Copyright CBS News
Labubu dolls are the latest pop culture phenomenon, and the Baltimore area is one of the few spots where you can get one. They are all over social media, seen dangling from purses and bags on the streets, and even spotted with celebrities. When it comes to toys, we've seen the must-haves throughout the years. In the 1980s, it was Cabbage Patch Dolls. In the 1990s, Tamagotchis, Beanie Babies, and Furbies were all the craze. Pokémon, which carried into the 2000s and has even made a comeback in recent years. In 2025, Labubu dolls are now captivating the collectibles scene. With the holidays just around the corner, Rick Ritter is asking in his "Question Everything" segment, what are Labubu dolls and their appeal? How crazy is this Labubu madness? "It's taking over the world," said Heath McCoy, the general manager of Pop Mart at the Towson Town Center. "When it comes to Labubu, I have a crowd here every day for me. Many are waiting outside before we even open up." Labubu first surfaced across the world. In 2015, artist Kasing Lung, from Hong Kong, introduced Labubu as characters from his book, "The Monsters Trilogy." In 2019, the figure went into collection mode and later exploded into one of the hottest items on shelves. Labubu dolls come in plush dolls, stand-alone, or even key chains, which some think can look a little scary, but also cute. "You have all types of dolls, and these certain dolls are big into energy," McCoy said. "These dolls are tie-dye and are all about representing who you are through the colors." When they post them online, they go fast. How fast do Labubu dolls sell? "Sometimes they go so fast, I wonder if the system is correct or not," McCoy said. "There have been times when I click into the computer, and it says we have 500 online. Then I hit refresh, and it's down to 4. Then I hit refresh again, and it's down to zero, just like that." Pop Mart is the official retailer for the dolls. There are only around 50 brick-and-mortar stores nationwide, and one of them sits at the Towson Town Center. General Manager Heath McCoy said people drive from all across the country to come to his location. "I've had people drive up from Georgia just to try and get one of these," McCoy said. "At least once a month from Georgia, Florida, too. Anywhere down south, they come up here, and even the big collectors from New York come down." Most dolls retail at $27.99, but prices can soar to over four figures in the resale market. The hot toy The Labubu craze is rapidly spreading through social media, from children to adults, and even with celebrities. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka showed off her Labubu dolls at the U.S. Open, and Madonna shared photos on Instagram with her Labubu dolls. So, where does this fall in terms of all-time hot toys? "This is something that is one of its own," McCoy said. "Labubu is one of its own." Customers told WJZ they are lucky if they are able to get one of their own. "I drove here from Harrisburg," a customer at Pop Mart said. "I was on my lunch break and saw they had one in stock, so I got in the car to drive here and get it in time before it sold out. It's really hard to get." Social media sparks the craze Hank Boyd, a Clinical Professor of Marketing at the University of Maryland in College Park, said social media plays a huge part in its popularity. "You have sort of the Labubu zeitgeist going on now. It's very unusual, it doesn't happen all the time," Boyd said. "Imagine if you have the right product that aligns itself with the generations that you're trying to speak to. In this case, Gen Z is saying, 'Look, we want something authentic. We want something that's kind of quirky, something ironic, something that has these metrics to it where it's going to take off and go viral, and Labubu lines itself perfectly with that." The holiday demand The Labubu craze is still in full swing, and with the holidays approaching, it is showing no signs of falling. "I've had people reach out about the holidays since our grand opening back in May," McCoy said. "The holidays are going to be insane as far as demand goes." "Like I said, it's the perfect sort of stew. You've got all these right ingredients in there, and it doesn't happen often," Boyd said. "And when it does, you need to make hay while the sun is shining, and that's exactly what Pop Mart is doing." How to tell if Labubus are authentic With the holidays approaching, there's going to be a lot of resale when it comes to Labubu. Boyd says the magic number is nine, meaning that's the number of teeth authentic Labubu dolls have, and that you should count if buying resale and not directly from Pop Mart. Also, official Labubu dolls have holographic stickers on them that tie back to Pop Mart.
