You're scrolling. Maybe you're looking for paper towels or a new coffee maker, and then you see it. A familiar, mischievous face with long ears and a toothy grin staring back at you from a Walmart.com product page.
Your collector brain does a hard reset. LABUBU? At Walmart?
The immediate questions start firing off. Is this a dream? A glitch? A scam? And the big one that probably brought you here: are the labubus from walmart real?
The short answer is: Yes, some of them are. But it is dangerously complicated.
As someone who lives and breathes designer toys, and runs PopNya to get these little monsters into the hands of fellow fans, the sight of a LABUBU on a mass-market site like Walmart gives me a complicated feeling. It's a mix of excitement for the brand's growth and a deep sense of dread for the unsuspecting buyer.
So, let's break this down properly. This isn't a simple yes or no. It's a tale of official partnerships, third-party minefields, and knowing exactly what to look for.
The Strange Case of Walmart x StockX
A while back, the collector community was buzzing because, yes, Walmart did have an official, albeit strange, partnership to sell LABUBU. But they weren't just stocking them on shelves next to the Funko Pops.
The deal was with StockX.
If you're not in the sneaker or hype-wear world, StockX is basically a stock market for physical goods. They act as a middleman, authenticating products like rare Nikes, Supreme hoodies, and yes, even designer toys, before shipping them to the buyer. This guarantees authenticity.
Walmart integrated StockX's "verified" products directly onto its website. This meant you could be browsing Walmart.com and see a listing for a LABUBU plush that was actually coming from a seller on StockX, authenticated by their team, and then shipped to you.
These listings were for specific, high-demand series like The Monsters "Big Into Energy" Vinyl Plush and the "Have a Seat" Vinyl Plush.
Here's the catch that confused everyone: the price. People see "Walmart" and think "retail price." That was not the case here. These were sold at market price, which is dictated by supply and demand. I remember seeing the "Have a Seat" plush, which might have retailed for around $25-$30, listed for over $100 via this partnership. It was a legitimate, verified product, but you were paying the going reseller rate.
So, if you stumbled upon one of these listings, was the walmart labubu legit? Yes. It was authenticated by a reputable (though not infallible) third party. But this partnership was limited and seems to have been a temporary experiment. The vast majority of what you see on Walmart's site now is a completely different story.
Welcome to the Wild West: The Walmart Marketplace
This is where things get messy.
Like Amazon, Walmart operates a massive third-party marketplace. This means that almost anyone can register as a seller and list products on Walmart.com. Walmart simply provides the platform and processes the payment, but they don't handle the product itself.
Think of it this way: The official Walmart x StockX deal was like buying a certified pre-owned car from a dealership on the Walmart lot. Buying from a third-party seller is like buying from a random person who parked their rusty 1998 sedan in the same lot and stuck a "For Sale" sign in the window. The Walmart sign overhead means nothing for the quality or authenticity of that car.
This marketplace is where the fakes, the knock-offs, and the sketchy sellers thrive. And they absolutely list fake LABUBUs. I've seen them with my own eyes.
This is the most critical piece of information you need: You must learn to distinguish between a product "Sold and shipped by Walmart" and one "Sold and shipped by [Some Random Seller Name]."
On any Walmart product page, scroll down past the "Add to cart" button. You will see a line that says "Sold and shipped by..." If that line says anything other than "Walmart," you are in the marketplace. You are not buying from Walmart. You are buying from a stranger.
And when it comes to a collectible as heavily targeted by counterfeiters as LABUBU, buying from a stranger on a non-specialty platform is a huge gamble. You might be looking at one of those awful "ROR MART LABUBU" fakes without even knowing it.
A Collector's Playbook: How to Not Get Scammed on Walmart
Let's say you're feeling brave. You see a listing, and you're tempted. How do you protect yourself? How do you investigate if that is walmart labubu real? Here is my personal checklist, based on years of spotting fakes for my shop and my own collection.
1. The Seller Check (Do This First!)
As I said, find the "Sold and shipped by" line. If it's a third-party seller, click on their name. Look at their ratings. But don't just look at the star average. Read the actual negative reviews. Are people complaining about receiving fake items? Items that never shipped? Products that were cheap plastic instead of vinyl? If you see even one credible review mentioning "fake," "counterfeit," or "not as described," close the tab and walk away. It's not worth it.
2. The Price Is Wrong, Bob
This is the biggest red flag. We all want a good deal, but the LABUBU market is ruthless. Popular series sell out instantly. If a series is sold out everywhere and fetching $40-$50 per box on the secondary market, and you see a listing on Walmart from "SuperToyBargains88" for $14.99 with free shipping... It's a fake. Period.
I track these prices daily for PopNya. For example, as of writing, The Monsters Camping series is still in high demand. A blind box retails for about $15-$17. If you see it for that price from a trusted retailer, great. If you see it for that price from a random Walmart seller, be suspicious. If you see it for $10... Run. Counterfeiters can price their items that low because they're made with cheap, sometimes unsafe materials and zero quality control.
3. Scrutinize the Photos and Description
Fake listings often use stolen, low-resolution images directly from Pop Mart's official marketing materials. They look crisp and perfect because they're professional product shots, not photos of the actual item the seller has.
Look for inconsistencies. Does the title say "LABUBU" but the description says "cute monster doll"? Is the spelling weird? I've seen listings for "Labubu Macaron" that use the name but show pictures of a completely different toy. These sellers often use keyword stuffing to attract buyers but don't have the actual product.
Sometimes they'll even use the dreaded "Lafufu" name in the fine print, which is a dead giveaway you're looking at a knock-off. If you're not sure what to look for, getting familiar with the common fakes is a good first step. I wrote a whole guide on how to spot and avoid Lafufu fakes that might help.
4. The "Ships From" Location
Check the estimated delivery time. If it's 3-4 weeks and the seller's profile says they are based overseas, that's another warning sign. While many legitimate things ship from Asia (where Pop Mart is based), the combination of a long shipping time, a ridiculously low price, and a brand-new seller profile is the trifecta of a likely scam. They're probably drop-shipping a counterfeit product directly from a factory.
Real Talk: My Honest Verdict as a Seller
So, let's circle back to the main question. Should you buy a LABUBU from Walmart?
Honestly, for 99% of the listings you'll see today, my answer is a hard no.
Unless you can definitively confirm it's a remnant of the old, verified StockX partnership (which is highly unlikely at this point), you are wading into a minefield. The risk of getting a fake is enormous. The headache of trying to get a refund from a phantom third-party seller through Walmart's customer service is a nightmare you don't want.
I've seen the heartbreak firsthand. Customers have come to my shop, PopNya, after getting burned on a marketplace. They show me photos of a sad, misshapen "LABUBU" with a botched paint job and a weird chemical smell. It's the worst feeling for a collector, and it turns what should be a joyful hobby into a stressful ordeal. The thrill of the hunt is a huge part of collecting, as I've even written about in my adventures hunting for LABUBU in NYC, but that thrill comes from finding something genuine, not from gambling on a fake.
The convenience of a familiar website like Walmart is a powerful lure, but it's a trap. You're far better off spending a few extra dollars or a little more time to buy from a source you can trust.
That means buying directly from a Pop Mart store if you're lucky enough to have one nearby, from the official Pop Mart online shop, or from a dedicated, reputable designer toy retailer. These are the places that get their stock through official channels. We sellers have to navigate the complexities of LABUBU wholesale and build relationships to ensure everything we sell is 100% authentic. That's a guarantee you just don't get from a random Walmart Marketplace seller.
If you're just starting out and want to be sure you're getting the real deal, your best bet is to stick to these trusted sources.com/collections/labubu) here at PopNya; I stand behind the authenticity of every single item I stock because I'm a collector first.
The bottom line is that while a "legit Walmart LABUBU" did exist in a very specific context, the landscape has changed. Today, Walmart.com is a risky place to hunt for Kasing Lung's monsters. Be smart, be skeptical, and protect your collection (and your wallet).
Disclosure: PopNya may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page.
