Labubu and the Illusion of Individuality

In 2025 there are three things that are unavoidable: death, taxes, and Labubus. Whether they are found fastened to the handle of your favorite celebrities’ birkin bag, or hanging off the rearview mirror of your friend’s Honda Civic, these devilish collectibles have become ubiquitous no matter where you go.  

The dolls started selling through a Chinese retailer called Pop Mart in 2019. However, they did not gain traction until April of 2024, when K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink showcased them on her Instagram. Later, notable personalities such as Kim Kardashian and Rihanna were found toting them as well, starting the global frenzy that we are still witnessing today. Labubus are sold at 25 dollars using a blind box system, where buyers are ignorant of which collectible they have bought until they’ve ripped open the package and gotten a look for themselves. The dolls vary in rarity, some having resale values as high as $10,000, an astonishing price considering the eight dollar manufacturing cost. 

Labubus have grown beyond just a toy, they have become a status symbol, especially in the realm of fashion. In recent months, a trend on TikTok has developed among the rich and impressionable to hang the dolls off of expensive designer handbags. Although securing keychains to purses is not a new idea, in the past the fad was to add small personal charms to make the bag cuter or more fit to your personal taste. Now, though, Labubus have completely stolen the show, becoming the focal point of any accessory they are attached to. The dolls are also popular amongst the adolescent archetype of boys on TikTok dubbed “performative males,” where they can be found fastened around a belt loop, or tucked neatly on their bookshelves next to their feminist literature. 

Although these little elves are undeniably cute, a greater question arises over why these toys marketed towards kids have become so popular amongst teens and young adults? The answer lies in our society' s current infatuation: micro trends. Some examples of previous microtrends of similar collectable items include: Beanie Babies, Sonny Angel figures, and Smiski. All of these toys are nonfunctional gimmicks that countless consumers have fallen victim to in the past. But as they have inevitably moved out of the public eye, the relevance of those items have expired, and can surely be found collecting dust in the attics of buyers’ homes, or in a bin at your local Goodwill. Even though it has been shown time and time again that the hype around these types of figurines eventually die, people keep buying them. 

 
At the core of each of these fads is the' need to fit in. None of the aforementioned collectable items have any practical use, but they provide a community for the consumers who have purchased them. This phenomenon is accentuated by social media, where people feel compelled to buy each new trendy item that pops up on their feed, fearing inadequacy if they can’t keep up. But where do we draw the line? When normal people are dropping hundreds of dollars on a useless, temporary, cheaply made toy, it signifies something about our society as a whole. The widespread popularity around these collectables communicates the lack of individuality that there is in today’s world. People feel so pressure to conform to these prevailing trends that they chase after material forms of status in an attempt to symbolize cultural relevance or perceived “coolness.”

Labubus in themselves are not the problem. For those who genuinely enjoy collecting cute toys and expressing individuality through personal accessories, their participation is entirely valid. However, when these types of items are just bought as a way to assimilate to the fast-paced and inauthentic culture of today, I think it is wise to evaluate what it says about our current cultural environment, and how we are influenced by our ever-changing world.