A collector who has spent more than £1,000 on viral Labubu dolls says the resale market is a ‘battlefield’
A collector of Labubu dolls has described the re-sale market as a ‘battlefield’ after Popmart announced it would be pulling the vital toys from shelves.
The manufacturer of the furry bag charms said on May 19 it would be pausing in-store sales of Labubu dolls from its 16 UK stores until June over safety concerns.
The toy makers wanted to “ensure the safety and comfort of everyone” following reports of customers fighting over them and queuing overnight outside shops.
Popmart wrote: “Important Notice: All Popmart UK Stores and Robo Shops will pause the sale of the monsters plush toys until further notice.”
The caption reads: “Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we’ve seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days – with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops.
“To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice.”
The gremlin-like dolls on keychains have taken the internet by storm after K-Pop star Lisa from girl group Blackpink shared a photo on social media of her with one in 2024.
They soon became the hottest must-have accessory, with the Tiktok hashtag for Labubus amassing 1.2 million videos so far. Celebrities like Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and Central Cee have all been seen sporting their collectable keyrings.
Part of the appeal is due to Popmart’s decision to sell the toys in blind boxes, which contain a random plushy chosen from the series. Customers therefore do not know which toy they will receive until they open the box.
A UK-based collector has been scouring re-sale sites to secure one of the collectable characters, but has described the market as a ‘battlefield’ after UK sales were paused.
Ashley Bushey, 32, said she spent more than £1,000 on 13 Labubu toys, as well as countless hours scrolling on TikTok Shop, Vinted and Facebook re-sale groups to grow her collection.
The Northamptonshire-based coffee shop supervisor said she tunes in to Popmart’s TikTok livestreams where fans are able to purchase the dolls.
She told PA: “It’s a battlefield. [Pop Mart[ are live every day from 2pm to 7pm and I sneak out at work, like I’m always trying to score one on the [livestream].”
Ashley said she spends “more time than I care to admit” finding Labubus. “Especially now, because they’re so hard to get” after Pop Mart’s decision to pause UK sales, she added.
She said: “I’m not even a big collector in the scheme of things. If you go into Facebook groups, I mean, some of them are insane.”
Ashley, who also collects 90s and early 2000s toys, started buying Labubus in December, describing them as “so ugly that they were cute”.
The toy collector said she found a rare toy named Zimomo which she bought for £200, but added she has seen some limited edition Labubus listed at £600 on resale sites like Vinted and eBay.
Regular Labubus retail at £17.50, but are often bought by re-sellers who list them for up to £30.
Popmart said it is reviewing the way its toys are distributed to help create a fair and safe environment for its customers.
It said on Instagram on Friday (May 23): “Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen overwhelming enthusiasm from fans, with long queues forming outside stores – in some cases, even the night before.
“While this speaks to the love and excitement surrounding Labubu and The Monsters, it’s important for us to ensure a safe, fair and comfortable shopping experience for everyone – both our customers and our store teams.
“We’re currently working on a new approach for the distribution that will allow everyone a fairer chance to purchase.”