Labubu dolls have taken over from key rings, bows and Sonny Angels as the newest bag charm craze in our trinket-obsessed era. These fluffy monsters have been pictured hanging off the purses of Cher, Rihanna and Dua Lipa as they flaunt their signature toothy grins at passersby.
But while these celebs have the cash to spend on dolls that have sold for up to £111,884 at auction, many of us regular peasants can’t afford such eye-watering costs.
Most authentic Labubu charms are priced from £25 to £80 and it’s generally only special edition dolls that sell for such high prices at auction, but even £25 can seem an unreasonable amount to spend on a decorative charm.
The dolls are also sold in blind boxes at in-person stores, making it unclear what kind of doll you will get until the money has already left your account. For people looking for a specific doll, it can become financially unfeasible to continue buying boxes in the hopes that you might eventually find the right one.
Unsurprisingly, the cost and skyrocketing popularity of Labubu charms has spawned a thriving knock off market. There’s a huge appetite for Labubus but also for their off-brand twins – Lafufu dolls.
No, I didn’t just sneeze – Lafufu dolls refer to knock-off versions of Labubus that are sold at much cheaper prices than the original but look almost identical. Some consumers actively seek out these Lafufu dolls instead of Labubus, drawn in by the cheaper price tag and the chance to personalise their far less valuable toys with dye, drawings and clothes.
However, if you’re a purist Labubu (not Lafufu doll) fan, there are a few signs you should be aware of when buying them to make sure your fluffy monster is the genuine article.
Packaging
@jamescharles My First Time Unboxing Labubus!
I’m kinda obsessed lol thank you @KREAM
#unboxing #popmart #labubu
One of the first signs whether you’ve got a Labubu or Lafufu doll is the exterior. The packaging should be branded by Pop Mart and be of a sturdy quality. If the packaging is blank or falling apart, it’s likely not authentic. It should also include a scannable QR code and be a muted, matte colour. Neon coloured or shiny boxes may also point to a fake.
Labubu features
@mounabdou.1 she thinks she’s better than me #labubu
Every real Labubu doll should have a Pop Mart stamp on the bottom of its right foot and should have exactly nine teeth.
The skin tone of the doll also matters, as authentic dolls will be a pale peach tone, whereas fakes may be more orange or yellow in complexion. Check that the blush across its cheeks is also even.
Quality issues
@haileyab_2004 this has GOT to be the worst lafufu I have EVER seen
@Mekinley
If your Labubu has an uneven hairline, matted fur, backwards hands or unaligned eyes – it’s likely a fake.
Price and place
@popmartuk LABUBUs are back!
You can now enter THE MONSTERS draw every week from Friday 7:00PM – Sunday 7:00PM via the link below:
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#popmart #popmartuk #popmartglobal #toystagram #collectibles #blindboxes #themonsters #labubu
If you think it’s too good to be true, it probably is. If you are thinking of being a thrifty queen and buying a Labubu for £5 from the same place you buy your vape, that’s great! Just know that it will almost definitely be a Lafufu.
The best place to buy a real Labubu is on Pop Mart’s official website or on Amazon. In person stores have recently been shut down in the UK due to overcrowding and massive queues so the only place to buy is online right now.
But which one SHOULD you buy?
For the less discerning buyer, maybe a Lafufu would be good enough to just take part in the global trend. However, authorities have warned against buying lafufu after trading standards officers seized hundreds of lafufu dolls in North Ayrshire last week.
Speaking to the BBC, Cllr Alan Hill said of the incident: “It might look like a good deal, but these dolls are usually really poor quality and made with inferior materials and are not made to last at all.
“Not only that, they could also cause a serious accident to young people.”
Rochdale Borough Council has issued warnings about buying unstandardised lafufus, citing choking hazards and exposure to toxic chemicals as potential dangers.
So if you are planning to indulge in the viral Labubu or Lafufu doll trend, just make sure you know what you’re buying first.
Featured image via TikTok @popmartuk @haileyab_2004
