Pop Mart’s new palm-sized Labubu dolls sparked a buying rush in Beijing, with the $11 toys selling out online shortly after their release.
Collector Maki Li, who managed to get a full set, said: “I’m super happy right now. I’ll hang them in every possible place I can.”
Another buyer, Li Jianuo, spent over 1,000 yuan on the toys for her children, describing them as keepsakes rather than resale items: “I wanted to fulfil my children’s wishes. They really like it.”
Commerce Minister Wang Wentao recently highlighted the Labubu craze as an example of “new forms of consumption” supporting China’s economy.
For many fans, the appeal is simple. “People can’t afford the big-ticket items anymore. They can’t buy Balenciaga, so they buy Pop Mart instead,” Li added.
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