Labubu mania: Inside the viral $35 toy that every Gen Z wants and where to find them

Forget Sonny Angels — there’s a new collectable in town with Gen Zs prepared to line up for hours to get one. So why are these furry toys in such high demand?

There’s a new trend sweeping the country and Adelaide is no exception with Labubus taking over the hearts and handbags of Gen Z’s across the state.

The tiny figures have become the accessory that everybody wants with fanatics packing out shopping centres and dropping hundreds on the toothy trinkets.

Getting your hands on one is no easy feat, especially in Adelaide where only two stores sell the plushies.

A single Labubu will set you back anywhere from around $30 to over $85, with Pop Mart making more than $1 billion from the dolls last year alone.

But when you buy one, you don’t what you’re getting until it’s out of the box, adding to the hype.

Labubu dolls have become a Pop Mart cult favourite. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Labubu have become Gen Z’s go-to bag accessory. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

Known for its bunny-like ears and pointy teeth, Labubu was created by artist Kasing Lung in 2015 for his Nordic Fairy Tale picture books, The Monsters.

In 2019, Lung teamed up with Chinese toy company Pop Mart to release blind-box figurines of the beloved character.

However it wasn’t until last year that they began to take off after Blackpink’s Lisa was spotted with a $32 keychain-version of the doll attached to her handbag.

It wasn’t long before other celebrities hopped on the trend, including fashion icons Rihanna and Dua Lipa.

The furry plushie was even featured in Louis Vuitton’s fall 2024 menswear show, with Valentino gifting Labubus to customers at their Dubai pop-up.

On TikTok, the hashtag “#labubu” has generated over 1.4 million videos with users showing off their collections.

Even Swans star Brodie Grundy has gotten behind the craze with the ruckman sharing post game snaps with his teammates and pink Labubu last week.

Kpop star Lisa is a big Pop Mart fan, often decorating her designer handbags with their keychain figures. Picture: Instagram

Swans stars Isaac Heeney and Brodie Grundie have jumped on the Labubu bandwagon. Picture: Instagram

Pop Mart arrived Down Under two years ago and currently has 11 stores in Sydney, Brisbane and Melboune, all of which regularly draw huge crowds of mostly Gen Z collectors.

A recent video filmed in Melbourne showed hundreds of fully-grown adults waiting outside a Pop Mart store at 3am to get their hands on the elusive plushies.

Another video, which went viral on TikTok, showed a massive queue stretching down Pitt Street in Sydney.

People queuing to buy Labubus in Pitt St, Sydney. Picture: TikTok @simi.ssethi

Early morning Labubu queues in Chatswood. Picture: TikTok @cherrysweetiecinnamoroll

With stock selling out in minutes, many collectors often wait in lines for hours with some queuing for over 12 hours.

Some have even resorted to using Airtasker to book strangers to queue in-line on their behalf, with one Sydneysider paying someone $100 to avoid the large crowds.

But its near impossible to snag a Labubu in-store in Adelaide with only two known stores, PopFrenzy and Sakura Cosmetics, selling the figures.

This has pushed desperate fans online to get their fix, leading to the creation of dozens of Pop Mart trading groups.

And while Labubus are few and far between here in SA, the trend is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Originally published as Labubu mania: Inside the viral $35 toy that every Gen Z wants and where to find them