The Labubu Craze- the new Beanie Baby

InternetJeff · 2025-08-12T01:12:44+00:00

Everything that is old is new again. The creepy-cute collectibles, typically sold in “blind boxes” that conceal the design inside, have gone from niche toy to global craze, propelling a revenue explosion at Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind the product. And for collectors chasing the rarest versions — like the elusive “secret” Labubu — the price of obsession can add up fast. https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/us/labubu-doll-plushie-pop-mart-dg

Astyanax

real_aurgathor Considering the sensationalism, publicity, and commercial success of this product we won’t be seeing him around much longer.

Rubbish. For one, sensationalism and publicity are big drivers behind their success, yielding gross and net profit margins of around 70% and 35%, higher than most other toy companies.

Rubbish? Hardly. You’re making my point even better. Just ask Jack Ma and what happened to him a few years ago. Only difference is I don’t think Lung has made any controversial speeches yet and ought not to start if he values his company (if not his own health).

The move to rein in the tech superpowers is seen by some as an effort to prioritise stability and control over commercial success.

“There are [Communist] party committees there to remind the companies… that the party ultimately has power, even over powerful individuals like Jack Ma,” says Samantha Hoffman, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

This control extends to secrecy, she says.

“Not only is a company responsible to do what the party demands, but they also can’t admit to doing that if they’re asked.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56448688

Somewhat-Reticent

Astyanax How is this different from an NSA NDA?

real_aurgathor

Astyanax

LOL. 😉

Not an atypical goal post moving attempt from you by injecting some sinophobiac rhetoric to rile things up. 🤨

What happened with Jack Ma is totally irrelevant unless the creator or Pop Mart suddenly decides to be smarter, and attempt to lecture the CCP; which, IMHO, is *exceedingly* unlikely.

Since the creator, Kasing Lung is a dual Dutch/Chinese citizen who returned *voluntarily* around 2010, I don’t think he has much issues with the “Chinese way of life”, especially now.

GrumpyCanadian

vaxvms These things are not as dumb as pet rocks were.

Did people actually buy those? I figure you could dig enough of them up in the back yard or any park or field.

real_aurgathor

GrumpyCanadian Did people actually buy those?

Pet rocks became a massive fad, with Dahl selling over a million pet rocks at $3.95 each

Pet rocks are a novelty item that were popular in the 1970s. They are essentially smooth stones, typically found on beaches, that are packaged in a box with a bed of straw and a training manual, marketed as if they were real pets. The humor of the pet rock lies in the absurdity of owning a pet that requires no care or attention, and the tongue-in-cheek training manual that provides instructions for caring for a rock.

GrumpyCanadian I figure you could dig enough of them up in the back yard or any park or field.

But those were just ordinary rocks without a training manual, and back then, you could not just download it from the internet.

https://archive.org/details/pet_rock_manual_original/mode/2up

Heat84

Astyanax What an idiot. Considering their value and how smoking hot those things were he should have moved multiple states away and sat on them for about a year before trying to fence them.

Just like bank robbers. Whether or not they get caught, they just have to hide the money until the 20 year statute-of-limitations runs out, and(If they get caught) for their sentence to finish, which is 20 years or less, unless maybe they hurt somebody during the robbery. Then the money is all theirs😀! But apparently no bank robbers are that patient. I would be that patient as long as I had a job, and maybe even if I didn’t have a job.

vaxvms

Astyanax he should have moved multiple states away and sat on them for about a year before trying to fence them

Why wait a year? The price may tank before then. Why not get rid of them right away using some online site, ebay as one example. There’s no face-to-face interaction. The buyer won’t know your name or address. The buyer has no way to know where you got them.

Somewhat-Reticent

vaxvms The buyer has no way to know where you got them.

No need, since their rarity screams louder than a fire alarm.

real_aurgathor

vaxvms Why wait a year? The price may tank before then.

Highly unlikely.

vaxvms Why not get rid of them right away using some online site, ebay as one example. There’s no face-to-face interaction. The buyer won’t know your name or address. The buyer has no way to know where you got them.

The original owner can monitor auction places and notify the police, IMHO, in case of rare, but not too rare items a wait of couple of years is very advisable.

Astyanax

vaxvms Why wait a year? The price may tank before then. Why not get rid of them right away using some online site

IOW do it exactly the same way how the guy got caught. Yeah great idea. 🙄

vaxvms

Guess I’d make a lousy thief.

GrumpyCanadian

vaxvms I have the same sentiment. It’s like the old (Canadian) comedy skit, with this punchline: “With my luck, if I were a politician, I’d be honest.”

Astyanax

GrumpyCanadian vaxvms These things are not as dumb as pet rocks were.

Did people actually buy those? I figure you could dig enough of them up in the back yard or any park or field.

People will buy half-eaten sandwiches they think they see Jesus in them on E-Bay.

Reminds me of the “Czechoslovakian ivory” shower curtain rings and other sales pitches:

vaxvms

Astyanax People will buy half-eaten sandwiches they think they see Jesus in them on E-Bay.

How much would you pay for a banana?

real_aurgathor

vaxvms How much would you pay for a banana?

That was a conceptual art, originally discussed on DSLR a long time ago so here is some AI explanation:

The duct-taped banana that sparked a global conversation is an artwork titled
Comedian by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It consists of a real banana affixed to a wall with duct tape.

Conceptual Art: The piece is a work of conceptual art, meaning the value lies in the idea and its commentary on the art world, rather than in the physical object itself. When someone buys the work, they receive a certificate of authenticity with instructions on how to display it and replace the banana and duct tape as needed, since the banana is perishable. This highlights the idea that the physical representation is not the artwork itself.

In essence, the duct-taped banana is a piece of art that challenges traditional notions of what art is, how it’s valued, and its role in society

Astyanax People will buy half-eaten sandwiches they think they see Jesus in them on E-Bay.

While that is correct:
1) They are very rare
2) eBay’s policy is not particularly conducive w.r.t. perishable items

Food Policy: eBay has a specific food policy that primarily focuses on the safe and legitimate sale of edible items. Half-eaten food items, especially those that could pose health or safety hazards, are generally not permitted.

Of course there are ways to get around restrictions, but suckers of *that* caliber are not particularly common.

vaxvms

real_aurgathor That was a conceptual art

The winning bidder ate the conceptual art before it spoiled. Didn’t display it and I’m gonna guess he has not replaced the banana or duct tape and kept it on display. Paying more than $6 million for artwork that no one will see or remember is, imo, stupid.

Everyone is entitled to their ‘opinion’.

real_aurgathor

vaxvms Paying more than $6 million for artwork that no one will see or remember is, imo, stupid.

You just proved the “remember” part wrong. 😉

Furthermore, looks like you can’t appreciate modern art. 😑

Given that originally it sold for a mere $120,000, it was a pretty good investment for the original buyer.

When a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $120,000 in 2019, social media uproar and an age-old debate about the meaning of art ensued.

But artist Maurizio Cattelan’s viral creation, titled “Comedian,” has proven a sound investment for one collector: One of the artwork’s three “editions” smashed estimates to sell for $6.24 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Wednesday.

Shortly after the sale, Sotheby’s revealed that Justin Sun, a Chinese collector and founder of a cryptocurrency platform, had acquired the work.

“This is not just an artwork,” Sun said in the press release. “It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”

As the winning bidder, he will receive a roll of duct tape and one banana, as well as a certificate of authenticity and official instructions for installing the work. Prior to the sale, Sotheby’s confirmed to CNN that neither the tape nor, thankfully, the banana are the originals.

https://www.cnn.com/style/duct-taped-banana-maurizio-cattelan-auction-hnk-intl

Astyanax

vaxvms The winning bidder ate the conceptual art before it spoiled. Didn’t display it and I’m gonna guess he has not replaced the banana or duct tape and kept it on display. Paying more than $6 million for artwork that no one will see or remember is, imo, stupid.

Everyone is entitled to their ‘opinion’.

It’s simply “conspicuous consumption”.

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