{"id":4337,"date":"2026-10-09T12:04:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T10:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/?page_id=4337"},"modified":"2026-10-09T12:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T10:05:38","slug":"why-is-labubu-so-popular","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/why-is-labubu-so-popular","title":{"rendered":"Labubu: where does this little monster come from, and why is everyone talking about it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"pnuit\"><div class=\"page-crumbs container\"><nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><ol><li><a href=\"\/en\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\">Blog<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Labubu: where does this little monster come from, and why is everyone talking about it?<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div><article class=\"container-narrow journal\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><header class=\"j-head\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><p class=\"j-kicker\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Blog Popterror \u00b7 4 min<\/p><h1 data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Labubu: where does this little monster come from, and why is everyone talking about it?<\/h1><p class=\"j-meta\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/artists#romain\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Romain Czysz<\/a>, 3D artist, co-founder of Popterror \u00b7 Updated on <time datetime=\"2026-10-07\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>7 October 2026<\/time><\/p><\/header><figure class=\"j-hero\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><picture class=\"pic\"><img src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025.jpg\" alt=\"Queue outside a Pop Mart store in Hong Kong in April 2025\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"sync\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" class=\"wp-image-4293\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025-800x600.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/picture><figcaption data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><span class=\"credit\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Photo: LapGaNaiom Bimdio, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/deed.en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>CC0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:HK_SKD_TKO_Tseung_Kwan_O_PopCorn_mall_Pop_Deli_shop_Pop_Mart_Toy_Store_n_visitors_queue_April_2025_R12S_01.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><aside class=\"j-answer\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><p class=\"j-answer-t\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>In short<\/p><p data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Labubu is a little monster with pointy ears and a toothy grin, created by Hong Kong-born illustrator Kasing Lung for his universe The Monsters, which first appeared in 2015. Sold in blind boxes by Chinese brand Pop Mart since 2019, it became a global craze in 2024 after Lisa from Blackpink was seen with one. In June 2025, a one-off 131 cm piece even sold for 1.08 million yuan (about 150,000 dollars) at auction in Beijing.<\/p><\/aside><div class=\"prose j-body\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><p>There was no escaping it: in 2025, <strong>Labubu<\/strong> was everywhere. Clipped onto luxury bags, in shop windows, all over social media, with endless queues outside the stores. This little monster with pointy teeth became one of the most sought-after objects in the world. But where does it come from, and why is everyone talking about it? Here is the story, from one collector to another.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-is-labubu\">Who is Labubu?<\/h2>\n<p>Labubu was born in the imagination of <strong>Kasing Lung<\/strong>, an illustrator born in <strong>Hong Kong in 1972<\/strong> who grew up in the <strong>Netherlands<\/strong>. As a child, he fell in love with tales and elves from <strong>Nordic mythology<\/strong>. That is where his universe <strong>The Monsters<\/strong> comes from, which first appeared in <strong>2015<\/strong>: a tribe of mischievous little creatures, of which Labubu is the most famous, along with friends like Zimomo, Tycoco, Spooky and Pato.<\/p>\n<p>Labubu is instantly recognisable: big pointy ears, a soft body and <strong>a wide grin full of little teeth<\/strong>. A look that is both cute and slightly unsettling, which is exactly its charm.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"from-small-runs-to-a-global-craze\">From small runs to a global craze<\/h2>\n<p>The first The Monsters figures came out in small runs, with the toy maker How2Work. The real turning point came in <strong>2019<\/strong>, when Kasing Lung teamed up with <strong>Pop Mart<\/strong>, the Chinese brand that specialises in <strong>blind boxes<\/strong>. Labubu then started appearing in mystery boxes sold in stores, online and in vending machines.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"g-fig vertical\" data-astro-cid-bi2cfy22><picture class=\"pic\"><img src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop.jpg\" alt=\"Pop Mart \u201cRobo Shop\u201d blind box vending machine in a California mall\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" class=\"wp-image-4296\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-324x324.jpg 324w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-distributeur-blind-box-pop-mart-robo-shop-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/picture><figcaption data-astro-cid-bi2cfy22>A Pop Mart blind box vending machine in a California mall: pick a series, the box drops, and you discover the figure when you open it.<span class=\"credit\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Photo: Thelabubucollector, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>CC BY 4.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Pop_Mart_Vending_Machine_in_Cerritos,_California.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For a few years, Labubu had its fans without being the brand\u2019s best-selling character. Everything changed in <strong>April 2024<\/strong>, when <strong>Lisa<\/strong> from K-pop group <strong>Blackpink<\/strong> was seen with a Labubu hanging from her bag. The photos went around the world, first in Southeast Asia, then everywhere. Other celebrities followed, and the little monster became the accessory to have.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-everyone-wants-one\">Why everyone wants one<\/h2>\n<p>Labubu\u2019s success is not just about one celebrity. Several ingredients add up:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The blind box<\/strong>: you do not know which figure you will get. That little surprise makes you want to try again to complete your series, and makes rare figures highly sought after. We explain it all in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/how-do-blind-boxes-work\">how do blind boxes work?<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scarcity<\/strong>: new series come out in limited quantities and sell out fast, which fuels resale at much higher prices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cUgly-cute\u201d<\/strong>: not quite adorable, not really scary, Labubu appeals to adults as much as to younger fans.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The charm trend<\/strong>: the plush versions clip onto bags. Labubu becomes a fashion accessory that you show off.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social media<\/strong>: box-opening (\u201cunboxing\u201d) videos often rack up millions of views and make people want to try.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"mind-boggling-numbers\">Mind-boggling numbers<\/h2>\n<p>In <strong>June 2025<\/strong>, the <strong>Yongle<\/strong> auction house in Beijing held the very first auction dedicated to Labubu. The star lot, a <strong>mint-green figure standing 131 cm tall<\/strong> and presented as the only one in the world, sold for <strong>1.08 million yuan<\/strong>, about <strong>150,000 dollars<\/strong>. 48 lots were on offer that day.<\/p>\n<p>The craze also had its excesses. In <strong>May 2025<\/strong>, Pop Mart paused Labubu sales in its <strong>16 UK stores<\/strong> to \u201cprevent any potential safety issues\u201d given the crowds. And some shops that do not sell them ended up saying so in their window, to stop the questions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"g-fig\" data-astro-cid-bi2cfy22><picture class=\"pic\"><img src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles.jpg\" alt=\"\u201cWe do not sell Labubu\u201d sign in a Los Angeles shop in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1371\" class=\"wp-image-4297\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-panneau-we-do-not-sell-labubu-boutique-los-angeles-800x571.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/picture><figcaption data-astro-cid-bi2cfy22>\u201cWe do not sell Labubu\u201d: in Los Angeles in 2025, a shop had to warn customers that it did not sell Labubu.<span class=\"credit\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Photo: Jengod, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:We_do_not_sell_Labubu.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-astro-cid-53y6z5my>Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"watch-out-for-fake-lafufus\">Watch out for fake \u201cLafufus\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Success brings fakes. Counterfeit Labubus are so common that they have their own nickname: <strong>\u201cLafufus\u201d<\/strong>. To avoid them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Buy from Pop Mart<\/strong> (stores, vending machines, website and app) <strong>or an official retailer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be wary of prices that are too low<\/strong>: a series that sells out is never sold off cheaply.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Look at the box and the figure<\/strong>: blurry printing, approximate colours, sloppy stitching or paint are bad signs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the authentication code<\/strong> found on official products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This advice applies to all collectible figures: an authentic piece, with its box and paperwork, keeps its full value in collectors\u2019 eyes. We go into more detail in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/limited-edition-art-toys-certificate\">limited edition art toys<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"after-labubu\">After Labubu?<\/h2>\n<p>The Labubu craze introduced millions of people to <strong>blind boxes<\/strong> and <strong>art toys<\/strong>. Many want to go further and discover other universes and other artists. If that is you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>our selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/blind-boxes-like-labubu\">blind boxes like Labubu<\/a> presents eight series to discover;<\/li>\n<li>to understand where these artist figures come from, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/what-is-an-art-toy\">what is an art toy?<\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>and if you want a French blind box, designed in Lille, discover <a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/product\/the-crew\">EQSO The Crew<\/a>: six street-style characters (skateboarder, break dancer, graffiti artist\u2026) and one secret figure, with a 1 in 100 chance of finding it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Labubu\">Wikipedia (Labubu)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnnbloomberg.ca\/business\/company-news\/2025\/06\/10\/labubu-human-sized-figure-sells-for-over-us150000-at-beijing-auction\/\">Reuters via BNN Bloomberg (June 2025 auction)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/04\/25\/style\/labubu-plush-toy-buying-craze-hnk-intl\/index.html\">CNN (the Lisa effect)<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div><section class=\"j-products\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><h2 data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Featured in this article<\/h2><div class=\"pn-live\">\n\n\t<div class=\"keblk keblk-v-align-top keblock-postgrid nbcol-2\" style=\"\" id=\"KPG_blkuid-2\" data-load=\"eyJwZ190eXBlIjoicHJvZHVjdCIsInBnX3R5cGVfcHJvZHVjdCI6eyJjYXQiOlsiMjYiXSwidGFnIjoiIiwiaWdub3JlIjpmYWxzZX0sInBnX3NvcnRfZmllbGQiOiJkYXRlIiwicGdfc29ydF9vcmRlciI6IkRFU0MiLCJwZ19hZmZfbmJjb2wiOiIyIiwicGdfYWZmX2xvdCI6ZmFsc2UsInBnX2FmZl9uYm1heCI6Ii0xIiwicGdfYWZmX2ZpbHRlcnMiOmZhbHNlLCJwZ19ibGtkZXNpZ25fY2xhc3MiOiJibGstdHlwZS1wcm9kdWl0IiwicGdfYmxrZGVzaWduX21hcmdpbiI6IjEwIn0=\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postgrid-content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postgrid-content--header\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"postgrid-content--content\" style=\"gap:10px\">\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"kpg-block-wrapper blk-type-produit \">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"badge \"><\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"kpg-block\">\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"visuel\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2026-Blind-box-01.jpg');\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"tags\"><p style=\"background-color:#f66c57;\">Blind Box<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"img-roll\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Popterror-TheCrew-Set-1.jpg');\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wrap-infos\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"learn_more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/product\/the-crew\"><h3 class=\"title\">The crew<\/h3><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"price\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><bdi>18,00\u00a0<span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">\u20ac<\/span><\/bdi><\/span> <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2013<\/span> <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><bdi>99,00\u00a0<span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">\u20ac<\/span><\/bdi><\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Price range: 18,00\u00a0\u20ac through 99,00\u00a0\u20ac<\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"desc\">YEAH ! Our first Blind Boxes<\/p>\t\t\t\t<!-- <div class=\"zone_cta\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cta learn_more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/product\/the-crew\">Discover<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- <a class=\"cta cart\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/product\/the-crew\">Add to cart<\/a> -->\r\n\t\t\t\t<!-- <\/div> -->\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n    \n\n\n<\/div><\/section><div class=\"j-faq\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><section class=\"faq\" id=\"faq\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-title\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><h2 id=\"faq-title\" class=\"faq-title\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4=\"true\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2><details open data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><summary data-astro-cid-hemr5th4>Who created Labubu?<\/summary><div class=\"answer\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><p>Illustrator Kasing Lung, born in Hong Kong in 1972 and raised in the Netherlands. Labubu belongs to his universe The Monsters, inspired by Nordic folklore and elves. Since 2019, Chinese brand Pop Mart has produced and sold the figures.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><summary data-astro-cid-hemr5th4>Why is Labubu so popular?<\/summary><div class=\"answer\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><p>Several things add up: the blind box format (you never know which figure you will get), limited releases, an \u201cugly-cute\u201d character that adults love, the trend for plush charms clipped onto bags, and above all the celebrity effect, starting with Blackpink\u2019s Lisa in 2024.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><summary data-astro-cid-hemr5th4>How can I spot a fake Labubu?<\/summary><div class=\"answer\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><p>Fakes, nicknamed \u201cLafufus\u201d, often give themselves away with a price that is too low, a poorly printed box, rough colours or stitching, and no valid authentication code. The safest option is to buy from Pop Mart or its official retailers.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><summary data-astro-cid-hemr5th4>Where can I buy a genuine Labubu?<\/summary><div class=\"answer\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><p>In Pop Mart stores and vending machines, on its website and app, or from authorised retailers. On resale platforms, be wary of prices far below the market.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><summary data-astro-cid-hemr5th4>Are there French blind boxes in the same spirit?<\/summary><div class=\"answer\" data-astro-cid-hemr5th4><p>Yes. At Popterror, in Lille, we created the EQSO The Crew blind box: six street-style characters and one secret figure, in an original universe. We have also gathered other series to discover in our article \u201cBlind boxes like Labubu\u201d.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/section><\/div><nav class=\"j-related\" aria-label=\"Read next\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><h2 data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Read next<\/h2><ul data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><li data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/blind-boxes-like-labubu\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Blind boxes like Labubu: 8 series to discover if you love art toys<\/a><\/li><li data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/how-do-blind-boxes-work\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>How do blind boxes work? Secret figures, chase figures and odds explained<\/a><\/li><li data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><a href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/what-is-an-art-toy\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>What is an art toy? Definition, history and why people collect them<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><p class=\"j-shop\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude><a class=\"uibt black plein\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/shop\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>Visit the shop<\/a> <a class=\"uibt black\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\" data-astro-cid-4cnmyude>All articles<\/a><\/p><\/article><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who created Labubu, how Pop Mart and Blackpink\u2019s Lisa turned it into a global craze, why people queue for it, and how to avoid fake \u201cLafufus\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4318,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-page-interne.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Labubu: origin, success and fakes | Popterror","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Who created Labubu, how Pop Mart and Blackpink\u2019s Lisa turned it into a global craze, why people queue for it, and how to avoid fake \u201cLafufus\u201d.","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025.jpg","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"popterror_auteur":"","popterror_schema":"[{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who created Labubu?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Illustrator Kasing Lung, born in Hong Kong in 1972 and raised in the Netherlands. Labubu belongs to his universe The Monsters, inspired by Nordic folklore and elves. Since 2019, Chinese brand Pop Mart has produced and sold the figures.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is Labubu so popular?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Several things add up: the blind box format (you never know which figure you will get), limited releases, an \u201cugly-cute\u201d character that adults love, the trend for plush charms clipped onto bags, and above all the celebrity effect, starting with Blackpink\u2019s Lisa in 2024.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How can I spot a fake Labubu?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fakes, nicknamed \u201cLafufus\u201d, often give themselves away with a price that is too low, a poorly printed box, rough colours or stitching, and no valid authentication code. The safest option is to buy from Pop Mart or its official retailers.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where can I buy a genuine Labubu?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In Pop Mart stores and vending machines, on its website and app, or from authorised retailers. On resale platforms, be wary of prices far below the market.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are there French blind boxes in the same spirit?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. At Popterror, in Lille, we created the EQSO The Crew blind box: six street-style characters and one secret figure, in an original universe. We have also gathered other series to discover in our article \u201cBlind boxes like Labubu\u201d.\"}}]},{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/why-is-labubu-so-popular#article\",\"headline\":\"Labubu: where does this little monster come from, and why is everyone talking about it?\",\"description\":\"Who created Labubu, how Pop Mart and Blackpink\u2019s Lisa turned it into a global craze, why people queue for it, and how to avoid fake \u201cLafufus\u201d.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/why-is-labubu-so-popular\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/blog\/why-is-labubu-so-popular\",\"image\":[\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/_astro\/blog-file-attente-magasin-pop-mart-hong-kong-2025.B55xa-In_Z2621fS.jpg\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-07\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-07\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/fr\/artistes#romain\",\"name\":\"Romain Czysz\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/artists#romain\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/#organization\"}}]","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4337","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4337"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4396,"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4337\/revisions\/4396"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}