Viral kids toy is selling for stupid prices online

Collectors are resorting to desperate measures to get 2025's most popular toy. But, is this a sign it's all gone too far?

In 2025, if you haven’t woken up at an insane hour to line up and buy a Labubu, you certainly know someone who has.

In the midst of a craze based on the ownership and collection of miscellaneous bag chains and plushies, Labubus have been front and centre.

Now, as resellers hike up the prices on items you don’t know are real or fake until they’re already in your hands, the question has become, how much are we willing to pay?

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This Labubu just sold for over $200 000 AUD.

RELATED: People are insuring their Labubu amid rise in thefts

It sold for how much???

Collecting Labubus the regular way - i.e. lining up at a Pop Mart or nabbing one from an authentic vending machine - is an expensive hobby.

Depending on the size, these little guys could set you back anywhere from $15 to $100, and you don’t even know which one you’re going to get.

And, we now know that the OG stuff is worth far more.

This week, a rare, first-generation Labubu figure sold for $230,000 at an auction in Beijing. Yes, you read that right.

The 131cm tall mint green figurine was the main event at an auction held exclusively for these toys, held at the Yongle International Auction house that normally specialises in selling jewellery and modern art.

The second highest hammer price was a brown, 160-centimetre Labubu figure sold for $175,331.

It’s happening to all of us!

But, it’s not just the bougie stuff that’s going for a hefty price tag - every day shoppers are being caught up in the same mayhem.

If you head to eBay, you’ll find hundreds of listings for Labubu dolls.

One listing advertises one blind box in the Big into Energy series for $84.99. Another Exciting Macaron Vinyl Face blind box is going for $89.95, with 15 sold by the seller so far.

If you’re willing to drop a little more cash - or a lot more - some sellers happen to have the entire set on hand, with one selling an Exciting Macaron set for $390, and another selling the Big into Energy V3 set for $499.99.

Image: eBay.

Then, it gets a little weirder. Some sellers advertise specific Labubus in their series in sealed bags - for a heightened price, of course, for those desperate to finish their collections at any cost.

And, whilst it’s technically possible to find out which one is inside if you’re willing to get your tweezers out and do a little surgery on the box, it feels like a simple pathway to ending up with a Lafufu instead.

But… how do I know?

With any popular product like this, there’s always a chance that you’ll end up with a fake if you don’t shop direct.

The Lafufu epidemic is well and truly upon us!

If you’ve forked out money on a Labubu from eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or other resale sites, and you’d like to know if it’s the real deal, there are a few things you can do.

Check details like the eye placement and blush tone, and the number of teeth (all Labubus have 9). All real Labubus also have a white tag with a code to authenticate them, so unless there’s a really obvious tell, this should be your first point of call.

Originally published as Viral kids toy is selling for stupid prices online