Masked thieves stole approximately $7,000 worth of popular Labubu collectible dolls Wednesday morning from a toy store in La Puente, California, according to the Associated Press.
Newsweek has reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department via email on Saturday for comment.
What Are Labubu Dolls?
Labubu dolls are fluffy, gremlin-style toys and bag charms that are equal parts cute and creepy. The toys come in an array of different colors and feature big, pointed bunny rabbit ears, wide eyes and a wide spiky-toothed grin. Part of a wider series of creatures dubbed “The Monsters,” inspired by mythology, Labubus are designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung.
Part of the appeal is that Labubus are sold as “blind box” collectibles, which means you don’t know which one you have until you’ve opened the box. This makes it harder to collect a full set and adds to the appeal of unboxing videos.
The exclusive dolls play into one of the most dominant fashion trends of the past few seasons: the bag charm. According to fashion data website Lyst, in 2024, demand for bag charms and bags with embellishments rose by 352 percent month-on-month and they were a prominent feature on the FW25 runways, appearing in 33 percent of Louis Vuitton menswear looks, as per Databutmakeitfashion.com.
In the past year, the Chinese toymaker’s annual revenues grew in Southeast Asia by 619 percent to $309 million dollars, as per CNN. Shares in Pop Mart have risen more than 95 percent this year, after a 370 percent surge in 2024, according to the South China Morning Post.
FeatureChina via AP Images
What To Know
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma in the heist, which was recovered shortly after the incident.
One Stop Sales, located about 18 miles east of Los Angeles, was completely ransacked during the break-in, according to the owners and authorities.
Security footage shows multiple suspects wearing hoodies and face coverings methodically clearing shelves and carrying boxes of merchandise out of the toy store.
Joanna Avendano, co-owner of One Stop Sales, told local station ABC7 that she had noticed a suspicious truck parked near her store before closing Tuesday night. She added that she believes the burglars had been watching the shop’s social media account where Avendano had recently posted a video announcing a new restock of Labubus.
What People Are Saying
One Stop Sales released a statement on their Instagram: “We are still in shock. They took all of our inventory [and] trashed our store. We are asking for everyone’s help in finding these people.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told NBC News: “Several boxes of Labubu dolls were stolen, valued at approximately seven thousand dollars.”
Co-owner of One Stop Sales Joanna Avendano told ABC7: “There was a lot taken, maybe like around $30,000 or more of inventory. We worked so hard to get to this point, and for them to just come in and, like nothing, take it all away, it’s really bad.”
She continued: “I was watching everything, from when they got in, what they were taking. I was panicking because I was just…I couldn’t do anything.”
What Happens Next
The sheriff’s department continues investigating the case, though no arrests have been announced. The store is appealing to the community through social media to help identify the suspects captured in surveillance footage.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.