I was checking the search terms that bring people to PopNya the other day, and one stopped me in my tracks: "do boys like labubu".
My first thought was a quick, almost defensive, "YES! Of course they do!" Some of my most dedicated, knowledgeable, and high-spending customers are guys. They're a massive part of this community.
But then I took a step back. I get why someone would ask that.
If you're on the outside looking in, you might see a series like The Monsters Exciting Macaron, with its pastel pinks, blues, and yellows, and make a quick assumption. You see the big, expressive eyes and the general "cuteness" of the character and maybe file it under a certain category in your brain. It's a fair question if you're not deep in the designer toy world.
As someone who is very, very deep in this world, packing orders until 2 AM, arguing with shipping suppliers, and celebrating a good pull with my customers, I can give you the real answer. And it's a lot more interesting than a simple yes or no.
The Gateway: It's Not About "Cute," It's About "Cool"
The first thing to understand is that LABUBU isn't a monolith. Kasing Lung, the artist behind them, has created a whole universe. While some series lean into sweetness, many others tap into a completely different vibe, one that I've seen resonate strongly with my male customer base.
Think about The Monsters Camping series or The Monsters Carnival. These aren't just about being adorable. They're about adventure, mischief, and a touch of the bizarre. The designs have grit. They're wearing hoodies, carrying little axes, or dressed as slightly unsettling circus performers. It's less "kawaii" and more "artfully weird." Kasing Lung's style draws heavily from classic European folklore and fairy tales, which have always had a darker, more complex edge than modern cartoons. That's the hook.
I've had so many conversations with guys who started their collection with one of these. They bought a single box on a whim, maybe from the Camping series, and pulled a figure like "The Singer" with his little guitar. They liked the sculpt, the feel of it, the personality packed into a 3-inch vinyl figure. They weren't looking for something "cute." They were looking for something cool. And they found it.
From there, the obsession grows. They start to appreciate the artistry across the board. Suddenly, the Macaron series isn't just "cute pastels"; it's a study in color theory and food-based design. The context shifts from "is this for me?" to "is this good design?"
My Shop's Data Doesn't Lie
I can talk about vibes all day, but as a shop owner, I have cold, hard data. I decided to actually look into this. Digging into my sales analytics for PopNya over the last six months, I found something that confirmed my gut feeling.
Roughly 40-45% of my customers who exclusively buy from our LABUBU collection are men.
But here's the real kicker, the detail that tells the whole story. While single-box sales are pretty evenly split, when it comes to buying a full, sealed case of 12 blind boxes, the numbers skew heavily male. I'm talking like a 70/30 split.
What does that tell me? It points to a specific type of collector mindset. These guys aren't just casual participants; they are completists. They want the entire set. They want the guarantee of no doubles. They're often hunting for the secret "chase" figure. This is a strategic, methodical approach to collecting that I see all the time in hobbies traditionally dominated by men, like comic books, sports cards, or Warhammer.
They're not just buying a toy. They're curating a collection. They're thinking about how the full set will look on display. Honestly, if you're thinking that far ahead, you should probably read up on the right way to pick a LABUBU shelf, because a good display makes all the difference.
Real Talk: Let's Kill the "For Boys/For Girls" Thing
Okay, let me just get on my soapbox for a minute.
Honestly, this whole idea that certain colors or aesthetics are gendered is so incredibly outdated, especially in the world of art and design. Are we really still doing this?
If you're a guy who is only into hyper-detailed, grim-dark space marine statues, then yeah, maybe the flower-themed LABUBU isn't going to be your thing. And that is totally fine! But to dismiss the entire line is to miss the point.
The most serious, hardcore collectors I know, guys who have spent more on vinyl toys than I have on my car, have shelves that are a kaleidoscope of styles. They'll have a dark, brooding Skullpanda right next to a cheerful, brightly colored LABUBU, which is sitting next to a minimalist, abstract Bearbrick.
They aren't buying it because it's "cute." They're buying it because it's Kasing Lung. They're buying it because it's Pop Mart. They're buying it because it's a well-executed piece of physical art that brings them joy. It's about appreciating the artist's vision, the quality of the manufacturing, and the thrill of the hunt. It's the same impulse that drives someone to collect first-edition novels or vintage watches.
So, do boys like LABUBU? Yes. But the better question is, "Do you appreciate unique art and character design?" If the answer is yes, you'll find a LABUBU that speaks to you. The hobby is full of amazing designs, and if you're ever curious about what else is out there that's similar to LABUBU, you'll find it's a massive, welcoming world.
The Secret Weapon: The Aftermarket "Flip"
Let's not be naive. There's another, more mercenary angle to this that definitely attracts a certain type of male collector: the secondary market.
The designer toy world has a thriving aftermarket, not unlike the sneaker or trading card scene. The thrill of the blind box isn't just about what you get; it's about what you could get. Pulling a secret "chase" figure is like hitting a small lottery.
I've seen it happen dozens of times. A guy buys a few boxes, pulls a secret, and is shocked to find out its value. For example, the secret figure "Tycoco" from The Monsters Camping series. That was a standard blind box pull, retailing for around $15-17. Within a month of its release, I saw it consistently selling for $180-$250 on platforms like StockX and in collector groups.
That kind of potential ROI gets people's attention. It adds a layer of gamification and investment-style thinking to the hobby. While most people I know are collecting for the love of the art, the knowledge that you could pull a figure worth 10x what you paid for it adds a undeniable thrill. It's the same dopamine hit as pulling a rare Pokémon card. And the process of the hunt, the calculated risk of an unboxing experience, is a huge part of the fun.
A Detail Only a Seller Would Notice
It's a small detail, but it says everything about who Pop Mart sees as its audience.
I handle dozens of master cartons a week, the big cardboard boxes that hold 12 individual LABUBU blind boxes. A few years ago, the cartons were pretty flimsy. I'd get shipments where the corners were inevitably dinged, and I'd get emails from customers (often guys) who were disappointed because they display the sealed cases as part of their collection. The box condition matters to them as much as the figure inside.
Sometime around the release of the "Let's Go Camping" series, I noticed a change. The new master cartons were different. They were made of thicker cardboard and, crucially, had reinforced, hardened corners.
Pop Mart had been listening.
They made a specific, costly manufacturing change not for the casual buyer, but for the serious, mint-in-box collector. They recognized that a significant portion of their base cares about the packaging as a collectible artifact. This wasn't a change for kids. This was a change for the completists, the display-conscious, the long-term investors in the brand. And based on my sales, a whole lot of those collectors are men. It's a quiet acknowledgment that they see and value this part of their audience. Even the search for a specific box, like the hunt for a real Exciting Macaron box, becomes part of the collector's journey.
So, to circle all the way back to that original search query.
Do boys like LABUBU?
Yes. They like the art. They like the hunt. They like the community. They like the feeling of completing a set and seeing it perfectly arranged on a shelf. They like the weird ones, the adventurous ones, the goofy ones, and yes, sometimes even the cute ones.
Ultimately, good design is good design. A great character is a great character. And LABUBU is for anyone who gets a little spark of joy from holding a tiny, mischievous monster in the palm of their hand. If you're curious, the best thing you can do is just check out the LABUBU figures for yourself. You might be surprised which one feels like it was made just for you.
*Disclosure: PopNya may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page.
