Why Are Labubu Dolls So Expensive? The Hype, the Hunt, the Madness

If you've been scrolling through social media lately, you must have come across wide-eyed, sharp toothed doll with mischievous smile and perilous look- yes we are talking about the viral labubu doll. This doll is a famous character from a toy series 'The Monster' by  Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. This doll hasn't just seized the attention of everyday collectors but also world famous celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa And K Pop star Lisa. Let’s find out what makes this doll so special that it’s driving people crazy in the global market.

 Reason behind its hype and how it became Internet's latest obsession? 

Labubu's popularity peaked up in April 2024 when a famous Thai born K-pop star Lisa flaunted her pictures with quircky little doll on Social media. What started with her quickly turned into a global celebrity trend, with stars across the world including Dua Lipa, Rihana and Kim Kardashian showing off their Labubu dolls. Another important factor was the Blind Boxes in which Labubu comes- this anonymity of which version of Labubu will be inside creates curiosity among people specially GenZ and this spark of surprise led to the trend of unboxing reels on Instagram and Tiktok. Another factor included Supply and demand factors-  due to its low supply and massive demand, People lined up outside the pop mart stores for hours and Dolls sold within minutes of its arrival further created its hype. 

 People are paying crores for it in resale market. 

Labubu blind boxes are becoming insanely popular, with retail prices ranging from 2000 to 3000 Rupees for the regular ones. But rare versions, special editions, and collaborations can shoot up to 12,000 to 55,000 Rupees. Due to high demand and limited supply, the resale market is going wild, with prices sometimes doubling, tripling, or even increasing tenfold. Platforms like eBay, Whatnot, StockX, and Facebook groups are seeing huge markups. In a recent auction, a human-sized Labubu doll sold for 1.08 million yuan (about 1.29 crore), setting a new record as the most expensive toy of its kind ever sold.

Urvashi Rautela’s  Wimbledon's Semi final Look Goes Viral with Four Labubu Dolls 

Indian actress, model, and beauty queen Urvashi Rautela made a fashionable appearance at the Wimbledon 2025 semi-finals. She grabbed everyone's attention by pairing her luxurious Hermes Birkin handbag with not one, but four different coloured Labubu dolls. The unexpected accessory choice quickly went viral online, sparking a wave of netizens hilarious reactions. One user commented, “First Indian woman to carry four Labubus!”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by URVASHI RAUTELA (@urvashirautela)

Indians on Labubu toy trend 

Originally designed by Pop Mart, these “ugly-cute” labubu dolls have found a loyal following among Indian youth, particularly in urban centers like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Social media has played a major role in the rise, with influencers and celebrities such as Ananya Panday, Khushi Kapoor, orry - frequently flaunting Labubu charms in posts and reels . This trend has blurred the line between collectors art and fashion, as Labubu becomes a fashion piece seen on bags and cafes.However, the popularity has also triggered a flood of fake products, including copy dubbed “Lafufu".