The Labubu Craze

The Labubu Craze: Same Hype, New Generation

If you’ve spent any time online recently — especially on TikTok or collector forums — you’ve probably seen them: wide-eyed, pointy-eared creatures called Labubu.

They’re not plush toys, not quite action figures, but something in between — a mix of art, collectable and cultural obsession. And they’re taking the internet by storm.

But before Labubu fever, there were Cabbage Patch Dolls. There were Beanie Babies. There were queues outside toy shops, bidding wars, limited editions, and moral panics about parents fighting in aisles for the “must-have” toy of the year.

In other words, the Labubu craze isn’t new — it’s history repeating itself, just with a modern algorithmic twist.

So, what exactly is Labubu?

Labubu is a mischievous little character from The Monsters series by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung, produced by collectible brand Pop Mart.
Each figure is sold in a “blind box” — meaning you don’t know which design you’re getting until you open it. The thrill of mystery, the hunt for rare editions, and the community trading aspect have all fuelled its cult following.

They’re adorable, slightly unsettling, and highly collectible. Some fans call them “designer toys”, others “emotional investments”. Either way, they’ve become a symbol of 2020s consumer culture: art meets commerce, with a dash of nostalgia and a hit of dopamine.

The echoes of past crazes

Labubu isn’t the first creature to spark chaos. Every generation has its “must-have collectible” moment.

• Cabbage Patch Dolls (1980s): Handmade-style baby dolls that sparked actual riots in toy shops. Parents fought over them like concert tickets. 
• Beanie Babies (1990s): Soft toys turned speculative assets — people genuinely believed they’d fund future mortgages. 
• Tamagotchis (late ’90s): Digital pets that needed constant care — or they’d “die”. Schools banned them. 
• Funko Pops (2010s): Vinyl figurines that turned fandom into a shelf-based lifestyle. 

Each of these crazes combined two things: emotion and scarcity. And that’s exactly what Pop Mart and Labubu have mastered — only this time, they’ve wrapped it up in sleek branding and influencer-driven hype.

The psychology behind the obsession

The modern twist is how social media has amplified the cycle.
Back in the ’90s, you had to go to a toy shop or read a magazine to find out what was trending. Now, one unboxing video on TikTok can spark global demand overnight.

The formula works perfectly:

1. Limited availability → instant FOMO. 
2. Mystery box → dopamine reward system. 
3. Online community → validation loop. 

It’s the collector’s high — designed for the digital age.

And in a world where people are burnt out, nostalgic, and craving simple joys, it’s easy to see why adults are as hooked as kids once were.

Collecting as comfort

Maybe that’s the real story behind Labubu’s success. It’s not just about owning something cute or rare — it’s about control.

Collecting provides structure, escapism, and nostalgia. It’s a harmless obsession that gives people something to look forward to, trade, display, and connect over.

Labubu’s charm lies in its weirdness — it’s not perfectly polished, and that’s the point. In a world of AI-generated perfection and digital clones, something handmade-feeling and tactile feels refreshing.

So while it’s easy to dismiss these little monsters as just another fad, they might actually say something deeper about our cultural mood.

Same hype, new tools

From Cabbage Patch to Beanie Babies to Labubu — the core is the same: connection, emotion, identity.
What’s changed is how quickly hype spreads and how global it’s become.

Pop Mart isn’t just selling toys — it’s selling belonging. And in a hyper-digital world, that might be the most valuable commodity of all.

Every generation has its craze. Labubu just happens to be ours — cute, chaotic, and perfectly built for the algorithm.