Every year, around late August, the air in the designer toy community starts to change. The usual chatter about the next big drop gets a little... Spookier. That's when we know it's coming. The annual the monsters labubu halloween release is more than just another series; it's a tradition. For collectors, it's a chance to see Kasing Lung's adorable, long-eared monster get a ghoulishly cute makeover. For me, as a seller at PopNya, it's when my inbox explodes.
But here's the thing most new collectors don't realize: "Halloween LABUBU" isn't just one thing. It's a whole lineage of different releases, each with its own quirks, aftermarket value, and collector obsession. If you're looking to add one to your shelf, you need to know what you're actually hunting for.
A Quick Tour Through LABUBU's Haunted House
Unlike a straightforward series like the Exciting Macaron Labubu, the Halloween releases are scattered across different formats and years. It's not a single, neat collection.
First, you have the OG: The Monsters Happy Halloween Series from 2021. This was a classic blind box set and, in my opinion, one of the best holiday-themed series Pop Mart has ever produced. The designs were simple, iconic, and perfectly executed.
* Pumpkin: The classic. LABUBU peeking out of a jack-o'-lantern. It's the face of the series. * Ghost: Simple, effective, and has a great dynamic pose. * Vampire: The standout for many. The little cape, the fangs, the widow's peak. This one was an instant hit. * Witch: A super cute take with a pointy hat and broom. * Mummy: Cleverly designed with the bandages wrapping around the ears. * Frankenstein: The neck bolts are a perfect touch. * The Secret/Chase: A clear, sparkly ghost version. Beautiful, but incredibly hard to pull.
The aftermarket for this 2021 series is where things get wild. At release, a box was about $12. Now? I've seen the Vampire figure alone sell for over $90. The complete set can easily fetch $300-$400 if it includes the chase. Why? Scarcity. This series is long out of production, and everyone who got into LABUBU in the last couple of years wants a piece of it. It's a foundational set.
Then came the Vinyl Plush Pendants. You've probably seen the Sitting Pumpkin Vinyl Plush Pendant. It's a LABUBU with a vinyl head and a soft, pumpkin-shaped plush body. These are a totally different category. They're bigger, cuddlier, and serve a different purpose. People hang them from bags, car mirrors, you name it.
Here's a detail I've noticed from handling dozens of these for the shop: the quality of the plush fabric can vary slightly between production runs. I remember the very first batch that arrived had a pumpkin body that was almost velvety to the touch, super soft and a little more vibrant in its orange. Later restocks, while still high quality, used a more standard, slightly firmer plush material. It's a tiny, almost unnoticeable difference unless you have them side-by-side, but it's the kind of detail hardcore collectors obsess over. It doesn't really affect the value, but it's a fun "I was there" detail for early adopters.
Finally, you have the standalone large figures. The most notable is the "Trick or Treater" LABUBU. This isn't a blind box figure. It's a single, larger-scale (about 10cm) figure that comes in its own window box. It depicts LABUBU in a patched-up outfit holding a pumpkin candy bucket. The detail on these is a step up from the blind box figures. The paint is more nuanced, and the sculpt has more texture. But you pay for it, these retail for significantly more than a single blind box.
Real Talk: Which Halloween LABUBU Should You Actually Buy?
Okay, let's be honest. As a seller, I could tell you to buy them all. But as a collector, my advice is more specific.
If you're an investor or a serious collector, the 2021 Happy Halloween blind box series is the one to hunt for. It's the "blue chip" of the Halloween sets. The prices are high, but they're stable and likely to keep appreciating because they will never be made again. Finding a sealed case of this is like finding a treasure chest.
If you want pure, spooky-cute fun, get the Sitting Pumpkin Vinyl Plush Pendant. It's accessible, relatively affordable, and just plain adorable. It captures the Halloween spirit without requiring you to hunt down six different figures. It's the perfect entry point for a labubu monster halloween collection.
If you want a centerpiece for your display, the Trick or Treater large figure is your best bet. It has more presence on a shelf than the smaller blind box figures. It's a statement piece.
My contrarian take? While I love the Halloween theme, be careful about buying the newest releases right at the peak of the October hype. Prices on secondary markets can get inflated by 50-100% in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Often, if you wait until November or December, the frenzy dies down, and you can snag them for much closer to retail. The exception is, of course, a truly limited run that sells out instantly. But for general releases, patience is your friend.
A Collector's Playbook for Hunting Halloween LABUBU
So you've decided which one you want. Now, how do you get it without getting ripped off?
1. Timing Your Hunt The absolute worst time to buy a Halloween-themed item is in October. Demand is at its peak, and sellers know it. The best time to buy the current year's release is either right at the drop (if you can get it from an official retailer like Pop Mart) or a month or two after Halloween. For older series like the 2021 set, the price is less seasonal and more about overall scarcity. For those, any time you find one at a price you're comfortable with is a good time to buy.
2. How to Spot a Fake Halloween LABUBU Fakes are a massive problem, especially for popular series. I've seen some truly terrible knock-offs of the Halloween set. Here are some dead giveaways I've personally seen on fakes customers have shown me:
* The Pumpkin's Teeth: On a genuine Pumpkin LABUBU from the 2021 series, the carved teeth of the jack-o'-lantern are sharp and well-defined. On fakes, the paint is often sloppy, bleeding onto the "gums," and the edges of the teeth are rounded and poorly molded. * The Vinyl Finish: Pop Mart uses high-quality vinyl with a specific matte finish. Fakes often look too glossy or feel cheap and lightweight. The vinyl might even have a strong chemical smell, which is a huge red flag. * Box and Foil: The printing on fake boxes is often slightly blurry or the colors are off. The inner foil bag on a fake might be a generic silver foil, whereas genuine Pop Mart bags are often printed with the series art. Learning to spot these issues is a critical skill for any collector, and it's something we cover in depth in guides like our honest look at Labubu Macaron fakes. * The ID Card: Every genuine figure comes with a small collector's card. On fakes, the cardstock is flimsy, and the printing is low-resolution. The corner cuts might also be rough.
3. Understanding the "Why" Behind the Price A new collector might see a $90 price tag on the Vampire LABUBU and think it's insane. But it's pure supply and demand. That figure was part of a blind box series, meaning you had a 1-in-12 chance of getting it (or whatever the specific ratio was). Many cases were opened by people just wanting the Pumpkin or Ghost, so the Vampire became harder to find as a single. Combine that with its standout design and the fact that the series is retired, and you have a recipe for a high aftermarket value. It's a lesson in scarcity that applies to all of collecting, which we touch on in our Ultimate Guide to LABUBU Dolls.
4. Where to Actually Buy Your safest bet is always an official Pop Mart store or their online channels. For sold-out series, you have to turn to the secondary market. This is where it gets tricky.
* Specialty Stores (Like Us!): Stores like PopNya are run by collectors. We curate our inventory, and we stake our reputation on authenticity. When you browse our LABUBU figures, you know you're getting the real deal, even for older, rarer sets. We do the authentication work for you. * Collector Groups: Facebook groups and Discord servers can be great places to find trades or buy from other trusted collectors. But you need to be part of the community and know who has a good reputation. * eBay/Mercari: You can find almost anything here, but it's the Wild West. It's flooded with fakes. If you buy from these platforms, scrutinize the seller's ratings, ask for detailed photos, and if a price seems too good to be true, it absolutely is.
The Halloween LABUBU figures are special. They combine the playful monster aesthetic of Kasing Lung's world with the fun, spooky energy of the holiday. They stand out on a shelf in a way that, say, a food-themed series doesn't. They have a narrative. The appeal isn't just about the cuteness; it's about the character and the story. It's a completely different vibe from the high-seas adventure of The Monsters x One Piece Labubu, and that thematic variety is what makes collecting so addictive.
So, as the leaves start to turn and you feel that pull to add a little spookiness to your collection, just be smart about it. Know which series you're after, understand its place in the market, and always, always buy from a source you trust. Happy hunting!
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