Who can forget the Chatty Cathy Doll, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Beanie Babies? Over the years, dolls and plush toys have become the fodder of obsession, with people paying excessive amounts of money and sometimes even fighting to get their hands on one. Now, there are Labubus — mischievous looking plush dolls that are part of a series called The Monsters, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. Labubus are a full-on brand, with different colors, facial expessions and sometimes clothing. The most popular type of Labubu is the pendant, which is often hooked onto people’s bags. These are typically sold in "blind boxes" - meaning you pay for a Labubu, but you don't know what type you've got until you open the packaging after the purchase. There are all sorts of products for sale, including plush dolls, hard figurines, Labubu-themed bags, cups and laptop cases. Despite being around since 2019, the Labubu doll craze really took off last year, largely thanks to K-Pop group Blackpink's Lisa, who started hooking them to her bags and posting photos of their boxes in April 2024. Other celebrity endorsements helped turn the Labubu into a fashion statement, with British singer Dua Lipa clipping them to her bags and Rihanna doing the same. Labubus have become so popular in the UK that Pop Mart, the manufacturing company, was forced to take them off the shelves entirely, saying it was to "ensure the safety and comfort of everyone," following reports of customers lining up overnight for them and ultimately fighting to get their hands on one. The craze has reached real extremes in the U.S., where police in California recovered 14 boxes of Labubus worth $30,000 after they were stolen in a series of trips spanning multiple days, and arrested two minors suspected of planning to resell them. Pop Mart currently sells Labubus for $25 each, with the most expensive one being an angel-themed doll listed for nearly $300.
