I get this question in my DMs at least once a week. Someone sees a listing for a labubu open box confirmed figure on our site, PopNya, and they're confused. "It's open box... But it costs more than a sealed blind box? Why?"
It's a totally fair question. And the answer gets to the very heart of why collecting designer toys is both a joy and, let's be honest, sometimes a maddeningly expensive hobby.
Look, the term "open box confirmed" is a bit of a misnomer. It creates an image of a used, second-hand toy. That's not what it is. Not if it's done right.
Here's the process from my side of the counter. We get a fresh, factory-sealed case of a new LABUBU series. A case contains 12 individual blind boxes. To create "confirmed" listings, we have to become surgeons. I take a very sharp, very thin X-Acto knife and make a tiny, careful slit along the top or bottom flap of the individual box, just big enough to slide the character card out without bending it.
The card tells us which figure is inside. The crucial part? The figure itself, nestled inside its foil bag, remains 100% sealed and untouched.
We identify the character, slide the card back in, and then list it. So when you buy a `labubu open box confirmed` figure, you're getting a brand new, untouched figure. The only thing that's been "used" is our knowledge of what's inside. You're not paying for the toy itself; you're paying for certainty. You're paying to skip the gamble.
The Real Math Behind That "Expensive" Confirmed Box
So, why the price hike? It's not just random greed. It's a matter of inventory risk and market demand.
Let's use a real-world example: The LABUBU The Monsters Camping series. It's one of my all-time favorites. The retail for a single blind box is around $17. In that series, the "Campfire" and "Fishing" LABUBUs were instantly popular. Everyone wanted them. The "Tent" figure? Not so much.
If I open a whole case of 12 to find two "Campfire" figures for customers who specifically want them, I'm now left with 10 other figures. Maybe I have two "Tents" that nobody is asking for. Those might sit on my shelf for months. The slightly higher price on the "Campfire" and "Fishing" figures helps offset the cost of the less popular figures that are now taking up space and capital.
It's a balancing act. The price of a confirmed common isn't just the cost of the toy; it's the cost of the toy plus a fraction of the cost of every other less-desirable toy we had to open to find it.
And then you have the chases and secrets. This is where the economics get wild. To find one secret figure, a seller might have to open 144 boxes (that's 12 full cases). I've talked about this before, but the real cost of finding a confirmed secret is astronomical. That's why you see them listed for hundreds of dollars. The price reflects the sheer volume of product a seller had to churn through to guarantee that one specific, ultra-rare piece.
The market moves fast, too. I remember when the Zimomo "Typ" from the Let's Christmas series was a confirmed common selling for around $25. It was popular, but available. Once the series officially sold out from Pop Mart, I watched that same confirmed figure jump to $75, then $90 on secondary platforms like StockX and various collector groups. Why? Because people who had bought a full case and got a secret instead of "Typ" were desperate to complete their base set. The confirmed market was their only option.
Real Talk: My Honest Verdict on Buying Confirmed
As someone who both sells these and collects them personally, I have a very clear stance.
Buying a labubu open box confirmed figure is a brilliant move in specific scenarios. In others, it's a complete waste of money and robs you of the fun.
When is it a smart buy? 1. You're a Completionist: You've opened 11 boxes from a series of 12 and are just missing that one last common figure. At this point, gambling on another blind box is just foolish. You have an 11/12 chance of getting a duplicate. Pay the extra $5-$10 for the confirmed figure, complete your set, and sleep soundly. 2. You Only Want ONE Specific Figure: You don't care about the rest of the series, but you absolutely love the design of, say, the "Soy Sauce" LABUBU from the Dim Sum series. You just want that one to sit on your desk. Buying confirmed is your best bet. It's cheaper than buying 3-4 blind boxes and still not getting it.
When is it a bad idea? 1. You're Just Starting: If you're new to a series and have none of the figures, don't start with confirmed buys. Buy a few blind boxes! The thrill of not knowing what you'll get is a huge part of the experience. You might even pull a secret. 2. You Want the Whole Set: If your goal is to collect all 12 base figures, do not buy 12 individual confirmed commons. It will almost always be more expensive than just buying a sealed case. A sealed case guarantees you a full set with no repeats (and gives you a chance at the secret).
Ultimately, whether a confirmed figure is worth it is a personal calculation of cost versus certainty.
A Seller's Black Book: What to Watch For
The confirmed market is mostly safe if you buy from reputable stores. But if you're venturing onto eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or other peer-to-peer platforms, you need to be careful. I've seen some shady stuff.
The Number One Rule: Check the Foil. This is non-negotiable. A legitimate "open box confirmed" figure means the box is open, but the inner foil bag is sealed. Ask the seller for a photo that clearly shows the sealed foil. If the foil is open, torn, or has been re-glued, you are not buying a "confirmed" figure. You are buying a used figure.The "Card Swap" Scam. This is a nasty one, though thankfully rare. A scammer will take a valuable card, let's say for a secret figure, and put it in a box with a cheap, common figure. They then sell it as a "confirmed secret" with the foil bag still sealed. The buyer gets it, sees the sealed foil, feels confident, and only discovers the swap after opening it. By then, it's too late.
How to avoid this? Reputation is everything. Buy from established stores or sellers with a long history of positive feedback. If a deal seems too good to be true (a confirmed secret for half the market rate), it is. Run.
My Contrarian Tip: The Weight Myth I see this pop up in forums all the time. "Just weigh the boxes! The secret is always heavier/lighter."
Real talk: This does not work. Not anymore. Maybe it did five years ago, but Pop Mart got wise to it. Newer series have desiccant packets (those little "do not eat" silica gel bags) of varying weights placed in the boxes specifically to throw off the scale. I've weighed entire cases and found the weights to be so close, with no discernible pattern, that it's a complete waste of time. The only way to know for sure is to open the box and look at the card. Anyone telling you they can "weigh out a secret" on a new LABUBU series is either lying or incredibly lucky.
Box Condition is an Afterthought. This is a detail that trips up so many new collectors. When you buy a confirmed figure, you are buying the figure inside. You are not buying a mint-condition box. The box has been opened. It might have a small slice, a slightly bent flap, or a dented corner from being handled. If you are an in-box collector who cherishes pristine packaging, the confirmed market is probably not for you. It's better to stick to sealed blind boxes or decide if you're okay with a less-than-perfect box.
For many, the goal is simply to buy a specific LABUBU figure to put on their shelf, and the box is just packaging. But it's important to have the right expectations.
The world of `labubu open box confirmed` figures exists for a reason. It serves a very specific need for collectors who want to eliminate the "blind" part of the blind box equation. It's a service, a shortcut. It's not for everyone, and it's certainly not the "cheapest" way to collect, but it's an invaluable tool for finishing a set or snagging that one character you can't live without.
For me, I still love the gamble. There's nothing like the feeling of shaking a box, guessing what's inside, and the slow tear of the foil bag. But I also have a shelf of completed sets that would have been impossible to finish without the help of a few strategic, confirmed purchases. It's all about knowing when to gamble and when to secure the win.
So next time you see that slightly higher price tag, you'll know it's not just for the toy, it's for the peace of mind. If you're on the hunt, you can always browse our LABUBU collection to see what we've managed to uncover. Happy hunting.
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