CNN
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Two Chinese customs agents who announced their latest seizure in front of news cameras last month revealed suitcases filled with gorgeous toys, not drugs or weapons.
The stashes on display included dozens of pop martial artifacts that caused enthusiastic purchases around the world, and in some cases dozens of pop martial buses that brawled among fans outside the stores selling them.
Even in China, where Pop Mart is the base and most of its toys are made, people have a hard time getting a Labubus. When CNN recently visited a Pop Mart store in a bustling shopping mall in downtown Beijing, Lovebu’s dolls were nowhere to be found on the shelves.
Labubus is usually “sell out in seconds” when it’s released, longtime pop mart fan Evelyn Lin told CNN.
“It’s almost impossible to get Lovebu through the official channel,” she said.
Instead, fans are turning to unusual sources, such as purchases from smugglers.
A total of 462 Pop Mart toys have been confiscated by customs authorities throughout April, according to CNN’s editors of multiple official posts.
Details and footage of one seizure were posted on social media by the Chinese Customs Bureau. This stated that the toy was intended “for the benefit of resale” and was seized in accordance with the law.
This post did not state whether any of Lovebu’s smugglers face other legal consequences.
Lovebu was the brainchild of Hong Kong-born illustrator Casing Lang, and has quietly built up loyal supporters since his debut in 2015.
However, in recent months, the creatures that have faced the bunny-body elves – the grotesque and adorable equal parts – have become more popular. Stars like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Lisa of K-Pop Group BlackPink wear love baths like lucky charms, and this year’s toys were also spotted at Paris Fashion Week.
According to China’s state-run media outlet cover news, the latest Labubu 3.0 series blind boxes, originally sold for 584 yuan ($81), are available for sale in the second-hand market for between 1,000 ($139) and 2,000 yuan ($278).
Pop Mart’s annual results show that the company’s global gross profits skyrocketed over 125% last year, with mainland China revenues reaching more than $1.09 billion, up 34% from 2023.
However, there are risks to purchasing from resellers. Beijing resident and Lovebu lover Kate Yang told CNN that two final purchases from the resellers were both found to be counterfeit.
“If you’re in a hurry to give a gift for a friend, you won’t be able to get a popular platform because it’s not available on the official platform,” Yang said.
“You can pay an additional fee to purchase from the resale platform.”
CNN’s Marc Stewart and Martha Zhou contributed the report
