How many Labubus is too many Labubus?

Whenever 29-year-old Simran Shetty leaves the house, her mother asks her, “Which kid are you taking out today?” In response, The Pop Up Story founder picks out two Labubu dolls that match her purse. On sunny days, these dolls don tiny hats. On colder days, they are dressed in small sweaters. There’s a slew of unofficial retailers for Labubu clothing on Amazon and Temu. “On my list are the little Prada and Chanel bags. That is something I’m currently hunting,” Shetty confesses. She adds that dressing her Labubus is a great way to distinguish one from another, especially because she presently owns 25 of them, and two are enroute from Hong Kong.

Shetty first spotted the Labubu doll about three months ago in a street-style photo on Instagram. “I remember zooming into this really exotic Birkin, and it had a doll on it,” she reveals. Although Shetty already considered herself “a soft-toy person”, Labubus took this obsession to the next level. Before long, she had acquired boxes from the Have A Seat, Big Into Energy, and Exciting Macaron series, along with the rare purple-and-golden Wings of Fortune Labubu.

The entrepreneur’s infatuation with the dolls may seem concerning, but she is hardly alone. At this moment, you can only be one of the two: baffled by the popularity of Labubus or completely consumed by a passion for the toothy, ugly-cute dolls. Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and sold exclusively by Pop Mart, these dolls have recently become some of the most coveted collectibles, almost perpetually sold out across the world. Many fans agree that the fact that they are hard to get is what makes them so appealing (red flag?). It is why despite costing only about 40 to 80 dollars each, Labubus have become something of a status symbol. No one on the internet can get enough. Even just watching people on Instagram unbox these dolls—which come in a blind box—is addictive. Celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and North West have been spotted using Labubus as bag charms. Sadly, for Indians who want to be part of the global craze, there’s another catch. There are no Pop Mart stores—and hence, Labubus—available in the country.

Of course—speaking solely from romantic experience—there is nothing more thrilling than a chase. The unavailability of Labubu dolls has egged on many Indians, such as 36-year-old Priyanka Parkash, who lives between Mumbai and Dubai. “The first time I saw a Labubu was only three weeks ago on Instagram, but it took no time to spiral into an obsession,” the jewellery editor admits, adding, “The fact that they were unavailable obviously made me want them even more.” After an impassioned hunt, she finally bought her first Labubu—the Sea Salt Coconut—in Dubai at five times the price from a reseller before they were officially available in the city. For her second Labubu—the rare Wings of Fortune—she asked a friend travelling from Italy to wait in line and bring one. “I have an eight-month-old child and this is my focus,” she frets. “My mum’s coming to visit me in Dubai and I’m excited because she can babysit my kid and I can go on my Labubu hunt in peace.”

The Labubus’ mischievous/ugly look, pointy teeth and upturned eyebrows only add to their appeal. Contrary to more perfect toys like Barbies and Bratz dolls, they are less intimidating, inspiring greater affinity. Similarly offbeat dolls have also been garnering attention on the internet. Shetty admits to also collecting Pop Mart’s Teletubby dolls.

Stylist and creative director Divyak D’Souza—whose Labubu hunt began when he saw K-Pop star Lisa with the doll and has taken him to Seoul, Hong Kong, India’s black markets, and soon, Singapore—also collects Pop Mart’s CryBaby dolls, Molly dolls and Studio Ghibli merch. He reasons that the affordability of these items, alongside their scarcity, is what makes their pursuit so addictive. “When there is a recession, you can’t afford the handbag, but you can afford the charm on the handbag,” he points out, “It’s like a little piece of luxury fashion.”

Parkash agrees, adding that even in a fashion-forward city like Dubai, people constantly compliment her Labubus. She takes styling her Labubus very seriously, putting them in two outfits on rotation: one Chanel, one Miu Miu (she buys the looks on Amazon or Temu).

To many Labubu fanatics, including Parkash and Shetty, the dolls are a portal to their childhood, an escape from the dystopian state of the world right now. The blind boxes and the mystery surrounding which Labubu you might get only adds to this dopamine hit. 

“They tap into nostalgia, especially for millennials,” observes Parkash. “As adults in this day and age, there is so little that surprises us and allows us to be whimsical. This hunt reminds us of when we used to collect and trade Pokemon cards or stickers or Polly Pockets.” D’Souza concedes that Pop Mart has created the perfect marketing campaign: blind boxes, scarcity, affordability, and a distinct aesthetic. And of course, there is the chase.