I get the same question in my DMs at least five times a week: "Do you have the sesame labubu?"
It's the one. The little guy that seems to have captured everyone's imagination. And honestly, I get it. There's something so simple and perfect about the design. In a world of bright pinks and sparkly secrets, the matte black sesame labubu is just... Cool. It's understated. It's chic. It's the Labubu you could hang off a designer handbag without it looking out of place.
But the hype has created a monster of its own. The market is a minefield of inflated prices, confused buyers, and some of the most convincing fakes I've ever seen. So, let's just talk about it, collector to collector. What is actually going on with this little monster?
The Two Sesames: The Plush vs. The Vinyl
First things first, let's clear up the biggest point of confusion. There isn't just one "Sesame." There are two main versions that people are hunting for, and they are completely different products.
1. The Original: The Monsters Tasty Macarons Vinyl Plush Pendant. This is the OG. It's a plush keychain, about 4 inches tall, with a vinyl face. It was sold in a window box, not a blind box. You knew exactly what you were getting. This is the one that started it all. It retailed for around $25-$30. 2. The Blind Box: The Labubu Exciting Macaron Vinyl Face Blind Box. This is the one causing most of the current chaos. It's part of a blind box series where the main figure is a plush macaron shell with a small, swappable vinyl Labubu face inside. The macaron labubu sesame bean is one of the regular figures in this set.
People use the terms interchangeably, but they are not the same. The original plush pendant is larger and has a different body construction. The blind box version is a small, round macaron. When you see someone asking for the labubu exciting macaron sesame bean, they are talking about the blind box version. Knowing the difference is your first line of defense against overpaying or buying the wrong thing.
So, Is Sesame Bean Labubu Rare?
This is the million-dollar question. And the answer is… no, but also yes.
Let me explain.
In the world of blind boxes, "rare" usually means a "secret" or "chase" figure, which has a much lower pull rate, like 1 in 144 boxes. The sesame macaron labubu is NOT a secret. It's a regular figure in the Exciting Macaron series. Theoretically, its pull rate is the same as Lychee, Soymilk, or any of the other standard designs. You have a 1 in 12 chance of pulling it from a single box (if you don't get a secret).
So why does it cost so much?
Because of demand. It's what we in the business call "character-driven rarity." It's not rare because Pop Mart made fewer of them; it's rare because everyone wants it. It's the same phenomenon that happened with Soymilk from the first series or the recent hype around some figures in the Have a Seat Labubu V2 series.
When a series drops, collectors open cases and immediately list the duplicates. The popular ones get snapped up instantly. The price starts to creep up. Newcomers see the high price on secondary markets and assume it must be rare, which fuels the demand even more. It's a vicious cycle.
I've watched the sesame macaron labubu go from a standard $15 blind box pull to selling for $80-$100 on its own within weeks of a restock. That's not because it's hard to find in a case; it's because the 100 people who pulled it know that 1,000 people are looking for it. It's pure supply and demand.
A Seller's Field Guide to Spotting a Fake Sesame
Because of its popularity and high resale price, Sesame is one of the most faked Labubus on the market, right up there with the original green grape. The fakes are getting scarily good. I've had to turn away people trying to sell me fakes they genuinely thought were real.
Forget the obvious stuff like blurry box printing. The counterfeiters have gotten much smarter. Here are the things I look for when authenticating one for PopNya.
The Plush Texture: This is the biggest tell for me. A real sesame macaron labubu plush has a specific "mochi-like" feel. It's soft, slightly stretchy, and has a very fine, short pile. The fakes often use a cheaper, fluffier fleece material. It feels more like a standard carnival plush toy. It doesn't have that dense, smooth texture. Squeeze a real one, and it slowly bounces back. The fakes often feel either too stiff or too squishy.
The Tag: This is my secret weapon. On the authentic blind box Sesame, the small fabric tag sewn into the macaron has incredibly crisp printing. The "POPMART" logo and the copyright information are sharp, even at that tiny size. On many fakes, the text on this tag is slightly thicker, a little bit fuzzy, or the spacing is off. It's a detail they rarely get perfect. Also, check the color of the plastic tag fastener. The fakes sometimes use a slightly different shade of white or a different shape.
The Vinyl Face: Pop the vinyl face out of the plush. The real one has a smooth, matte finish. It shouldn't be shiny. The paint on the eyes and mouth should be perfectly applied. On fakes, you might see a slight glossiness to the vinyl, or the edges of the white paint on the teeth might be a little soft. Another dead giveaway: the back of the vinyl face. The real ones have crisp, clear copyright information molded into the plastic. Fakes often have blurry text or no text at all.
The Weight: This is less reliable now, but it used to be a good trick. Sometimes fakes use different stuffing or a lighter-grade vinyl, making them feel noticeably lighter or heavier than an authentic one. If you have another real Macaron from the series, you can compare the feel. But with counterfeiters getting better, this is becoming less of a sure thing. If you're serious about not getting scammed, I've covered more general tips in The Honest Labubu Macaron Buyer's Guide that apply here too.
Real Talk: My Honest Verdict on the Sesame Labubu
Okay, let's be real. Is the Sesame Labubu cool? Yes. It's iconic. For a serious collector aiming to complete the Macaron set, it's a must-have. It photographs beautifully and has a unique presence on the shelf.
But is it worth $100? Ngl, I don't think so.
As a seller, I stock it when I can get it at a reasonable price because I know people want it. But I always feel a little conflicted. The hype has pushed the price far beyond its intrinsic value as a regular-ratio blind box figure. You're not paying for rarity; you're paying for hype. It's the "hype tax."
My honest advice? If you're a casual fan who just loves the black sesame labubu aesthetic, there are other options. The Labubu Big into Energy series has a fantastic black figure called "Power of Night" that gives off a similar vibe for a fraction of the price. Or, if you're lucky, you might find the original Tasty Macarons plush pendant for a more reasonable price than the blind box version.
If you absolutely must have the labubu exciting macaron sesame bean, be patient. Pop Mart does restock this series. When a restock hits, the secondary market prices dip for a week or two. That's your window. Set alerts, watch the market, and don't panic-buy at the peak of the hype. The price will come down. It always does.
And for the love of Kasing Lung, buy from a reputable seller. The pain of spending $80 on a fake is so much worse than the pain of missing out for a few more weeks. The sheer volume of fakes makes platforms like eBay and Mercari a gamble unless you know exactly what you're looking for.
Ultimately, collecting should be fun. Don't let the FOMO around one popular figure ruin the joy of the hunt. There are so many incredible designs in the wider LABUBU collection that are just as amazing and won't require you to take out a small loan. Explore a bit. You might find a new favorite that isn't the one everyone on TikTok is talking about.
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