I remember the day the first shipment of The Monsters Party arrived at the shop. The shipping boxes were enormous, way bigger than the usual cases of vinyl figures. I thought there had been a mistake. But no, inside were these chunky, colorful boxes for the new labubu the monsters party series. My first thought? "A reversible plush? Sounds like a gimmick." My second thought was, "Okay, but I still want all of them."
That's the magic of LABUBU, isn't it? Kasing Lung and Pop Mart know how to pull us in. But as someone who has unboxed, reversed, sold, and collected this entire series, I have some thoughts. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This isn't just another product page; this is a field report from the trenches.
So, What's the Big Deal with This Series?
If you're new here, the monster party labubu series is a blind box collection, but instead of vinyl figures, you get plush dolls. The main hook is that each one is reversible. You get a cute LABUBU monster on the outside, and when you flip it inside out, it transforms into a different object or creature.
The lineup is classic Halloween fun: * YAYA (Mummy): Reverses into a Sarcophagus. * TYCOCO (Vampire): Reverses into a Bat. * PATO (Frankenstein): Reverses into a... Brain? A stitched-up heart? It's abstract. * ZIMOMO (Werewolf): Reverses into a full moon. (My personal favorite transformation). * SPOOKY (Ghost): Reverses into a tombstone. * POPO (Pumpkin): Reverses into a Jack-o'-lantern. * SECRET - Heart Monster: Reverses into a big, anatomical (but cute) heart.
The concept is undeniably clever. It takes the blind box thrill and adds a whole new layer of interactivity. It's not just a static figure; it's a toy you can actually play with. But the execution... Well, let's talk about that.
The Reversible Gimmick: Is It Actually Good?
Here's the brutally honest truth: the reversible feature is both the series' greatest strength and its most notable weakness.
When you first pull one out of the box, the plush is fantastic. The material is soft, the embroidery on the faces is high-quality, and they have a satisfying weight to them. They feel premium. The "main" monster form is perfect.
The process of reversing them is... An event. It's basically turning a stuffed animal inside out through a small-ish hole in its back. The first time I did it, I was genuinely scared I was going to rip a seam. The stitching is surprisingly durable, but it still feels a bit aggressive. You have to push and pull and squish the little guy until his alter-ego emerges.
And once it's reversed? It's... Okay.
This is the detail no one really talks about. The "inside" form is never as clean or well-shaped as the "outside" form. The Bat looks a little lumpy. The Sarcophagus is a bit saggy. The fabric that was on the inside now has to stretch to form the new shape, and it just doesn't sit perfectly. It's a cool party trick, but I find that 99% of the time, I (and my customers) display them in their primary monster form. The reversible feature is more of a "huh, neat" than a feature you use daily.
Real Talk: Don't buy this series just for the reversible gimmick. Buy it if you love the monster designs and want a super cute, high-quality plush LABUBU. Think of the transformation as a fun little Easter egg, not the main event.
The Unboxing Experience: Can You Cheat the System?
With every new series, the question comes up: can you weigh the boxes or shake them to find the secret?
For the monsters party, the answer is a resounding "no."
I've personally handled multiple sealed cases. The weight difference between the boxes is negligible. We're talking a few grams, easily within the margin of error for manufacturing. The plush material and stuffing just don't have the density variations you see in vinyl figures. Shaking them is useless; you just hear a soft thud.
Pop Mart did a good job making this a truly blind experience. The only way to know what you're getting is to rip open that foil bag.
One thing to watch for, though, is quality control. It's generally excellent, but I've seen a few minor issues out of the hundreds I've processed. The most common is a loose thread on the embroidery, especially around TYCOCO the Vampire's cape. It's an easy fix with a pair of scissors, but it's something to be aware of. The printing on the faces is usually spot-on, but I've seen one or two where an eye was slightly off-center. It's rare, but it happens.
The Monsters, The Market, and The Secret Chase
Let's break down the characters and what they're actually worth to collectors. The retail price for a single box is usually around $17-$20.
* The Commons: YAYA, TYCOCO, PATO, SPOOKY, and POPO are all relatively easy to find. On the secondary market, they usually sell for just below or at retail price if you're buying them open-box. People just want to complete their set. * The Fan Favorite: ZIMOMO (Werewolf) is consistently the most popular of the regular set. ZIMOMO has always been a hyped character in the LABUBU universe, and this design is fantastic. People love the little fangs and the clever moon transformation. If you're selling an open-box regular, you might get a few extra dollars for ZIMOMO. * The Secret: And then there's Heart Monster. Oh, Heart Monster. The chase figure of this labubu party series. The pull ratio is 1/72, meaning there's one secret in every case of 6 full sets. When this series first dropped, the hype was insane. I saw Heart Monster selling for over $200 on platforms like StockX and Xianyu within weeks of release. The price has stabilized a bit, but it still consistently fetches $150+. It's a beautifully weird design, and the rarity keeps the price high. Pulling this guy is like hitting a small lottery.
This market behavior is pretty typical for hyped Pop Mart releases. It's not quite the frenzy we saw with the One Piece crossover, but it's significant. It shows that even in plush form, the hunt for the secret is a huge driver for collectors.
My Honest Seller/Collector Verdict
So, after all that, what's my final take on The Monsters Party?
I genuinely love this series, but with caveats. It's incredibly fun and a refreshing change of pace from the vinyl figures. The plushies are well-made, undeniably cute, and make for an awesome desk companion or shelf decoration. They have a presence that a 3-inch vinyl figure just can't match.
However, I see them as a different kind of collectible. They don't have the same "art toy" feel as, say, the Exciting Macaron Labubu series. They feel more like a high-end, designer-adjacent plush toy. And that's perfectly fine!
Who should buy this series? * If you're a die-hard LABUBU fan who wants to own a piece of every collection. * If you prefer plushies over vinyl figures. * If you're looking for a fantastic gift for a designer toy fan. * If you just think the monster designs are adorable and want a cuddly friend.
Who should maybe skip it? * If you're a vinyl purist who values clean lines and perfect paint jobs above all else. * If you have limited shelf space (the boxes are big, and the plushies are chunky). * If you're on a tight budget and the "gimmick" of the reversible feature is the only thing appealing to you.
Ultimately, the labubu monster party series was a successful experiment for Pop Mart. It proved that the love for LABUBU extends beyond vinyl. It brought a new texture and a new sense of playfulness to Kasing Lung's world. While I might not be flipping my Vampire into a Bat every day, I'm still glad he's sitting on my shelf, looking menacingly cute.
If you're thinking of starting your own monster mash or trying your luck at finding that elusive Heart Monster, it's a super fun journey. The thrill of not knowing which monster you're about to welcome home is half the fun. If you're looking to complete your set or just see what's available, you can always browse our LABUBU collection at PopNya. We're always getting new and old series in stock.
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