By Sara Gomez, September 2, 2025
Labubus, which are small dolls with curly soft patterns, sharp teeth and big eyes, have taken over campus bags, keychains, and dorms.
Labubu’s were created in 2015 by Hong Kong born artist Kasing Lung. He began illustrating his own creations and later signed a contract with Pop Mart in 2019, a toy company well known for their blind boxes and cute mini figures.
Pop Mart officials released the Labubu doll in 2023 and immediately gained success. Lisa from BLACKPINK, a famous South Korean girl group, skyrocketed the Labubu doll’s popularity after she was spotted with one in April 2024. Labubu’s made $870 million in sales by August that same year.
Physics student Joyce Galan and biology student Alexandria Stastny said the first time they saw a Labubu was on TikTok this year. Labubu‘s have gone viral because of creators such as Vanillamace and Lilz Bullz Marbella.
Vanillamace initially went viral over the summer for her suspenseful unboxing videos where she repeatedly spent money on buying boxes and got ones she hated. Marbella also went viral for her “24-karat gold Labubu” reel and later because of her scandal with the blackface “KSI Labubu.”
Labubu’s also have multiple collections and background stories depending on the one unboxed. More information is provided on Pop Mart’s website and, in the descriptions, found on the side of Labubu boxes.
Mary-Grace Munoz, an agriculture student, shared her obsession with Labubu’s. She owns Labubus from the first series that dropped back in 2023, “Exciting Macaron” and “Have a Seat.” She spent approximately $110 in total for both dolls.
“They’re worth it, but if you would buy it off of a reseller and not directly from Pop Mart, then like they’re not worth it, because of their appearance,” Munoz said. “You could tell right away at first glance especially because of how their faces look, and they just look like deformed.”
Despite their recent popularity, some students are passionate about their distaste for the dolls. Biology student Jintaya Tan said she finds them ugly and scary.
“There’s nothing significant about them,” Tan said. “It’s just like the same face with a different color and for the price, it’s so overpriced, and especially when you get them from like Pop Mart. The over-consumption is crazy.”
Other students agreed Labubu’s were overrated and collecting them was a waste of money. Yet anytime a Labubu was mentioned, students knew exactly what they were.
Labubu blind boxes can range from $50 to $75. A 6-pack will cost $500 to $780, and a mega Labubu standing at 31 inches tall will cost $300 to $950. Resellers will sell them for $12 or less, according to Lucy Ramos, a vendor at the Valley Indoor Pomona Swap Meet.
Ramos said her shop stopped reselling real Labubu’s since they weren’t making much profit. Her business partner and other business owners were selling them for $45 each. This left them with only a $5 profit.
Ramos added the business is still growing and is just as successful with fake Labubus, also known as “Lafufus.”
“A real Labubu will have a QR code that sends you directly to a link directly to the Pop Mart website,” Ramos said. “That’s a real one. Fake ones have the same code but direct you to fake suspicious websites.”
Another way students can spot a real Labubu is by holding a UV light over the doll’s foot. If a Labubu symbol shows up under the light, the doll is real. Otherwise, it might be a Lafufu.
Ramos also shared personal experiences with customers claiming the dolls are possessed after purchasing. Some customers go as far as calling them “Pazuzu’s,” meaning evil Labubu.
“One time a mom bought her son a fake Labubu a gift,” Ramos said. “Next day she came into the store with the same Lafufu demanding for a refund. Her child could no longer sleep at night and was acting abnormally, seeing visions or hearing things that weren’t real since gifting him the toy.”
The closest Pop Mart to Cal Poly Pomona is located in Rancho Cucamonga. Since Labubu dolls are a fast-selling item at Pop Mart, the store created a system to let customers preorder and pick up at the register to avoid selling out throughout the day.
