Fashionistas Labu Toy Doll love

James reaction As he rids a rare limited edition labu toy can only be described as pure and pure joy.

The Youtuber is happy to hold a brown plush monster, which was described by collectors like “Mignon”, “Ugly”, “scary” and everything else.

The Labus are Gremlins with fur, which are designed by the artist born in Hong Kong Kasing Lung and sold by the Chinese Pop Mart toy company.

They are almost always sold online and long queues are often formed outside the selected stores that store them.

Labubus is also mainly sold in Blind Box format, which means that customers never know which version they will get until they open them – a fact that collectors have said added to their call.

Although it is difficult to pinch their recent increase in popularity to a particular ingredient, the approval of celebrities, the unpacking videos of social media and their ability to arouse nostalgia are all contributory factors.

James Welsh, from Hampshire, sees his collectable labu as an investment, which says to the BBC “could probably earn some money two or three years”.

It has just under 30 labus that sell at around £ 25 for an individual toy or £ 153 for a box of six.

He said he “spent hundreds and hundreds but not quite thousands” on dolls.

Labubu Pop Mart doubled Its profits in the past year and looked at global expansion in 2025.

The company, which started 15 years ago, has been described as “Raising toys to an act of connoisseuses in fashion” and congratulated for having adopted non -traditional conceptions, which made it successful with collectors.

The artist Kasing Lung is behind some of their popular toys, including the Monsters and Labu series.

He attributes to life in the Netherlands as the inspiration behind dolls And told Hypbeast “I liked to read books of stories and I was influenced by the ancient European Elves” legends “.

Lung added that during his childhood, “there were no game consoles or computers, so I had to draw dolls with a pen, so I had the idea of ​​painting fairy tales since I was a child”.

He first found the conceptions in 2015 and signed a license agreement with Pop Mart in 2019 to transform them into toys.

Labu as a name has no specific meaning, he is a fictitious character based on a creature similar to an elf.

James says that his first thought when he saw that of the toys was: “They are frightening but they are also really cute and I need as much as possible, I need in all colors”.

The 36 -year -old adds: “I think they (provide) a real escape for millennials because it is like returning to your youth with these toys and collectibles.”

Ancient stylist, he now mainly creates content of beauty and care, but recently obtained thousands of views on his channel from Labu unpacking videos.

He said to the BBC: “There is also a strong link between these plush pendants and the fashion community.”

“It is a way to express that you are, you can show that through the different characters, who add a touch of color and fashion is fun, it is not serious in the end, it reflects who you are.”

There are several iterations of Labu – from vinyl figures to plush toys – but keychain versions have become the most popular recently.

The ascent of Labu in the dominant culture was stable – but was raised last year by Blackpink Star Lisa.

The singer K-Pop was seen with a labu creature suspended from her handbag and also called the toys “her secret obsession” in an interview.

Rihanna was also spotted With one of the toys attached to her bag in recent weeks, which has led fashion fans to reproduce his look.

But for collectors such as Chulie, 22, who shares his purchases on TiktokShe says that Labu becoming a “fashion trend” is missing the point of knowing why they are so loved.

“For me, this is nostalgia and the surprise aspect,” she said to the BBC.

One of the biggest arguments for the sale of Pop Mart for collectors is the way their toys are packed in what is known as Blind Boxes, which experiences one as a lucky drop.

You don’t know which character you get until you put on the package, so it’s always a bet for collectors.

“You know it’s fun, it’s a dopamine,” says James.

“It’s game for some of us – a bit like a good meal, you don’t know which toy you get until you forget it.”

It also makes the toy perfect for the world of social media, because the creators can take their true surprise on the camera and share it with other fans – something James says offers comfort and “the escape of the real world”.

Chulie says that as a child, she would collect cards with trading Pokemon, then collecting another surprise article “memories triggered for me”.

“When you spend time, especially for me personally, it’s a big boost of serotonin not only to buy a collection and keep it, but also share the experience with other people,” she adds.

Others compared Labubus to Beanies babies, which were popular in the 1990s and 2000s, and say that the collection of Labubus evokes feelings of infantile nostalgia.

For some fans, Just document the experience To obtain a labu is a subject of discussion, many showing the long queues and the hours of research necessary to know where new collections are under storage.

He has caused a conspiration on certain social networks, users criticizing collectors who bought a large number of items.

“Just because you don’t understand someone’s hobby that is not valid,” said James.

Although James did not spend hours and hours queuing to build his collection, he says that he “did my best” to find authentic dolls online. As with any popular article, counterfeits have made their way on the market.

“I spend a lot of money for my hobby, but it’s my money for adults,” he jokes.

Chulie says she currently has 10 labus, but sold other fans when she ended up with the same toy twice.

“When I exposed myself for the first time, I did not know why people spent money for them, because in the United States, they start at around $ 21 (£ 16), which is a minimum wage for many people.

“But it’s so addictive to get one, and it’s really difficult to stop buying once you start,” she adds.