PopMart, Amsterdam - In search of Labubu
Social media trends are like a virus; no matter how much time you try to avoid them, at one point, they will get to you. I am not sure if you heard about Labubu or not, but today I am gonna share how the Labubu trend got me. I never call myself a collector even though I like to collect fridge magnets, keychains. When I was a kid, I used to collect stickers, stamps, and Barbies. But later, somehow, I never thought to collect something desperately. For me, the meaning of life is so different now, and my taste of finding happiness kinda changed as well over time.
I heard about Labubu recently when I was doing my studies in Business. When I was learning about branding, the Labubu topic had arrived, and how it created a huge trend in the market. So, I had to check what Labubu is, who was using it, who the consumers are, and how it reached the current level. Of course, social media followed the algorithm, and then constantly labubu started coming on my social media. That's how I got to know about PopMart (Chinese toy company), whose revenue drastically increased in 2023-2025.
Popmart was always famous among the GenZ generation who like to collect figures and plush toys. But when Popmart introduced Labubu, the sales became sky rocket. So, what is Labubu?? It's an ugly (cute) monster elf who was designed by Hong Kong-Dutch designer Kasing Lung in 2015 (if I am not wrong). Then Labubu was marketed and sold solely by Popmart. Interesting back story, but I was actually convinced by the marketing strategy of Popmart selling Labubus. Introducing blind boxes, limited supply, marketing strategy, and mysterious findings made Labubu popular worldwide. It is always sold-out out everywhere. Celebrities like Rihanna, Lisa Blackpink, Dua Lipa, and many more own Labubus (those ugly, cute monsters).
Still, I was not convinced to own a Labubu. But like I mentioned earlier, at some point, social media gets to you, so eventually the social media trend got me, and somehow I felt I needed a Labubu Keychain. I saw Labubu in person on someone's bag; Labubu was hanging beautifully while holding a Cola, and that charm got me. In the Netherlands, we have only one Popmart in Amsterdam. The original Labubu resale price is always skyrocketing, and the whole market is full of fake Labubus. Those fake ones are called Lafufu. So, to find the Labubu (if I am lucky), I went to Popmart in Amsterdam last Thursday.
The weather was a nice sunny summer, and likewise, Amsterdam was crowded, full of tourists. I have been to AMS tons of times, so my direct destination was Popmart. The Popmart store is located near Dam Square, Amsterdam Central. Only a 15-20 minute walk from the station.
It might sound crazy, but I really wanted to add a Labubu to my keychain collection and wanted to feel the pride of owning a Labubu.
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When I reached Popmart, I saw a regular queue of people waiting to go inside the shop. I was expecting a long queue, and to my surprise, the waiting line was not that long. So, what's going on!!! So, when I went inside, I came to know they were not selling Labubu's in store, and of course, online it's sold out. So, in the Netherlands, if you wanna purchase Labubu, you need to know the release date and purchase Popmart online. If you are lucky, you will get and if you are not, then the only option is to find an authentic reseller.
It's fine, no Labubu for me today, but I didn't let my interest be limited to Labubu. So, I made my mind open and started looking at the Skull Panda blind box.
Skullpanda is an art designer Toys And happens to be the director of North Studio. His character Skullpanda, a symbiote living in a dark, empty, endless and traveling planet in planet, is quickly appreciated by the community.
What I loved about Skull Panda was the details of the design. Even though some might find it similar to a doll figure but I find it very unique. So, I instantly picked up 2 blind boxes because it was also selling quickly. I will show later what I got...
Popmart only had SkullPanda keychain blindboxes. They were selling mostly figures like Labubu, Arcane, Spy Family, Molly, and Dimoo. I am not a figure collector, so I just watched. I find figure collection is a very niche hobby, and to my surprise, I saw people of different ages were buying the figures. Must be popular among different generations...
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I opened the Winter Symphony edition box and got "Song of snow". It's not rare one but not a bad one after all. I wanted Rhapsody, but my luck was not exclusive. Whatever I got, it looked cute and perfect match with my character because I like snow. I haven't opened another box yet. The urge to buy another box to get the desired keychain figure is real, and I felt that. I now understand why people bought so many Labubu blind boxes to get the rare one. I held my urges and stayed happy with what I got.
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Not sure how to express my feelings, but I was kind of happy with my new Skull Panda. Somehow, this silly little keychain made me excited, made me happy. I look at it whenever I want to, and I carry her everywhere with my bag. She makes my inexpensive bag look gorgeous, unique.
Last but not least, I am going to share my Lafufu. I got Lafufu from a local store because I didn't find an authentic reseller yet. To make my Lafufu look gorgeous, I got some clothes from AliExpress for her. My next target is to replicate my entire personality in a Labubu and carry it everywhere. Funny, isn't it?? Childish, isn't it?? But this childish hobby makes me happy...
P.S - Can't believe I wrote this post 🤣
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Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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Wow, what a journey into the Labubu rabbit hole! 🐰💫 I love how you broke down the marketing genius behind PopMart—those blind boxes are dangerously addictive, aren’t they? Your Skull Panda ‘Song of Snow’ is adorable (and totally suits your snow-loving vibe!). Also, the Lafufu with custom clothes? Iconic. 👗✨
Yes, those blind boxes are very addictive and make you buy the whole set in the hope of getting the rare one or the desired one. Even when I opened the Skullpanda, I was hoping to get the desired one, and then, for a sec, when I saw I didn't get the one I wanted, I thought Should I buy another one online?? Total craziness. I hope to have a Labubu one day, I already pre-ordered one from Popmart, it will come in October 😅
HAHAHAHA. Good luck with that (don't end up going into debt).
Nope I am not gonna pay a lot for them because I have lafufu already 🤣
I am surprised that I never heard of Labubu, Lafufu or PopMart or any of the other collectibles that you have mentioned as we have a twelve year old daughter :) We did spend last night shopping for Incari Alpacas via a Google Meets Video call to their warehouse in Netherlands :)
That is another interesting case in Marketing, you should look them up if you are not already aware of this brand. So we were first greeted by a lady who described what the VIP shopping experience would be like and that we are not required to buy anything, but of course we would :) Then she forwarded us to the warehouse team which consisted of two young Dutch guys who spoke flawless English with a slight Dutch accent. They had hundreds of these cute alpacas lined up on multiple tables and showed us everything we wanted to see and we were able pick our favorites and order.
Then they sent us a picture of our selections with an invoice, which we took care of this morning :)
This is not their normal selling model, it was a one time event, normally people just order those from their site: https://inkari-alpaca.com/
As far as I know, Labubu initially marketed for adults, atleast 15+ like Skullpanda. Skullpanda is definitely not for the kids, though kids are now familiar with Labubus. I am glad your 12-year-old is not familiar with it; otherwise, it would have been difficult for you to find it because it's always sold out. Popmart came to the limelight in 2024, mostly because of the promotion and marketing of K-pop star Lisa. I saw Inkari Alpaca on your Actifit post for the first time. You and your daughter were decorating them, and I thought they were so cute. So, seeing the location now, I am definitely gonna hunt them down...🤣... What a lovely experience you had, it's super cool...
Ok, they are sold out, so I believe I have to become VIP 🤣
Hola, me gustan sus fotografias.
Thanks...
De nada.
Good morning! As always, you hit the nail on the head...
And that's all that matters.
There are also many articles online about the psychology of why childish hobbies and simple things we enjoyed as kids make us, as adults, disproportionately happy and why these things have become quite acceptable. Things such as your hunt for Labubu and people who still hunt Pokémon!
What a wonderful way to improve people's mental health.
Have a wonderful weekend, Priyan. Keep hunting!
Really!!! I guess that's why, somehow, when I feel sad or have a panic attack, I look at my lafufu, change her dress, and look at her again. It's interesting that I give so much attention to dressing up that plush toy and also always check AliExpress to find better deals on accessories for her. It's kind of healing when I touch it, look at it, and keep it with me when I go out...
I agree...
Have a lovely weekend, Nathen. I hope you are well...
I'm glad I didn't let social media trends get me. For me,aside from some trends have no sense, others are just expensive too and your money will be just spent In waste cause overtime you can't benefit from it or use it, I prefer trends where I can use for longer time😅 But sometimes curiosity just gets us in trying those trends I also almost purchased a labubu but reminded myself I have some keychains to hang on my bags😅 and as for others who have somehow an interest of collecting they're prone of purchasing and collecting items, It gives them fulfillment,satisfaction and as another achievement for their hobby❤️ Thanks for sharing and nice pics of those mini figurines, have a nice day🎉
Absolutely... I remember the trend of having Stanley Cup...All women must have the Stanley Cup, and it was a huge success...
Did you see Labubu in person?? 🤣 Well, for me it was their clothes that attracted me because in my mind, I wanted to have my Labubu stylish, well dressed and presentable. So, that's why my Lafufu is wearing winter clothes now. It's kind of an addiction, and because of the blindbox strategy, people buy more and more. Some of their seasonal release, limited edition items were cool and they look nice on the bag with other keychains. It's not a must-have product like others think.
Yes, for the collectors, it's understandable. I don't want to become a labubu collector because I will be on the street if I do that...🤣. But I see some buy labubus and resell them and earn extra bucks...It's not actually a bad idea, people buy second-hand labubus as well if they are original, v1,v2 version labubus...
I haven't seen a labubu in actual though, Indeed they are attractive because of how stylish they are, but sorry hard pass on their face they creep me out a little😂
They are creepy and ugly to be honest, that's why I think they are known as monster elves...
🎉🎉🥳 Congratulations 🥳🎊🎊
Your post has just been curated and upvoted by Ecency
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I never heard of pop mart before or Labubu , haven't been in Amsterdam center for +/-25 years i guess , used to be there every weekend when i was still living in Amsterdam / Mokum . Maybe my daughter knows about them i will ask her .
If your daughter is 15+, she is probably familiar with Labubu. Popmart store opened in AMS in july 2024 so it's not old. The store is very small compared to their other stores in other countries. Popmart was basically popular among Asians, especially among K-pop lovers, the GenZ generation. So, in Europe and other countries, hype came later. The Netherlands got into the trend because of the background story of Labubu's creator...So somehow, at some point, Labubu's Nordic fairy tales and art became attractive among the current generation...You can also look into the growth of Popmart and how much they made from 2023-2025 by selling Labubus...
Thanks for the curation...
yup she is 29 , and she knows it , but in her own words : "i stopped wasting money on those things ", I guess that happens when you have your own kid to look after .
Mature and bold statement...You are right, when you have important responsibilities, you cannot waste a single penny...
This post is very cute, funny, entertaining, and more. A little more because it was educational for me. I didn't know about those Labubu, but I loved your Lafufu, hehehehe. It's good that you didn't leave empty-handed. You found happiness in a beautiful replica, and I wish you the best of luck in your future search for the Labubu. @priyanarc 🫠
There is not much difference between Labubu and Lafufu when you dress them up.My attraction was more into their clothes than their color and originality. I know it would be nice to own an original Labubu but I am not gonna pay tons of money for it knowing the original price of Labubu is not so expensive. They look good with clothes and showcase your personality. I bought extra clothes and some accessories for my Lafufu and hope to share them one day here if I remember. My goal is to create a mini version of me 🤣...Skull Panda is very nice and looks cool on the bag. My cheap old bags now look expensive because of Skullpanda...🤣
I am glad you enjoyed the post...
hey @priyanarc , Amsterdam looking good in the sunshine, but I must have missed something here I have never heard of labubu before I read your post. I now know all about them LOl. They look like cute versions of Furbies.....
To be honest, I also don't keep myself up to date with such trending topics, but when I heard that Popmart generated USD 900 million in 2023 and then in 2024, USD 1.8 billion, I kinda felt interested in looking into their marketing strategy, sales, and products. The company's growth amazed me. Then my focus came on Labubu's, and those monsters felt kinda cute. Atleast they look good hanging on the bag 🤣...
Absolutely...
Very rare situation 😅
I hope you are doing well...
Doing good thanks @priyanarc , hope all is calm in your world.
Amazing how a trend/fad can make such a vast amount of money from something as these toys.
Absolutely, and I really admire the marketing strategy of Popmart. Their strategy actually worked...
I think they got it right, though I have never heard of them they must have a good online presence
Good for you! I like those Funko POP! Star Wars figurines with the big heads. I also like skulls. I wonder what the psychology is behind why some people collect things and some don't? Perhaps I think too much but I enjoyed your venture into nerdiness. 😁
Update: I've just read Nathan's comment about the psychology behind it. It makes sense!
I have seen Funko POP a lot. I personally liked Star Wars Grogu (baby Yoda), a very cute character and worthy of collecting. I think just like Nathen mentioned, it gives satisfaction and mental peace. For me, even though it's childish to dress up plush toys, I enjoy them. They keep my mind busy, and I find a reason to do something different. Do you collect anything?
I totally get it. In my younger days I collected everything, sugar lumps, beer mats, match boxes etc. The problem is, when you get older you think god why did I collect so much?!
I tend to go for skulls and figurines now. I have a few Star Wars, Wallace & Gromit and Scooby Doo figurines. Well, you did ask. 😁
They look interesting. The important thing is that you look for them because you like them; trends don't matter. Personally, I don't believe in trends; they only represent other people's tastes or a company's efforts to quickly market a product.
If you like it, that's great. Trends don't matter, but everyone is free to have their own point of view.
I'm glad you were able to buy something you like.
That actually makes sense, I haven't thought that way to be honest. Somehow, those weird monsters caught my eye and created an urge inside me. Obviously they were not a must-have product for me, but it feels nice to put some effort into hunting them down.
That's for sure...
Thank you, I hope you are doing well...
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Wow, 7 years, that's a lot. Thank you for reminding me... I guess it's time to celebrate 7 years on Hive...
Happy 7th anniversary!
What a market strategy scarcity increases value.
Must have been hard not getting what you went for initially but you still found something that resonates with you because of your open mindedness am looking forward to see what's in the second box thanks for sharing.
And I hope you get that Labubu you're looking for.
The original Labubu is difficult to get nowadays due to its popularity, and the fake one is available everywhere. Currently, in my area, 3 stores are selling fake ones (lafufu), and kids love them. One way or other, both original and fake has popularity, and somehow these monsters created a big impact on the market. I hope someday this popularity will reduce and I will be able to get one...
I've not heard of this specific figure but have been aware of this social media trend of people collecting these small figures and placing it all sorts of places. This was interesting one I've come across so far is making a miniature building for them to live on. I used to think it was childish but now more so it awakens the inner child in us, anything that does the latter is great in my books :)
You can check on social media to know more about this product and about the company. I am sure the strategy and history of the company will make you curious, and you will know a lot about the marketing strategy and business model they followed.
That's awesome. Yes, they awaken our inner child soul and give us pleasure and happiness which cannot be explained so easily. I was never fascinated by toy products, but these plush keychains really caught my eye and brought my inner child back...
Thank you...