three billion yuan in 2024 compared with 368 million yuan before. Crybaby, another fast-growing intellectual property product, had a more than 1,500 per cent increase in related revenue. Pop Mart's marketing genius Pyron Tan, another married 40-something, has been collecting Labubu long before the craze. He had early models, including the Labubu X Sml figurines, which he sold for five times their original price. 'I think I bought them for around S$40 and sold for about S$200 – though I recently saw a similar piece on Carousell with an asking price of S$1,699,' he says. An early collector of Labubus, 44-year-old Pyron Tan has been able to sell some discontinued figurines at four or five times the retail price. PHOTO: PYRON TAN But the creative professional insists he isn't in it for the money. 'I buy what I like. But if the price goes up, I might choose to let it go.' He then uses the profits to pay for his next toy. 'For me, buying toys helps me destress. It is self-care – part retail therapy, and part making up for the fact that I didn't have a lot of toys when I was growing up.' Like Tan, 76 per cent of Carousell respondents aged 41 and above in the survey have been collecting for more than five years – well before the global Labubu craze took off in 2024, sparked by a spontaneous endorsement from Thai pop star Lisa. Interestingly, 14 per cent of these midlifers started collecting only within the past year, suggesting that the Lisa effect has spread to a minority of 40-somethings who previously didn't even collect toys. Dr. Chang believes none of this is accidental. 'Pop Mart is very smart about identifying and responding to emerging demographics,' she says. 'They've ramped up production of their small plushies that double as fashion accessories – popular not just with teenagers but with adult women. They're cute, collectible and wearable, so you can feel you're part of a community when you carry it around.' Carousell's recent poll shows that people aged 41 to 50 are the biggest users of its Hobbies and Toys category. GRAPHIC: CAROUSELL At the same time, the brand caters to serious collectors with premium figurines that sometimes increase in value, while also reimagining the online shopping experience. Its digital feature, Pop Now, lets users shake their phones to partially reveal what's inside a blind box – bringing the tactile thrill of in-store shopping into the digital realm. 'I've never seen anyone replicate that experience so successfully,' says Dr Chang. Add free delivery for orders above just S$47.70 – eliminating the common gripe of shipping costs – and it's no surprise that sales have soared. 'They hold my feelings' Jasline Ng, another working mother in her 40s, doesn't just buy blind boxes – she sometimes purchases entire collections at one go. With more disposable income than younger collectors, she sources for rare models on Carousell and TikTok, gifts blind boxes to her friends and relatives, and dresses up her Labubus in pretty outfits. Midlifer Jasline Ng and her daughter bond over Labubu and Crybaby. PHOTO: JASLINE NG 'These toys make me feel young,' she says. 'They connect me with different age groups and conversations. Whenever I see someone else carrying a Labubu or Crybaby, I feel connected to them – like we're part of the same community.' Some have called her childish. But she doesn't care. 'My daughter loves the Crybaby cherry magnets. She says it represents the two of us sticking together... Overall, these toys give me emotional support. It's like Crybaby is holding my emotions for me. If I feel sad, it reminds me it's okay to cry.' For Ng, Koh and Tan, Pop Mart toys aren't just playthings – they're therapy sessions in a box.
Business Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Therapy in a box? ‘Kidults' turn to Pop Mart and Labubu for comfort
[SINGAPORE] If you thought Pop Mart's viral toy empire was powered solely by Gen Z and TikTokers, think again. In Singapore, it's the 40-somethings – middle-aged professionals juggling careers, kids and caregiving – who are also driving the collectibles boom. Based on a recent poll by online marketplace Carousell, 42 per cent of users in its Hobbies and Toys category are aged 41 and above. Even more striking: 40 per cent of these older collectors report spending more than S$1,000 annually on collectibles, just behind the 26-30 age group at 56 per cent. Their favorite collectibles? Labubu, followed by Mofusand, Prismatic Evolutions, Crybaby, Pokemon, Lego and Jellycat. For these midlifers, collecting is more than a hobby – it's a much-needed coping mechanism. With names such as Happiness and Serenity, Labubu's latest plushies series is all about making people feel good. PHOTO: POP MART Just ask Valerie Koh, deputy director of Arts House Limited and mother of four, who owns more than a hundred Pop Mart toys. 'After a stressful day, you buy one and you feel better. It's that simple,' she says. She admits to buying at least one blind box a week, sometimes more, since her kids also enjoy the toys. Her current obsession? Crybaby, which she hangs on her designer bags. 'They're just cute little things that make me happy. They're little mood boosters for adults with disposable cash.' Pop Mart certainly knows this: Its latest Labubu plushies series has characters called Happiness, Serenity and Hope, while its latest Space Molly series is inspired by emojis. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Both men and women of a certain age are seeking solace in Labubus. PHOTO: AFP Emotional benefits galore Dr Hannah H Chang, associate professor of marketing at Singapore Management University, is not surprised by Carousell's findings. 'People in their 40s are among the most stressed,' she explains. 'They often have young kids and ageing parents. They're at the age where they have a lot of responsibilities at work – but at the same time, they also have a stable salary with which they can easily afford a toy that typically costs between S$15.90 and S$24.90.' These toys offer emotional benefits for the buyers – relief from daily burdens, as well as reminders of simpler times when they were kids and had less to worry about. 'So they buy these toys to find some semblance of control and joy in a small object – and that can be a surprisingly powerful emotion,' says Dr Chang. The phenomenon of 'kidults' has certainly been gaining ground. 'The pandemic was tough on everyone, but now there's the tariff wars that may likely impact economies and jobs. People in their 40s are among the most worried about the future right now – so it's no surprise they're turning to toys for escapism,' she adds. Mega Space Molly's latest Emoji series focuses on capturing people's moods. PHOTO: POP MART Pop Mart's financials reflect this trend. In 2024, the Chinese company's net income rose 188 per cent to 3.1 billion yuan (S$555 million), with full-year sales more than doubling to 13 billion yuan. Sales of The Monsters dolls, including Labubu, rose to three billion yuan in 2024 compared with 368 million yuan before. Crybaby, another fast-growing intellectual property product, had a more than 1,500 per cent increase in related revenue. Pop Mart's marketing genius Pyron Tan, another married 40-something, has been collecting Labubu long before the craze. He had early models, including the Labubu X Sml figurines, which he sold for five times their original price. 'I think I bought them for around S$40 and sold for about S$200 – though I recently saw a similar piece on Carousell with an asking price of S$1,699,' he says. An early collector of Labubus, 44-year-old Pyron Tan has been able to sell some discontinued figurines at four or five times the retail price. PHOTO: PYRON TAN But the creative professional insists he isn't in it for the money. 'I buy what I like. But if the price goes up, I might choose to let it go.' He then uses the profits to pay for his next toy. 'For me, buying toys helps me destress. It is self-care – part retail therapy, and part making up for the fact that I didn't have a lot of toys when I was growing up.' Like Tan, 76 per cent of Carousell respondents aged 41 and above in the survey have been collecting for more than five years – well before the global Labubu craze took off in 2024, sparked by a spontaneous endorsement from Thai pop star Lisa. Interestingly, 14 per cent of these midlifers started collecting only within the past year, suggesting that the Lisa effect has spread to a minority of 40-somethings who previously didn't even collect toys. Dr. Chang believes none of this is accidental. 'Pop Mart is very smart about identifying and responding to emerging demographics,' she says. 'They've ramped up production of their small plushies that double as fashion accessories – popular not just with teenagers but with adult women. They're cute, collectible and wearable, so you can feel you're part of a community when you carry it around.' Carousell's recent poll shows that people aged 41 to 50 are the biggest users of its Hobbies and Toys category. GRAPHIC: CAROUSELL At the same time, the brand caters to serious collectors with premium figurines that sometimes increase in value, while also reimagining the online shopping experience. Its digital feature, Pop Now, lets users shake their phones to partially reveal what's inside a blind box – bringing the tactile thrill of in-store shopping into the digital realm. 'I've never seen anyone replicate that experience so successfully,' says Dr Chang. Add free delivery for orders above just S$47.70 – eliminating the common gripe of shipping costs – and it's no surprise that sales have soared. 'They hold my feelings' Jasline Ng, another working mother in her 40s, doesn't just buy blind boxes – she sometimes purchases entire collections at one go. With more disposable income than younger collectors, she sources for rare models on Carousell and TikTok, gifts blind boxes to her friends and relatives, and dresses up her Labubus in pretty outfits. Midlifer Jasline Ng and her daughter bond over Labubu and Crybaby. PHOTO: JASLINE NG 'These toys make me feel young,' she says. 'They connect me with different age groups and conversations. Whenever I see someone else carrying a Labubu or Crybaby, I feel connected to them – like we're part of the same community.' Some have called her childish. But she doesn't care. 'My daughter loves the Crybaby cherry magnets. She says it represents the two of us sticking together... Overall, these toys give me emotional support. It's like Crybaby is holding my emotions for me. If I feel sad, it reminds me it's okay to cry.' For Ng, Koh and Tan, Pop Mart toys aren't just playthings – they're therapy sessions in a box.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Labubu alternatives you should know about before they sell out too
Feeling left out from the most viral trend of the year being completely sold out? Here are five Labubu alternatives for the 2025 bag charm trend - and yes, they are still available Whether you're a fan or not, Labubus cannot be missed. Seemingly everywhere, 2025's biggest trend repeatedly sold out from not only Pop Mart, but other retailers too. The unexpected hype for the eerie looking plush toys has reached astronomical heights, where fans can now even rent the attachable teddies. The waiting list for these love-or-hate soft toys is supposedly a mile long so, if you're dying to participate in cute, bag charm fashion then here are five alternatives that are just as - if not more - adorable! Jellycats An enormous trend in its own right, its undeniable that Jellycats were the leading product that first began the soft toy phenomenon with young adults - and they're much easier to purchase. Launched in London, in 1999, the super soft teddies range from sweet animals like bunnies, sausage dogs and foxes, to fun sized food such as vegetables, cakes and croissants. With simple, stitched, smiley faces, the range now also includes sports-related items that feature mini caps, limbs and the attachable keyrings of course. Crybaby Reportedly a close second to Labubus is Pop Mart's other hit: the Crybaby. These sad-doll alternatives are the 'thought-daughter' pick, perfect for fans of the infamous Coraline. And for those indecisive few that struggle to choose a favourite, look no further as they can only be bought as a 'lucky dip', arriving in a blind box, which is part of the fun. The sweet but sad dolls are in immediate need of a cheer up, almost nostalgic of the 2010's Tamagotchi that required constant, attentive love. Noodall Founded in London by art student Yiyang Wang, Noodall was born from Taiwanese noodles and rice being shaped into lovable little creatures, with their keyrings including mushrooms, dumplings and dinosaurs. The British-made brand is a coveted gift with 'Gen Z-ers', where the experience of taking a personality test to create your own personalised plushie based on your habits is a sure hit. Sylvanian Families Let's not forget this classic! If you grew up in 2000's, you're sure to remember these miniature figures from their addictive adverts on our British screens. Sylvanian Families are a great alternative for new fans and collectors. If these collectables ruled your childhood bedroom then you'll be excited to know the company now offer key chain versions, ready to act as nostalgic but chic bag charms attached, completely mobile without the usual house. SkullPanda Lastly, this edgy, rosy-cheeked doll is the perfect friend for your Crybaby. Fans have shared their love for the SkullPanda 's gothic charm. With a variety of differing looks, these unusual dolls are beautifully unique and feminine, sporting a range of hair styles, make-up and outfits. Like Crybaby's, the Pop Mart product also come in a blind box, so its a luck of the draw. Currently out of stock online, these popular 'attachables' are guaranteed a re-stock.
Hype Malaysia
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
(Photos) Blind Box Heaven: Pop Mart Unveils Its Largest Malaysian Store At The Exchange TRX
Blindbox and Labubu lovers unite! Pop Mart has officially launched its largest store in Malaysia at The Exchange TRX, and if you haven't paid a visit yet, consider this your sign. Opened just over a week ago, the store has already become the ultimate destination for collectors, casual fans, and anyone hooked on the thrill of blind box surprises. Pop Mart is already a well-loved name in Malaysia, with outlets in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, IOI City Mall Putrajaya, Sunway Velocity Mall, Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Sunway Pyramid, and 1 Utama Shopping Centre. But with demand for its products continuing to grow, the brand has taken things to the next level. Pop Mart's latest outlet – its seventh and largest in Malaysia – is located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur at The Exchange TRX, spanning a massive 2,876 square feet. On Saturday, 19th April 2025, Pop Mart fans queued early in hopes of snagging exclusive drops and limited-edition collectables at the newly launched store. Whether you're a Labubu collector, a devoted DIMOO enthusiast, or have a soft spot for Crybaby and SKULLPANDA, this store has it all. As a premium-tier outlet, the store features vibrant gradient LED lighting that enhances the collectable shopping experience. The store is thoughtfully designed with dedicated sections, including the MEGA COLLECTION, POP BEAN area, Blind Boxes, and Merchandise, offering a diverse and exciting selection for all collectors. Founded in 2010 in China, Pop Mart has grown into a global powerhouse in the designer toy and collectables industry. One of Pop Mart's biggest attractions is its blind box collectables, where customers purchase a sealed box containing a mystery figure from a series, adding an element of surprise and exclusivity to every purchase. Over the years, it has built a dedicated following of collectors and fans from all walks of life. Some of the highlights available in-store include: MEGA SPACE MOLLY 400% Optimus Prime MEGA SPACE MOLLY 1000% & 400% Stitch THE MONSTERS × One Piece Series Figures DIMOO WORLD × DISNEY Series Figures THE MONSTERS Let's Checkmate Series Vinyl Plush Doll THE MONSTERS ‒ FLIP WITH ME Vinyl Plush Doll Exclusive first-come, first-served promotions (while stocks last): MOLLY MOZERO ‒ Only 100 units available worldwide, with only 30 pieces available at The Exchange TRX! Lucky Bag Offer ‒ Get 3 random blind boxes + 1 random figurine for only RM150! (Limited availability) Gift with Purchase ‒ Spend a qualifying amount to receive a FREE ZSIGA Luggage Tag or The Monsters Almost Hidden Inflatable Sofa! Whether you're a seasoned collector or just discovering the thrill of blind boxes, Pop Mart TRX promises a little surprise and a lot of joy in every visit. You can find the store at Lot C.78, Level Concourse, The Exchange TRX, Persiaran TRX, Imbi, 55188 Kuala Lumpur. Are you keen to visit the store? Sources: Facebook, The Malaysian Reserve Nakhla Sabrina contributed to this article
