After Global Artist and member of the widely known Kpop Group Blackpink, Lisa, made known her interest in the Labubu franchise, no matter where you look or scroll ā from tote bags to belt loops ā these fuzzy little creatures with their soft exteriors and toothy grins are everywhere. Labubus have taken the globe by storm. And like a lot of people on who are chronically online, I was completely entranced by these wide-eyed critters.
Image Credit:
Let us slide into your dms š„°
Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won’t spam you)
Why I Initially Bought Them
Like so many others, I caved. What followed was a two-month-long hunt just to secure one of them. I quickly learned that finding one was nearly impossible. I didnāt have fancy bots, and as a high school student-athlete with a job, I didnāt have the time to sit on TikTok Live or monitor the Pop Mart countdown just to get a single figurine. And when I did try, it was snatched from my cart in seconds and after doing a deep dive and stumbling upon the Labubu Reddit thread, I learned that Popmart isn’t focused on prioritizing their customers rather than catering to their resellers ā the people snapping up the toys in bulk and flipping them for outrageous prices.
Eventually, I accepted that the only way I was ever going to get my hands on one of these funny looking things was through a reseller. And that on its own came with risks: I could get scammed with a Labubu that had lopsided eyes and missing teethā¦ or maybe, if I got lucky, Iād actually receive what I paid for.
Image Credit: Dushwan Jovic
Here’s Why They’re Not Worth the Hassle
Three days later, a sketchy-looking plastic bag arrived on my porch ā and inside it, my Labubus. At first, I was excited hoping iād get some luck from the Popmart gods and scored an authentic Lychee Berry and Sea Salt Coconut Labubu. But quickly after evaluating their value I realized these things were actually pretty useless and totally not worth the money.
Donāt get me wrong ā they are adorable little collectibles. But for 80 dollars, I couldnāt understand how anyone would event want to spend that much or even more on two relatively small plastic toys. Is it about the experience? Sure ā opening one and guessing which character youāll get is totally exciting. But deep down, were these just another product of overconsumption? Something I thought I wanted ā or maybe just something everyone else had? Quickly I realized I was more into the hype surrounding Labubus than the actual toy. Online, they seem like the must-have trending fashion item for this short period of time. In real life? Theyāre really just overpriced trinkets.
Should You Buy One? Maybe
Would I buy another one? Never. For that same price, I couldāve bought 16 Miraculous Ladybug Kwami blind boxes ā or a brand-new pair of batting gloves, something Iād use almost every day. Either of those wouldāve made me a lot happier and would actually have had some actual use to me. So hereās my advice, if youāre thinking about buying a Labubu because itās trending. Ask yourself ā do you actually like it, or are you just chasing an aesthetic? Instead, get something you know youāll enjoy ā anything thatāll bring you more lasting joy than this expensive little gremlin thatās going to end up collecting dust on your shelf.
Because me? I bought a Labubu ā and it was sooo not worth it.