I was scrolling through a resale app late last night, the kind of mindless browsing that leads to either incredible finds or questionable 2 AM purchases. And there it was. The siren song for so many new collectors: a listing for a cheap labubu opened figure. It was the Cuddly Bear from The Monsters Camping series, listed for a mere $9.
My first thought, the one from the collector who still gets a rush from a good deal, was, "Nice."
My second thought, the one from the guy who runs PopNya and has seen it all, was, "...oh, you sweet summer child."
That $9 listing is a perfect microcosm of a huge part of the secondary market for designer toys. It looks like a steal. It feels like a shortcut to getting the exact figure you want without the gamble of a blind box. And sometimes, it is. But a lot of the time, it's a trap baited with a low price tag, and new collectors are the first to walk into it.
So, let's talk about it. For real. No SEO fluff, just the honest truth from someone who buys, sells, and trades these little monsters every single day.
What "Opened" Really Means in the Wild
First things first. The word "opened" on a listing is not a standardized term. It can mean a whole spectrum of things, and the seller's definition might be very different from yours. I've personally experienced every one of these, and I've graded them from best to worst-case scenario.
The Unicorn: Box Opened, Foil Sealed This is the holy grail of opened figures. The seller likely bought a case, weighed the individual boxes to identify the figures, and is now selling the confirmed commons. The figure itself is still pristine in its foil bag. You lose the surprise, but you get a brand-new figure of your choice. These are usually the most expensive of the "opened" variety because they're basically new. No complaints here. This is a solid way to complete a set.
The Peek-a-Boo: Foil Nicked, Card Revealed This is more common. The seller got a blind box, carefully made a tiny slit in the foil bag, and slid the character card out to see what they got. The figure itself hasn't been touched. It's still nestled in its plastic tray. This is usually fine. 99% of the time, the figure is perfect. But I have seen instances where the knife used to nick the foil also scratched the figure. It's a small risk, but it's there. You're trusting a stranger's surgical skills.
The Displayed Veteran: Fully Unboxed and Out Here's where things get dicey. This is the most common type of cheap labubu opened listing. The figure has been taken out, handled, and put on a shelf. The seller might say "displayed only," but that can mean a lot of things.
I once bought a "displayed" Labubu that arrived reeking of cigarette smoke. It was a nightmare to air out. I've received others with a fine layer of shelf dust that had settled into the tiny crevices of the vinyl. I've seen figures with tiny paint scuffs from being knocked over or moved around. The worst is sun damage. A figure that sat on a windowsill for six months can have subtle, irreversible color fading on one side. The seller almost never mentions this, either because they don't notice or they hope you won't.
You have to become a detective. Scrutinize the photos. Is the lighting weirdly dim? That could be hiding flaws. Is it the same stock photo from Pop Mart's website? HUGE red flag. Ask for pictures in natural light. Ask if it comes from a smoke-free/pet-free home.
The Nightmare: Fakes and Frauds And then there's the dark side. The price is too good to be true because the figure isn't real. There are some shockingly convincing fakes out there. I've written before about the plague of ROR MART LABUBU fakes, and they often get passed off as "opened" figures on secondary markets. If you see a brand new, super popular figure like a Macaron or a Zimomo listed for $5 opened, just days after release... Run. It's a fake. No one is selling a genuine, newly released Labubu for less than the price of a coffee.
*The False Economy: Are You Actually* Saving Money?This is the part that gets most people. That $9 price tag looks amazing next to the $17 retail price of a labubu official box. But you're not seeing the full picture.
Let's do the math on that $9 Cuddly Bear Labubu.
- Figure Price: $9.00
- Shipping (average): $5.50
- Platform Fees/Taxes: ~$1.50
- Total Cost to Your Door: $16.00**
You just paid $16 for a used, unboxed figure to save... One dollar. And in exchange for that one dollar, you gave up: 1. The incredibly fun unboxing experience. 2. The guarantee of a brand-new, untouched, factory-fresh figure. 3. The box and all the original packaging (which matters for resale value). 4. The chance, however small, of pulling a secret or chase figure.
Is it worth it? For a single dollar? Honestly, for me, it's not.
This is the trap. The low sticker price hooks you, but the final cost after shipping and handling often pushes it right back up to the retail price. It's a psychological trick. You feel like you got a deal, even if you objectively didn't. I see this happen all the time. People are so focused on the base price they ignore the total cost.
The only time this math works out is if you're buying multiple figures from the same seller to combine shipping, or if the figure is genuinely rare and you're willing to pay a premium for a confirmed one. But for a common from a recent labubu mart series? You're often better off just buying a blind box.
Our Take: The Real Talk on Opened Figures
Look, I'm not saying you should never buy an opened figure. That would be hypocritical; I've done it myself to fill a gap in a collection. But I am saying that for 90% of collectors, especially those just starting out, it's a bad habit to get into.
Buying cheap, opened commons is a trap. It conditions you to see these figures as cheap commodities rather than pieces of art. It strips away the joy and community aspect of the hobby, the trading, the surprise, the shared experience of a case break. It turns collecting into a sterile exercise of filling slots on a shelf as cheaply as possible.
The real value in designer toys isn't just the vinyl itself. It's the story. It's the artist's vision. It's the thrill of the hunt. It's the moment you tear open that foil and see which little monster is staring back at you. When you buy a pre-opened, displayed common for a couple of bucks off, you're short-changing yourself on the best part of the experience. You're buying the toy, but you're not buying into the hobby.
The Smart Collector's Playbook for Buying Opened
Okay, lecture over. You're still determined to hunt down that one specific figure. I get it. Sometimes you just need that one piece to finish a set, and you've already pulled three doubles. If you're going to navigate the world of opened Labubus, do it like a pro. Here's my personal playbook.
1. Vet the Seller Like You're Hiring Them. Look at their reviews. Are they all positive? Do they mention fast shipping and accurate descriptions? Now, look at their other items for sale. Are they selling a dozen other opened figures from the same series? If so, they're likely a case-breaker. This is generally a good sign, it means they're experienced, the figures are likely fresh from the box, and they know what they're doing. If it's a random person with a blurry photo and no other toys for sale, be more cautious.
2. Become an Expert Photo Analyst. Do not trust stock photos. Ever. If the seller is using Pop Mart's official images, ask for photos of the actual item in their possession. Zoom in on the pictures they provide. Look for scuffs on the ears, paint rubs on the feet, and dust in the joints. Check the background. Does it look clean? Or does it look like the figure has been living in a dusty garage?
3. The Description is a Legal Document. Read every single word. Phrases like "displayed in a glass cabinet" are better than just "displayed." "From a smoke-free home" is a huge green light. If the description is vague, ask questions. "Does it include the original box and card?" "Are there any scratches or marks I can't see in the photo?" Get them to confirm the condition in writing in the platform's messaging system. It gives you recourse if the item arrives and isn't as described.
4. The "Labubu Kopen" Strategy: Consider the Full Set. Sometimes you'll see listings for a full set of a series, all opened. This is what the keyword "labubu kopen" (Dutch for "buy Labubu") often leads to. This can actually be a fantastic deal. You get all 12 regular designs in one go, no doubles, and the per-figure cost is often much lower than buying them individually, even after shipping. You sacrifice the chance of a secret, but you get certainty and a complete collection. For many, that's a worthy trade-off.
5. Know Your Alternatives. Before you hit "buy," ask yourself: is there a better way? Could I trade one of my doubles for this figure in a collector's Facebook group? Is there a local toy store or a place like a Pop Mart in San Francisco where I could just go and buy one? Is there a labubu popmart sale coming up where I could get a discount on sealed boxes? Sometimes the easiest path isn't the cheapest, but it's the most rewarding. The hunt for a figure can be as fun as owning it, and as I found on my own hunt for LABUBU in NYC, the journey is part of the story.
Ultimately, how you collect is up to you. There's no right or wrong way. But I see so many people get burned out on the hobby because they get stuck in the "cheap opened" cycle, receiving dusty, disappointing figures and wondering where the magic went.
For me, the magic is in the weight of a new, sealed labubu official box. It's in the sound of the foil tearing. It's the little gasp of excitement when you see a design you were hoping for. And if you decide that experience is worth a few extra dollars, you can always browse our LABUBU collection and try your luck. Go in with your eyes open, know what you're really paying for, and happy hunting.
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