The day our first wholesale shipment of the Labubu Fruits series arrived at the PopNya office was… chaotic. Boxes everywhere. The sweet smell of fresh vinyl and cardboard filled the air. My team and I were genuinely buzzing. After the absolute phenomenon of the Macaron series, we had high hopes. Kasing Lung's little monster dressed as fruit? It sounds like a guaranteed hit.
And it was. Sort of.
The initial release sold out almost instantly, both on our site and everywhere else. The hype was real. But now that the dust has settled and we've opened, sold, and traded hundreds of these figures, I can give you the real, unfiltered take on this collection. It's a series I have a complicated relationship with, and if you're thinking of diving in, there are a few things you absolutely need to know.
Our Take: Is Labubu Fruits a Top-Tier Series?
Let's just get this out of the way. Honestly? No. It's not.
Is it cute? Absolutely. Is it a solid, B+ addition to the Labubu family? For sure. But does it have the same magic, the same lightning-in-a-bottle quality as the Exciting Macaron Labubu series? I don't think so. The designs, while adorable, feel a bit... Simpler. Safer. The Macarons had this incredible textural variety and a dreamy pastel palette that felt fresh and new. The Fruits, by comparison, are very direct interpretations. Orange Labubu is an orange. Strawberry Labubu is a strawberry. It's a great entry point for new fans, but for seasoned collectors, it lacks a little of the creative spark found in series like "Big into Energy" or even the weirdly charming "Have a Seat Labubu."
The aftermarket value reflects this. While the secrets and chases command high prices, the regular figures have settled at values much closer to retail than their Macaron counterparts did at their peak. This isn't a bad thing! It just tells you where the series sits in the overall hierarchy for most collectors. It's a must-have for completists, but it's not the series that's going to define the Labubu craze in the long run.
The PopNya Power Rankings: A Figure-by-Figure Breakdown
Not all fruits are created equal. As a seller, I see the demand firsthand. Here's my breakdown of The Monsters Fruit Series, from the gods of the aftermarket to the ones you'll probably get a few doubles of.
God Tier: The Unaffordables
* Coconut (Secret): Of course. The secret is always king. The design is fantastic, a beautiful, pearlescent white finish with a little straw. It's genius. When it first dropped, I saw listings hit $300. It's now stabilized to around $180-$220, but it's still the undisputed chase of the set. The weight is a giveaway if you have a sensitive scale, but most sellers are wise to this now. Don't expect to find this one in the wild without some serious luck. * Lychee (Chase): This is the official 1/144 chase, and it's a beauty. The spiky texture is well-executed, and the translucent pinkish-white color is stunning in person. It feels premium. Its price hovers just below the Coconut, usually in the $120-$150 range. It's the one figure from the regular set that truly feels special and elevated.
A-Tier: The Crowd Pleasers
* Peach: This is the people's champion. Everyone loves the Peach. The soft, matte, slightly fuzzy texture on this figure is a detail you can't appreciate in photos. It's a sensory delight. The little leaf, the perfect blush on the cheeks... It's a 10/10 design. We can't keep this one in stock. Expect to pay $25-$35 for it on the secondary market, which is high for a regular. * Strawberry: Another universally adored design. It's simple, classic, and perfectly executed. The red is vibrant, and the seed details are clean. It's just pure, uncut cuteness. Like the Peach, it consistently sells for a premium over retail, around $20-$30. You can't go wrong with it.
B-Tier: The Solid Mid-Carders
* Grape: I have a soft spot for this one. The body is made of a slightly translucent purple material that catches the light beautifully, mimicking a real grape. It's a subtle touch that many people miss. It's a popular design, but it doesn't command the same premium as Peach or Strawberry. A very solid $15-$20 figure. * Orange: A classic. The little orange peel hat is a great touch. The texture is slightly dimpled like a real orange rind, another quality detail. It's a good, solid figure that most people are happy to pull. It generally sticks close to its retail value on the secondary market. * Pear: The Pear is underrated. The gradient paint job from green to yellow is smooth, and its slightly lopsided body gives it character. It's not a showstopper, but it's a strong design that fills out the collection nicely.
C-Tier: The Acquired Tastes & Sleepers
* Durian: Ah, the Durian. The Marmite of the Labubu world. You either love it or you hate it. The spiky design is bold, but it's not traditionally "cute." I've had customers specifically ask for it, while others groan when they pull it. Because it's so divisive, its aftermarket value is all over the place, but it's usually easy to find for retail price or less. Personally, I respect the audacity of making a Durian Labubu. * Mangosteen: This is my pick for the most underrated figure in the entire series. The detail is incredible. The deep purple "shell" opens up to reveal the white fruit segments inside, with Labubu's face peeking out. It's one of the most complex designs in the set, but it gets overlooked. A true sleeper hit that you can usually get for a bargain. * Banana: The design is funny, with Labubu wearing the peel like a hoodie. It's a good concept. But for some reason, it just doesn't connect with people as much. We often have a few of these left after a case break. * Green Apple & Pineapple: These are the definition of "fine." They exist. They fill out the case. The designs are okay, but they lack the "wow" factor of the top-tier fruits. These are the figures you'll most likely find being sold in lots or for slightly below retail. They are the backbone of the blind box experience, the ones that make pulling a Peach feel like a huge win.
The Collector's Playbook: What to Know Before You Buy
So you want to start collecting Labubu Fruits. Great! Here's the real advice you need.
Pricing: What's a Fair Price? A single blind box should retail for about $14-$16 USD. If you're paying more than $20 from a reseller for a random box, you're getting ripped off unless it's a guaranteed-in-case chase. A full case of 12 guarantees you a full set of the 12 regular designs. These cases retail for around $180-$190. Resellers might mark them up to $220+, which might be worth it to you to avoid the hassle of hunting. For individual figures, refer to my rankings above. Don't overpay for a Green Apple!
The Weight & Shake Tricks: Do They Work? For this series? Not really. I've spent an afternoon with a jeweler's scale and a case of Fruits for science. Yes, the Coconut secret is measurably heavier, but the difference is tiny (a few grams). Most of the regular figures are so close in weight that it's impossible to tell them apart. The shake test is even more useless. They're all packed tightly. You might be able to distinguish the Durian by feel because of its spiky box insert, but that's about it. My advice: don't waste your time trying to game the system. Just enjoy the surprise.
Quality Control & Fakes One thing that only sellers and hardcore collectors notice is batch variation. The first wave of the Fruits series had some minor QC issues. I saw a lot of Peaches with tiny black smudges on their faces and some Pears with sloppy paint gradients. These issues seem to have been fixed in later production runs.
As for fakes, they are definitely out there, especially for the high-value figures like the Peach and the chases. The fakes often have a shinier, cheaper-looking plastic, and the paint lines are less crisp. The biggest giveaway is the foot stamp. A real Labubu has a clean, clear "Kasing Lung" and "POP MART" stamp. Fakes are often blurry or misspelled. If you're buying a pricey figure, always ask for close-up photos of the foot stamp. If you're looking for authentic figures, you can always browse our LABUBU collection at PopNya, where we guarantee authenticity.
Labubu Fruits vs. The Macaron Series: The Real Showdown
This is the conversation I have with customers all the time. Which one is "better"?
* Design Creativity: Macarons win. The concept of turning a monster into a delicate French pastry, complete with different fillings and textures, is more imaginative. The Fruits are more literal. * Color Palette: Macarons win again. The pastel, dreamy colorway of the Macarons is iconic. It created a whole aesthetic. The Fruits have a nice, vibrant palette, but it's not as cohesive or trend-setting. * "Cuddle Factor": This is a term we use for how inherently cute and desirable a figure is. It's a tie. The Peach and Strawberry from the Fruits series are just as cuddly and cute as the top-tier Macarons. * Investment/Aftermarket Value: Macarons, by a long shot. Even the regular Macaron figures held high values for a long time. The market for Macarons is a whole topic in itself, but suffice to say, they were a better "investment" if you care about that stuff. The Fruits series is more of a "collect for love" set.
So, what's the verdict? The Fruits series is a fantastic, fun, and accessible collection. It's a perfect starting point if you're new to the Labubu world, and it has some genuinely wonderful designs (I'm looking at you, Peach and Mangosteen). But it's not the cultural reset that the Macarons were. And that's okay! Not every series needs to break the internet.
For me, the joy of the Fruits series is in its simplicity. It's pure, uncomplicated fun. My personal favorite, the Mangosteen, sits on my desk right now. It reminds me that sometimes the most interesting things aren't the most hyped. They're the ones with hidden details, waiting to be appreciated.
Disclosure: PopNya may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page.
