Britt Jones
If you have hopped on the Labubu trend, there’s something you need to know before making a purchase.
Throughout the decades, we have had so many collectable toys that it’s hard to even count.
There were Cabbage Patch Kids, Furbys, Care Bears…and now Labubus.
These strange little monsters have been breaking toy sales records ever since they hit the market in 2019, but little do you know that there’s a dangerous side to the collectable trinkets. Of course, they look cute, and they are being snapped up at an ungodly rate in stores, making the demand for them increase- but there’s a dark underbelly to it too.
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If you don’t know what a Labubu is, they are fictional monsters which originated in the mind of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. Lung moved to the Netherlands and was fascinated with Nordic stories about elves, leading him to create an illustrated book series called ‘The Monsters’ in 2015.’
The series featured the Labubus, a group of 100 female characters with their own backstories and traits.
Then, four years later when he paired with Chinese toy company POP MART to produce collectible figures, everyone loved them.
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Daniel Fisher, Head of Categories at Whatnot, told Tyla: “Labubu live sales alone have increased 300% month-on-month since March.”
He added that the number of sellers has also doubled too. But psychologists say these collectibles have a deeper meaning for people who are collecting them.
Tracy King, a chartered clinical psychologist, said: “On the surface, they’re fun and whimsical. But psychologically, they’re deeply symbolic: these objects offer small, accessible moments of comfort, control, and identity in an unpredictable world.”
While popular, there have been dangerous counterfeit Labubus on the rise, to capitalize on their overwhelming sales. According to a statement released on July 4, around 370 fake Labubu dolls were seized from two shops in Scotland.
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It was found that the toys didn’t comply with the UK or EU toy safety regulations, and that they did not have the necessary safety warnings and legitimate trademarks attached.
According to IGV Official, officers claimed the toys were of low quality, and included parts that could detach easily, posing a risk for choking for small children.
“Consumers and businesses need to be aware that these counterfeit versions are dangerous,” officials said.
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But it’s not just the UK that is seeing this problem, as Chinese authorities recently seized more than 20,000 fake Labubu toys in just one day.
With loose parts that could potentially be choked on, production plants were swiftly closed by the Chinese officials.
Councillor Alan Hill commented on the importation of counterfeit Chinese Labubu’s, warning: “These counterfeits need to be stopped and we are delighted with the work being carried out by the Trading Standards team.
“We would urge any retailer selling any of these items to think again as we will be stepping up our efforts over the coming days. It might look like a good deal, but these dolls are usually really poor quality and made with inferior materials and are not made to last at all.
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“Not only that, they could also cause a serious accident to young people. We would urge people to only buy from trusted retailers and if you have concerns, please get in touch with our Trading Standards team at North Ayrshire Council.”