A customer emailed us at PopNya last week. "Do you have the black lab boo boo in stock?"
I didn't even have to ask for a picture. I knew.
You've seen it everywhere. That little monster with the giant ears, a mischievous toothy grin, and a ton of different outfits. You went online to find it and typed in what you thought it was called. Maybe you searched for la fu fu, or a la fufu doll, or maybe even la fo fo. The search results were... Confusing. A mix of official-looking sites, sketchy Amazon listings, and a flood of TikTok videos.
Let's clear this up right now. The creature you're looking for is named LABUBU.
He's an elf-like monster character created by the brilliant Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, and he's part of a bigger universe called "The Monsters." Pop Mart, the company that produces these figures, has been making LABUBU blind boxes for years. But a recent viral explosion, thanks in large part to Lisa from BLACKPINK being spotted with one, has catapulted this little guy into a new stratosphere of hype.
And with hype comes confusion. And with confusion come the fakes.
This is the biggest problem with the whole "la fufu toy" phenomenon. The misspellings are a breeding ground for counterfeiters who prey on newcomers to the hobby. They list their cheap, terrible knockoffs using these exact search terms. As someone who has handled hundreds of real and fake designer toys, I want to walk you through the difference.The Real Deal: What a Genuine LABUBU Is
Before we get into the fakes, you need to know what you're supposed to be looking for. A real LABUBU is a piece of art. Kasing Lung's design is deceptively simple, which makes it so expressive.
The first thing I notice when I unbox a new series is the feel of the figure. It's made from a high-quality, dense vinyl that has a satisfying weight in your hand. It doesn't feel like a cheap, hollow plastic toy from a dollar store. The finish is usually a beautiful matte or satin, not a greasy, high-gloss shine you see on knockoffs.
The paint job is crisp. The lines are clean. The colors are vibrant and match the character card perfectly. When you look at the face, the two little teeth in his grin are distinct and sharp. His eyes are painted with a depth that gives him personality. It feels like a premium product because it is a premium product.
The packaging is also a huge part of the experience. Each figure comes in a "blind box," meaning you don't know which one from the series you're getting until you open it. The box itself is sturdy, with high-quality printing, official Pop Mart and Kasing Lung logos, and a specific texture. Inside, the figure is sealed in a branded foil pouch, along with a collector's card that shows the specific character you got.
So, for everyone who has typed "show me a picture of a lafufu" into Google, what you're really picturing is a genuine LABUBU, a thoughtfully designed and produced collectible.
The Impostor: The "La Foo Foo Doll" You Find on Temu
Now, let's talk about the fakes. These are the figures that pop up when you search for a "la foo foo doll" or a "la foo foo toy" on marketplaces known for counterfeit goods. They cost maybe $5, come in a plastic bag, and arrive in three weeks looking like they've been through a war.
I ordered a few fakes out of morbid curiosity and, well, to educate my customers. The difference is staggering.
The Look and Feel: The fake is immediately identifiable by its cheapness. It's lightweight, hollow, and made of a shiny, almost greasy plastic. The paint is a disaster. Colors bleed into each other, the lines are sloppy, and the face is often distorted. The charming toothy grin on a real LABUBU becomes a horrifying, smeared mess on a fake. The ears, which are a signature feature, are often flimsy and bent out of shape. It's less of a collectible and more of a sad, plastic blob.
The Packaging (or Lack Thereof): Most fakes don't even try to replicate the blind box experience. They come in a clear plastic baggie. The ones that do attempt a box are an instant giveaway. I've seen boxes with the name spelled "LABOBO" or the Pop Mart logo hilariously wrong. As I explain in my guide to spotting a fake LABUBU box, the cardboard is flimsy, the printing is blurry, and there's no foil pouch inside. It screams "fake."
The Smell: This is a weird one, but it's a huge tell. Real LABUBU figures have a neutral, new-vinyl smell. The fakes I've opened have an overpowering, toxic chemical smell. It's the smell of cheap, unregulated plastic and paint. I wouldn't even want it sitting on my desk, let alone let a kid play with it.
The "Black Boo Boo" and the Macaron Craze
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room: the "black boo boo."
This almost certainly refers to one specific, viral figure: the Soymilk LABUBU from The Monsters Exciting Macaron series. This is the one Lisa was holding. It's a black LABUBU with a little white bib and pastel yellow and pink macaron accessories on its ears.
This single figure is the epicenter of the current madness.
Real Talk: The Soymilk Market is Insane
Here's some real market data for you. The Monsters Exciting Macaron series retailed for about $17 per blind box. You had a 1 in 12 chance of getting the Soymilk figure. When the series first dropped, it was popular, but nothing crazy.
Then the viral photos hit.
Within weeks, the secondary market price for the Soymilk figure alone exploded. I personally saw listings go from the standard $20-$25 for a confirmed figure to over $180. That's a 900% increase. The entire sealed case of 12, which retailed for around $204, was suddenly selling for $500-$600, all because of the chance of pulling that one black boo boo.
It's a classic case of hype-driven scarcity. And it's also led to confusion with another one of Kasing's creations, the ZIMOMO. Lisa was also seen with a fluffy ZIMOMO keychain, which is a cousin to LABUBU but has a zipper mouth. Many newcomers think they're the same thing, but as I've talked about before, ZIMOMO is its own amazing beast.
This intense demand for one specific figure is what makes finding any LABUBU so difficult right now. If you're wondering where to even start, I put together some tips on how to actually find LABUBU stock near you without falling for scams.
My Honest Verdict as a Seller
Look, I run a store. I want to sell you toys. But I'm also a collector first, and I have to be honest.
Do not buy the fake "la fu fu" dolls.
I know it's tempting. You see a real Soymilk LABUBU going for $150 and a fake one for $10 and think, "how different can they be?" The answer is: completely. You will be disappointed. The fake will look and feel terrible, and you'll have wasted your money supporting a company that is blatantly stealing an artist's design.
Kasing Lung poured his heart into creating these characters. Pop Mart invests in the quality and production. Buying fakes directly hurts the creators and the ecosystem that allows these amazing toys to exist in the first place.
My advice? If the Macaron series is too expensive or sold out, be patient. The hype will eventually cool down. Pop Mart will restock. Better yet, explore the other series! The Wacky Mart series is hilarious, and the "I Found You" series is absolutely beautiful. They are just as wonderful as the Macaron series but haven't been hit by the same level of insane hype, making them much more accessible. You can often find incredible designs for a fraction of the price of the "it" figure of the moment.
Your Buyer's Playbook: How to Get a REAL LABUBU
So you're convinced. You want the real thing. How do you do it?
1. Buy from Authorized Retailers. This is the safest way. This includes the official Pop Mart website and physical stores, and trusted independent retailers like us here at PopNya. When you buy from an authorized source, you are guaranteed an authentic product. You can always browse our LABUBU collection to see what we have in stock directly from Pop Mart. 2. Scrutinize Secondary Market Sellers. If you're buying from eBay, Mercari, or Facebook groups, do your homework. Check the seller's ratings and reviews. Look for red flags like stock photos stolen from Pop Mart's site, ridiculously low prices, or sellers with zero history. Always ask for pictures of the actual item in their possession. 3. Learn the Box. Get familiar with what a real box looks like. The logos, the holographic sticker, the quality of the print. If a deal seems too good to be true, it is. No one is selling a sealed case of real LABUBU for $50. If you're considering buying from a reseller, my guide on flipping LABUBU has some brutally honest tips on what to watch out for.
The journey that started with a confusing search for a la fu fu can be the start of an incredibly rewarding hobby. These aren't just toys; they're pieces of art that bring a lot of joy. Just make sure the joy you're getting is the real deal.
Welcome to the LABUBU rabbit hole. It's a fun one, I promise.
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