Latest news with #YongleInternationalAuction
Daily Tribune
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Labubu toy sculpture sold for $150,000 at China auction
A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch. The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart. They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power. On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan ($150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app. The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction. It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan. Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 US branches. The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu. Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus. In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne. Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported. In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers -- an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports. The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customise their dolls.
Metro
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Huge 4ft Labubu doll sells at auction for £100,000
The popularity of Labubu dolls has reached new heights as a human-sized doll sold for more than £110,000. The dolls were created 10 years ago by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, but they've recently exploded in popularity. That's thanks in part to celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, K-pop star Lisa and even David Beckham posing for pictures and endorsing the toys. An auction at Yongle International Auction in Beijing this week was dedicated solely to Labubu, with 48 items put on sale. One of the lots was a 4ft 4in (131cm) Labubu doll, which sold for a record 1.08million yuan (£110,435), the auction house said. In total the auction house raised about 3.37million yuan (£345,000) from the weekly sale. Usually the dolls, sold by Chinese company Pop Mart, cost around 50yuan. But global demand for the toys has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with crowds forming outside shops and even physically fighting over the items. Pop Mart even had to pause Labubu sales in its 16 UK stores 'to prevent any potential safety issues' due to the overwhelming demand. More Trending This explosion in popularity has driven major success for Pop Mart, which made 13million yuan in 2024, more than double its revenue for the previous year. The brand opened shops in five new countries including Italy and Spain. Part of Labubu's success comes from selling the toys in 'blind boxes' – where shoppers only discover the design of the doll after buying the box and opening the packaging. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: We travelled 14,000km on Race Across the World — this is the one place everyone should visit MORE: Killer Asian needle ants are invading the US MORE: The dystopian megacity bigger than Scotland where 2,600,000 cameras are always watching
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Human-sized Labubu doll sells for more than $150,000
A human-sized Labubu doll was sold this week for a record 1.08m yuan ($150,324; £110,465), according to a Chinese auction house. The 131cm (4ft 4in) figurine was sold at the Yongle International Auction in Beijing. The auctioneer said it is now the most expensive toy of its kind in the world. Labubu dolls are quirky monster characters created a decade ago by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, which have increased in popularity in recent years after a number of celebrity endorsements. Labubu dolls, sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, usually cost around 50 yuan. This week's auction was dedicated entirely to Labubu. Forty eight items were put on sale with around 200 people in attendance. The auction house said it raised a total of 3.37m yuan. The figurines have sparked a global buying frenzy after frequently appearing in social media posts by Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink. The soft toys became a viral TikTok trend after being worn by other celebrities like Rihanna and Dua Lipa. Former England football captain David Beckham also posted a photo on Instagram of a Labubu attached to his bag. Earlier this year, Pop Mart pulled the dolls from all UK stores following reports of customers fighting over them. The Chinese retailer often sells the collectable toys in mystery "blind boxes". These items are popular with customers who only find out the design of the figurine once they have opened the packaging.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Labubu toy sculpture sold for $150,000 at China auction
Labubus have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch. The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart. They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power. On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan ($150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app. The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction. It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan. Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 U.S. branches. The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu. Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus. In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne. Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported. In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers -- an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports. The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customise their dolls. Knockoffs -- many of which are also made in China -- have flooded online platforms, dubbed "Lafufus" by social media users. © 2025 AFP
New Straits Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Labubu toy sculpture sold for US$150,000 at China auction
SHANGHAI: A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than US$150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch. The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart. They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power. On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan (US$150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app. The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction. It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan. Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 US branches. The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu. Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus. In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne. Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported. In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers – an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports. The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customise their dolls. Knockoffs – many of which are also made in China – have flooded online platforms, dubbed "Lafufus" by social media users.
