Latest news with #plushie
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Bizarre twist to Labubu craze sweeping Australia
The latest craze sweeping the country has taken a step towards the bizarre, with Aussies now paying to get their Labubus professionally tattooed. The Labubu, a furry plushie featuring a bizarre grin and sharp teeth, has taken Australia and the world by storm. Designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the product is sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart following a collaboration with Lung on his story series book The Monsters, released in 2015. While the Labubu hit the market in Asia in 2019, the slightly scary-looking plushie only took off after Blackpink's Lisa, a popular K-pop singer, was spotted with a $32 keychain version of the doll attached to her handbag in April 2024. And in just 12 months, the whole world has become hooked. Massive queues have been spotted outside stores as customers clamber to get their hands of the gremlin-looking item. Customers have also been buying tiny outfits for the toys. And now, collectors have taken the trend further by personalising the toys, with some paying for professional tattoo artists to add facial designs. On Tuesday night a Sydney tattoo artist was working on two Labubu toys, adding intricate designs to the face of the monster, each tattoo costing $25. And she is not alone. A tattoo studio in Parramatta has put a call out to customers wishing to personalise their toys. 'Your collection is not complete without a Labubu tattoo. Calling all Labubu lovers! 'Get your Labubu tattooed today,' the post read. What is a Labubu? The small, bunny-like toys with a doll's face are sold via 'blind boxes', meaning customers don't know which style they've secured. The demand has led to huge lines forming outside stores before they even open.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Can This Not-Particularly-Cute Elf Make China Cool?
In China's campaign to win over hearts and minds worldwide, its latest weapon is a fanged, bunny-eared, arguably quite ugly plushie. The grinning fuzzy toy, called Labubu, is made by a Chinese company and has become a global craze. It has in recent months been toted by celebrities including Rihanna and David Beckham; set off brawls among competing shoppers in England; and prompted overnight stakeouts in Los Angeles. It has even shaped the travel itineraries of some devotees, who have planned trips to China around hopes of buying one there. Resale prices for the roughly $30 figurine have run into the hundreds of dollars. 'I flew all the way to China just to visit the BIGGEST POP MART STORE IN THE WORLD,' read the caption on a TikTok video by one vlogger from the Philippines, Lianna Patricia Guillermo, referring to the company that makes Labubu. (Ms. Guillermo clarified in an interview that she had visited the store during a long layover in Shanghai.) The enthusiasm over Labubu may pass like any other viral trend. But it could also be another sign that China, which has struggled to build cultural cachet overseas amid longstanding concerns about its authoritarian politics, is starting to claim some victories. Chinese state media outlets have sought to frame it that way. 'The furry, nine-toothed elf created by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart has become a benchmark for China's pop culture making inroads overseas,' said an article in People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
News.com.au
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Selfish': Hundreds of Sydneysiders line up for toy
Hundreds of Sydneysiders have spent their Saturday lining up in hopes of getting their hands on the latest trend sweeping the nation. The Labubu, a furry plushie featuring a bizarre grin and sharp teeth, has become the ultimate show of status after soaring to popularity with huge celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa donning the furry toy. Designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the product is sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart following a collaboration with Lung on his story series book The Monsters, released in 2015. While the Labubu hit the market in Asia in 2019, the slightly scary-looking plushie only took off after Blackpink's Lisa, a popular K-pop singer who also starred in season three of The White Lotus, was spotted with a $32 keychain-version of the doll attached to her handbag in April 2024. And in just 12 months, the whole world has become hooked, including Aussies. Aussies were first able to get hold of the now-viral toy following Pop Mart's arrival Down Under in mid-2023. Fast-forward two years, and there are now 11 Pop Mart stores in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, all of which regularly draw huge crowds with the hopes of snagging an in-demand plushie. But, as one recent video filmed in Sydney shows, it's not children who are frantic for the Labubu – it's fully-grown adults. In the clip, crazed shoppers can be seen standing in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall as they eagerly wait to get their hands on the plushie. Security guards stand at the door and patrol the line to ensure fans are on their best behaviour as they endure the gruelling wait time. The footage has sparked a serious debate among Aussies amid claims 'selfish' people at the front of the line were buying '15 plus' Labubus – leaving none for others. 'Should it be limited to one per person?,' the poster questioned. 'The fact that there is no limit is insane! It's why resellers are making a mint,' replied one frustrated viewer. 'There should be a limit of two per person. That's fair! Who has time to line up for two hours for a fluffy toy? Obviously lots of people with too much money,' said another. 'I lined up for three hours and I ended up leaving with nothing. It's an outrage! I believe they should set rules in place for popular items and limit two per person,' said a third. Other viewers were less than impressed with the scenes with some branding it 'ridiculous'. 'No thanks. What a waste of money,' said one. 'Adults lining up for two hours for a small toy is a questionable behaviour in itself,' said another Some even compared the craze to the 2017 'fidget spinner' obsession. 'It's officially the 2025 version of fidget spinners.' 'It's madness,' agreed another. Pop Mart, which describes itself as a 'rising global force in pop culture and entertainment', said the power lies in the 'love at first sight' reaction the toys get from loyal followers. 'This isn't just about 'toys' but a collectable, pop-culture movement engaging Australian adults like never before,' a Pop Mart spokesperson told 'The excitement here mirrors what we've seen in major cities globally with queues forming around the block as eager collectors hope to get their hands on these unique pieces. 'We collaborate with a series of designers to create highly collectable figurines, and the range has grown from strength to strength.' Part of the fun – and the frenzy – comes from the mystery. Each Labubu is sealed in a box, so buyers have no clue which design they're getting. It could be a common one, a quirky variation, or if luck's on your side, a super-rare edition that collectors go wild for. Shoppers are also only notified of a new drop at short notice, often via WhatsApp the morning stock becomes available, further fuelling hype. With collectors often waiting in line for hours, some have reported queuing on social media for over 12 hours, and some Aussies have resorted to extreme measures. Airtasker has revealed people are being booked using the platform to queue up and buy a Labubu, with one Sydneysider paying a stranger $100 to avoid the large crowds. 'It's always fascinating to see how Airtasker users adapt to cultural moments,' Airtasker Founder and CEO Tim Fung told 'Labubu isn't the first craze we have seen people paying others to help them source – there was digital queuing for the Taylor Swift Eras tickets, help finding the CJ Hendry artistic wheelie bins and lining up in person for the popular pistachio papi desserts. 'If there is a cult buy happening it's more than likely you will find people posting on Airtasker for help to get their hands on it.' Despite it's hefty price tag, the Labubu craze shows no signs of slowing down. The quirky key-ring doll – which regularly resells for over $100 – was recently dubbed a must-have fashion accessory by Vogue, cementing its status as a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Wildest Controversies and Scandals Surrounding the Viral Labubu Dolls
We need to talk about Labubus. And no, Labubu isn't some off-brand kombucha or a Goop-approved fertility crystal. It's the name of those fuzzy toys with bunny ears and toothy grins that Gen Z and millenials seem to be losing their collective minds over. The buzz for Bubus has grown so loud that it even made its way to the Jenna Bush Hager-led fourth hour of the Today show this week. The Labubu was first introduced in a 2015 children's picture book created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung called The Monster Trilogy. Inspired by Nordic mythology, the Bubu are tiny elvish creatures with nine serrated teeth and pointy ears. They're also canonically female. Following the success of his book, Lung signed a deal in 2019 with Pop Mart, a Chinese-based toy company known for 'blind box' collectibles—a figurine sold in sealed packaging so that the item is unknown until opening—to create the first line of Labubu plushie charms. Since then, the toy has gone from a niche collectible item to a global sensation. While the Bubus come in many forms, from vinyl figures to pendant charms, the most popular iteration is the keychain. You can find them dangling from TikTokers luxury handbags, high schoolers backpacks, and proudly flaunted by celebrities like Rihanna, Lisa from Blackpink, and Dua Lipa. The Labubu collections are so popular that in 2024, Pop Mart generated $410 million in revenue, with its total revenue clocking in at a jaw-dropping $1.81 billion. It's so popular that some are even calling the toy 'tariff proof,' as President Donald Trump's trade war has done nothing to slow down the Bubu consumer demand. But like so many cultural obsessions that came before it, the Labubu craze hasn't been without scandal (or chaos). From full-on brawls to counterfeits to a thriving criminal underground, here are some of the wildest controversies surrounding the viral plushie that we could find. Why are people getting into fistfights over the Labubus? Well, it's thanks to a little phenomenon known as manufactured scarcity—a term for when companies create a false perception of limited availability, even when they could theoretically manufacture more products. You see, Pop Mart restocks their Labubu collections every week, from the immensely popular 'Exciting Macaron' series to the 'Fall in Wild' series. The restocks happen online on Thursdays and in stores on Fridays. But despite these weekly product drops, the Bubus often sells out in a matter of seconds. And no, that's not an over-exaggeration. Due to Bubu scarcity, people have taken to camping outside Pop Mart stores hours and sometimes days before the Friday restock. Don't believe me? Take a look at this recent video published by NBC Chicago, which shows hoards of people camping outside the Pop Mart store in anticipation of its opening. People are so desperate to get their hands on a Bubu that full on brawls have been happening at Pop Mart stores across the world. In the UK, the fights got so out of hand that the company decided, for the moment, to stop selling the toys in the region's stores. Pop Mart said they made this decision to figure out a solution to 'prevent any potential safety issues.' Typically, a single 'blind box' Labubu cost anywhere from $21 to $27, with a whole box coming in at around $167. However, thanks to the Labubu craze, resellers are jacking up the prices to an eye-boggling amount. On eBay, a limited edition Bubu is currently on the market for $9,500. On StockX, another popular online marketplace, a Labubu x Vans limited edition doll is going for almost $3,500. With the rise of Labubus came the Lafufus—fake Labubus. Although it can be hard to tell the difference between the 'real' and 'counterfeit' versions, most people find that the Lafufus have slightly off coloring, sometimes lopsided smiles, and an incorrect number of teeth. The Labubu criminal underground is thriving. Just last month, a Pop Mart shipment of Labubus in the UK containing the figure Hirono got intercepted by a group of thieves, who stole over $202,000 of product. A month before that, thieves stole around $27,000 worth of Labubu products from a store in Somerset, England. People are also getting their Bubu toys stolen right off their bags. For some, the fear of getting robbed has gotten so intense that they are now taking out insurance for their Bubus when they travel abroad. 'It might seem ridiculous to insure a toy, but it speaks volumes about how emotionally invested people are in what they pack,' Peter Klemt, chief of Australia's division of Passport Card, a travel insurance company, said to the New York Post. 'When you consider some Labubus are now selling for nearly $652 (1,000 AUD) on resale sites, it makes sense why they want to protect them,' he added. Maybe it's because the Labubu creatures look a little mischievous, but some people (religious people) are starting to believe Labubus are demonic. 'They. Are. So. Creepy,' a Bubu hater wrote on Reddit. Others in the thread agreed, with one Redditor even claiming that the doll was straight up 'evil.' On TikTok, a user posted a video talking about how they bought a Labubu at a thrift store, and immediately after, they almost got into a car accident. Then, they started experiencing health issues, which apparently only got better when they threw their Labubu out. After the demonic conspiracy theories became popular, Pop Mart uploaded a post for 'April Fools,' announcing they are recalling the Bubu toys for suspicious 'supernatural' behavior. Maybe the demon Bubus cast a spell on everyone and that's why people are so obsessed? Just some food for thought.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
7 Oh-So-Adorable Graduation Plushies To Celebrate Your Scholar — Our Top Picks From Squishmallows, POP MART & More
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Attention parents, family, teachers, and staff — the end of the school year is very near. In one month (more or less), students everywhere will be finishing up final projects and exams, with a select few preparing to graduate and moving on to the next chapter. And whether they're heading off to college and beyond, entering high school, or completing their first year of kindergarten — it all deserves to be celebrated. And nothing will make the moment sweeter quite like a graduation plushie. More from SheKnows Bath & Body Works Is Offering $130 Gift Sets for Just $45 (& It Comes in a Super Cute Tote) Today's Top Deals Joanna Gaines' New Hearth & Hand Spring Collection Dropped at Target & Prices Start at $3 Think Spring! Target Just Added Tons of Gorgeous New Patio Items Target Is Having a Can't-Miss Spring Sandal Sale for Circle Members Of course, you could get your soon-to-be graduate something specific that they'll need for the next part of their lives, but let's be honest — they were going to get that regardless. A graduation plushie commemorates the occasion while being playful and true to their youth. It's the perfect gift for a child leaving kindergarten or elementary school, as they'll definitely use it. But it's even better for the student leaving high school or college. A graduation plushie will act as a sweet and cheerful reminder of all their hard work, and goes beyond just the piece of paper that their diploma or degree is printed on. And to prove it to you, I found seven of the cutest graduation plushies from Squishmallows, POP Mart, and more that any graduate in your life will appreciate. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $16 Buy Now Your new graduate is probably cute and wise like this adorable grey elephant. Add this adorable Squishmallow to your kiddo's forever-growing collection. Lemus wears a blue satin grad cap with a yellow tassel and holds his new diploma with his trunk. Plus, his big, blue, flappy ears are just too cute not to love. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $38 Buy Now Teenagers obsessed with Labubu will appreciate this POP MART Crybaby graduation doll. She wears a classic black graduation cap and gown while holding a felt diploma that reads 'Baby Don't Cry—Wish you a bright future and happy life' when it opens. This is exactly what you'd tell a teen heading off to the next stage of their life. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $33 Buy Now There's a good possibility your soon-to-be grad adores Kuromi as much as we do. If that's the case, give them this chic 10-inch plush this season. Kuromi wears a satin pink cap and gown and carries a little diploma wrapped with a purple bow to match her hat. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $25 Buy Now I almost wish I were graduating again so that I could have this Stitch graduation plush. Instead of being on a path to pure destruction, he's on his way to success, with his diploma in his mouth and a satin cap with '2025' embroidered on top. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $53 Buy Now If you're trying to make a statement, reach for this graduation gift set from Build-a-Bear. You could opt for this happy hugs bear or get any other stuffed animal you think your grad will like. The set comes with a bear, a cap and gown, a pair of sneakers, and a sash for the Class of 2025. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $12 $17 29% off Buy Now If your recent grad is a huge Squishmallow fan like us, they'll adore the winking owl in their collection. It has a silky, satin royal blue cap with a gold tassel and a super fuzzy tummy with embroidered details throughout. GRADUATION PLUSHIES 2025 $15 Buy Now This graduation Hello Kitty is almost too cute for words. She's decked out in a black cap and gown with hints of pink, like on her bow, shoes, and a mini diploma that reads 'Congratulations.' Before you go, check out our below: More Top Deals from SheKnows Is Walmart+ Worth It? Giada De Laurentiis' Newest Cookbook Is Packed With Italian Super Food Recipes Stanley Tumblers Now Come With New Leakproof Lids & Customers Are Raving About Them Best of SheKnows Recent Baby & Toddler Product Recalls Every Parent and Caregiver Should Know About Celebrity Moms Who Were Honest About Miscarriage & Pregnancy Loss — Because It Matters All of the Most Iconic Pregnancy Looks at the Met Gala Over the Years
