Labubu series: making sense of formats and collections

First, place the character

Labubu was born from the pen of artist Kasing Lung, within a universe called The Monsters. Pop Mart handles publishing and distribution, which is why both names always appear together.

This matters when buying: a genuine piece carries the Pop Mart marking and belongs to an identified series. An item sold simply as « Labubu », with no collection name and no publisher branding, deserves close examination.

Formats matter more than names

The format determines the price, the use and how you buy — far more than the name of the collection. Three broad families stand out.

Blind box figures: the original format. The box is opaque, the character drawn at random from the series. It is the collectors' format, and the one where the notion of a « secret » piece takes on its full meaning.

Plushes and dolls, often larger, with a vinyl face and a fabric body. This is what people searching for « labubu doll » are after: an object to display rather than to collect in series.

Keychains and bag charms finally — the format that made the character explode into street visibility. More affordable, they are frequently sold with a guaranteed colourway rather than in a mystery box.

How to identify a piece's series

Series names follow themes: sweets, seasons, imaginary worlds, collaborations with other licences. Collections such as Have a Seat or Exciting Macaron are among the most sought-after, and new ones appear regularly.

Three markers place a piece: the wording printed on the packaging, which names the collection explicitly; the card or leaflet inside the box, which presents the characters of the series; and visual coherence — figures from the same collection share a palette and a theme.

If a seller cannot name the series of a piece they are offering, that is a signal. A serious reseller knows what they sell.

Blind box or guaranteed colourway: what changes

With a blind box, you buy a series, not a character. That is the principle of the game, and what makes collecting addictive — but if you wanted a specific colour, disappointment is possible.

With a guaranteed colourway, you choose and receive exactly what you ordered. That is the format of our plush keychains, offered in Soymilk, Lychee Berry, Green Grape, Sea Salt Coconut, Toffee and Sesame Bean.

Our advice: the blind box to collect and play the surprise, the guaranteed colourway to give as a gift or match a bag.

Before buying a specific series

Series are released in limited quantities and then disappear from the official catalogue. An older collection is therefore only found second-hand, at prices that bear no relation to the launch tariff.

Two precautions: check that the series genuinely exists under the name announced — copies sometimes invent credible-sounding names — and be wary of a piece presented as rare but sold at the price of a common one.