You've seen it. On TikTok, on Instagram, clutched in the arms of influencers and maybe even your coolest friend. That fluffy, grinning creature with the long ears and a chaotic splash of pastel rainbow fur. The rainbow labubu. And you've probably had the same two thoughts as everyone else: "I need one," immediately followed by, "Wait, it costs how much?"
As the owner of PopNya, I've been riding the Labubu wave for a while. I've seen series sell out in minutes and I've unboxed hundreds, maybe thousands, of these little guys. But the phenomenon around The Monsters Exciting Macaron series plush keychain, specifically the rainbow one, officially named "Soybean", is something else entirely. It's not just popular; it's a cultural moment in the designer toy world.
Let's get one thing straight. This isn't a normal blind box figure. This is a plush keychain, part of a series that also includes colors like green grape, lychee, and taro. But the rainbow one... Soybean... Is the undisputed chase of the set. It's the one that went from a cute accessory to a status symbol overnight.
Why? A perfect storm, really. Kasing Lung's Labubu character was already a superstar in the art toy scene. Then, you get a phenomenally cute, fluffy, and photogenic design. Add a dash of celebrity endorsement (yes, that viral photo of BLACKPINK's Lisa with one sent the market into a frenzy), and you have a recipe for pandemonium. Suddenly, this wasn't just a toy for collectors. It was a fashion accessory. Everyone wanted the labubu doll rainbow.
*The Rainbow Labubu Price: What Are You Really* Paying For?Okay, let's talk numbers. This is where things get wild, and where most people get sticker shock.
The retail price for one Exciting Macaron Labubu plush blind box is typically around $12-$16 USD, depending on the country and retailer. You are NOT guaranteed to get the rainbow one. It's a blind box, meaning the contents are a surprise.
But nobody is paying retail for a confirmed rainbow labubu.
When the hype first exploded around April/May 2024, I was watching the secondary market with my jaw on the floor. The rainbow labubu price shot up from its "share" of a case price (maybe $30-$40) to $100, then $150, and I saw listings touching $200. It was pure madness. As of writing this, the price has stabilized a bit, but you are still looking at anywhere from $80 to $120 for a real rainbow labubu on platforms like eBay or Mercari.
Why the huge range? It depends on the seller, the platform, and honestly, how desperate the buyer is. We've sold a few at PopNya (when we can get them), and we try to keep it fair, but even our cost to acquire a confirmed one is dictated by this insane market. You're not paying for the cost of materials. You're paying for the hype. You're paying for the scarcity and the cultural cachet. It's the same reason people pay thousands for a pair of sneakers that cost $20 to make.
This is also where the term rare rainbow labubu* comes from. Is it actually* rare? No. It's not a secret or a chase in the traditional sense with a 1/144 ratio. It's just a regular figure in the set of 7. The "rarity" is entirely manufactured by demand. There are just as many Rainbow Labubus as there are Lychee or Taro ones. But ten times more people want the rainbow one. That's the whole story.
Real Talk: How to Spot a Fake Rainbow Labubu (Because They're Everywhere)
Because of the high price, the fakes came out. Fast. And some of them are scarily good. As someone who has held both authentic ones and the highest-tier fakes, I can give you a checklist. Please, for the love of all that is holy, check this before you spend $100 on a fake.
1. The Fur: The Biggest Tell The authentic stuffed animals rainbow labubu has a very specific fur. It's soft, slightly shaggy, and the colors blend in a soft, random, pastel gradient. The fakes often get this wrong. * Color: Fakes often have brighter, more neon colors. The authentic one is distinctly pastel. Think soft pinks, baby blues, light yellows. Not hot pink and electric blue. * Texture: The real fur is finer and softer. Fakes can feel a bit coarser, more like a cheap carnival prize.
Pattern: The rainbow pattern on a real one is random. I've had ten in my hands at once, and no two are identical. Fakes, being mass-produced from a single pattern, often have very similar or identical color placements. If you see multiple listings online with the exact* same rainbow pattern, be suspicious.2. The Tag: The Unsung Hero of Authenticity Don't throw away the tag! It's your best friend. * The Card Tag: The real one is a thick, matte cardstock with a slightly textured feel. The printing is crisp. The character's name is "Soybean." Fakes often use flimsy, glossy paper with blurry printing. The edges might be poorly cut. * The Tush Tag (the fabric one): The authentic tush tag has clean, precise stitching and clear text. It includes POP MART's information and material details. The fakes often have messy fonts, spelling errors, or a tag that feels cheap and thin.
3. The Face: It's All in the Details Kasing Lung's art has a specific style. Fakes mess it up. * Eyes: The black embroidery on the eyes should be dense and clean. Look at the two little white "gleam" stitches in the eyes. On a real one, they are distinct and tight. On fakes, they can be messy, uneven, or just look like a single blob of white thread. * Mouth: The grinning stitch is tight and follows a specific curve. Fakes might have a mouth that's too wide, too straight, or uses a thinner, cheaper-looking thread. * Ears: The ears on a real Labubu have a particular shape and structure. They're not just floppy pieces of fabric. They have a slight curve and are sewn on very securely.
4. The Hardware: The Zipper and Clip This is a keychain, after all. The hardware matters. The clip on the real one is sturdy, has a nice weight to it, and a smooth finish. The fakes often use a cheap, lightweight aluminum clip that feels flimsy. Check the zipper on the back of its head. While not always a YKK, it should be a quality zipper that operates smoothly, not a generic, snag-prone one.
If you're buying online, ask the seller for detailed, high-resolution photos of the tags, the face, and the fur in good lighting. If they refuse or provide blurry pictures, run. It's not worth the risk. Honestly, the fake market for these is so rampant, it's one of the main reasons I wrote The Honest Labubu Macaron Buyer's Guide to help people navigate it.
The Other "Rainbow" Labubu: Don't Get Confused
The search for a rainbow labubu can get confusing because there are other versions. You might see people talking about a gray labubu with rainbow eyes. This is a completely different figure.
This refers to "The Ghost of the Future" from The Monsters Mischief blind box series (Series 1). This is a standard-sized vinyl figure, not a plush. It's a gray, translucent Labubu holding a crystal ball, and its eyes are painted with a rainbow gradient. It's a cool figure, but it is absolutely not the plush everyone is losing their minds over. It's important to know the difference so you don't end up buying the wrong thing.
People also sometimes use "rainbow labubus" as a plural, or even misspell it as "rainbow la boo boo," when searching for the plush. It all points back to the same viral Macaron keychain. As for a new rainbow labubu, POP MART knows they have a hit on their hands. I would be absolutely shocked if we don't see more rainbow-themed plushies or figures in the future, but for now, Soybean is the one and only.
Our Take: Is The Rainbow Labubu Worth It?
So, the million-dollar question (or, well, the $100 question): should you buy one?
Here's my brutally honest take as a seller and a collector.
If you are a die-hard Labubu fan, you love the design, and you have the disposable income, then yes. It's an iconic piece. Holding one, you can feel the quality. It's undeniably cute, and it brings a little spark of joy. It's the centerpiece of the modern Labubu collection right now. For you, the high rainbow labubu price might be worth it for the happiness it brings.
However, for the average person or a casual collector just getting into the hobby? Honestly, no. It's not worth it.
The price is pure hype. You are paying a 500-800% markup for something that is not functionally rare. The market is flooded with fakes, making online purchasing a minefield. For the $100+ you'd spend on this one plush keychain, you could buy an entire case of a new blind box series (that's 12 figures!), or one of the larger, more intricate MEGA figures. Your money can go so much further and bring you a lot more variety and fun in the hobby.
The hype will eventually die down. It always does. The price may not crash, but it will settle. My advice is to either wait it out or to fall in love with one of the other, more reasonably priced Labubus. The Green Grape and Taro Macarons are just as cute, I promise! The community's obsession with one specific design can create a frustrating barrier for new fans, and it's something we've seen with other popular series like the Exciting Macaron Labubu in general.
Don't let the FOMO (fear of missing out) drive your collection. Collect what you genuinely love and what feels right for your budget. There are so many incredible designs in the world of Kasing Lung that deserve just as much attention.com/collections/labubu) at PopNya. You might just find your own personal "rainbow" that doesn't require taking out a small loan.
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