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The first time I pulled a secret, my hands were literally shaking.
It was from The Monsters Camping series. I'd bought three boxes, hoping for the tent or the fishing Labubu. I opened the first two, duplicates of the campfire. Ugh. The classic blind box pain. I picked up the last box. It felt… no different. I gave it a little shake. Nothing. The myths about weighing boxes or listening for a special rattle are, honestly, 99% nonsense, especially with Pop Mart's newer releases.
I sliced the foil, pulled out the black bag, and tore it open. Inside wasn't one of the 12 designs on the box. It was a tiny, stitched-up scarecrow with a Labubu face peeking out. My brain short-circuited for a second. It wasn't on the box art. It wasn't on the checklist. I fumbled for the little collector card, and there it was: a black card with a silver silhouette and the word "Secret."
That's the moment. The one that gets you hooked.
So when people ask me, what does the secret labubu look like?* My answer is always the same: it depends. There isn't one* secret Labubu. There are dozens. Each series has its own hidden chase figure, and the design philosophy behind them changes constantly. It's not just one look; it's a concept.
The Anatomy of a Secret: More Than Just a Repaint
New collectors often assume the secret is just a gold or silver version of a regular figure. Sometimes, that's true. But after years of collecting and selling, I've seen that the "secret" can fall into a few distinct categories. Understanding these is key to knowing what you're really hunting for.
1. The Colorway/Material Swap: This is the most common type of secret. The mold is the same as a regular figure in the set, but the paint job or material is completely different. The Labubu The Monsters Macarons series is a perfect example. The secret, "Tyco," is a beautiful, pearlescent purple and blue gradient version of the regular macaron design. It's the same shape, same pose, but the colors are otherworldly. Sometimes this involves a material change, like a fully flocked (fuzzy) texture, a glow-in-the-dark finish, or a translucent "jelly" body. These are popular because they feel special in your hand, not just on the shelf.
2. The Thematic Twist: This is my personal favorite. This is where the secret is a completely unique character design that fits the series theme but isn't shown on the box. The Scarecrow from the Camping series is a perfect example. It wasn't just a Labubu in a different colored sleeping bag; it was an entirely new character within that world. It expanded the story of the series. Pop Mart and Kasing Lung do this brilliantly. It makes the world of The Monsters feel bigger and more mysterious. You start wondering what other characters exist that we haven't seen yet.
3. The "Big Secret" or Super-Secret: Now we're getting into grail territory. In some series, there isn't just one secret.These are the ones that cause a frenzy. A great example is the Zimomo "Big Spender" from the Let's Christmas series. He's this opulent, regal figure that looks completely different from the rest of the set. The odds are insane, and so is the aftermarket price. I've seen that specific figure, which came from a $15 box, sell for over $800. It's wild.
So, Which One IS the Secret Labubu? How to Actually Tell
Okay, so you're standing in the store, or you've got a case of 12 in front of you. You're trying to figure out which one is the secret labubu. Short of having X-ray vision, here's how it actually works.
First, look at the box art. On the side or back, you'll see the 12 regular designs. Then you'll see a 13th box with a big question mark on it. That's your target.
When you open the box, the first clue is the collector card. A regular figure comes with a card that has a full-color picture of the character you got. A secret figure comes with a special card. It's often a different color (like black or holographic) and instead of a full picture, it will have a silhouette or a stylized, mysterious image of the secret design. It's Pop Mart's little way of saying, "You found it."
Of course, in the age of the internet, the "secret" rarely stays secret for long. Within hours of a new series release in Asia, you'll find unboxing videos and photos flooding social media. Many collectors (myself included, sometimes) will look up a picture of secret labubu from a new series before they even start opening their own. It's a bit of a spoiler, but it also helps you know what you're looking for. Do you want to go in blind for the pure surprise, or do you want to know the target? There's no wrong way to do it.
One thing I need to be clear about: forget about weighing the boxes. I see people in stores with tiny digital scales, and I just have to chuckle. Maybe that worked five years ago, but Pop Mart got wise. They now use uniform plastic inserts and sometimes add little weights to make every box feel almost identical. You're more likely to get weird looks from the staff than you are to find a secret that way. Save yourself the trouble. The thrill is in the randomness.
Our Take: The Brutal Honesty of Chasing Secrets
Look, let's have some real talk. As someone who runs a store, PopNya, that specializes in these amazing creatures, I love the excitement of a secret. But I also have to be honest: chasing them can be a dangerous and expensive game.
The secondary market is brutal. That Tyco secret from the Macaron series? The retail box is about $15. I watched its price on StockX and collector groups climb to over $200 in less than a month. The demand is fueled by rarity and hype, and it creates a "fear of missing out" that can be toxic.
This is also where the counterfeit market thrives. Scammers know how valuable a secret is, so they produce fakes. The paint is sloppy, the vinyl feels cheap, and the box is often a dead giveaway. If you see a secret Labubu for a price that seems too good to be true, it absolutely is. We see a lot of fakes, and it's heartbreaking when a new collector gets burned. It's why learning how to spot a fake Labubu is so important.
My advice? Don't buy a whole case just to find the secret. Buy a few boxes because you love the designs. If you get a secret, awesome! It's a massive bonus. If you don't, you still have some amazing art pieces. If you are dead set on a specific secret, it is often cheaper and less stressful to just buy it outright from a reputable reseller or trade for it in a collector community. Your wallet and your sanity will thank you.
Collecting should be about joy, not a gambling addiction. The art of Kasing Lung is so full of emotion and story; reducing it to a monetary value feels like missing the point. If you want to understand the heart of these figures, it's worth reading up on Kasing Lung's journey as an artist.
A Gallery of Secrets: My Personal Favorites
Over the years, I've seen, owned, and sold dozens of different secrets. Some are unforgettable. Others... Well, they're a bit of a letdown.
The Unforgettable: The Monsters Art - "The Scream" This one is genius. The whole series is based on famous paintings. The regular figures are incredible, but the secret is Labubu posed as Edvard Munch's "The Scream." It's not just a repaint; it's a completely new sculpt that perfectly captures the spirit of the original artwork while being undeniably Labubu. The colors, the pose, the horrified expression, it's art history in vinyl form. A masterpiece.
The Underrated Gem: The Monsters Fruits - "Rotten Apple" This one is so clever. The Fruits series is bright, cute, and colorful. You have Labubu as a banana, a strawberry, a pineapple. The secret? A rotten apple. It's a dark, shriveled Labubu with a worm (a little Tycoco monster) popping out of its head. It's a hilarious and slightly creepy subversion of the entire series theme. It shows the playful, mischievous side of the Labubu world that I love.
The "Meh": The Monsters Toys - "Robot" Okay, this might be a hot take. In the Toys series, the secret is a metallic robot Labubu. And it's... Fine. It's shiny. It's well-made. But compared to the creativity of the other figures in the set (like the wind-up toy or the building block), it felt a little uninspired. Just a metallic repaint. It's still valuable and people love it, but for me, it didn't have that spark of storytelling that the best secrets do. It felt more like a marketing decision than an artistic one.
Ultimately, the "secret" isn't just a figure. It's a story. It's the thrill of the hunt, the gasp of surprise, the connection with a global community of collectors all chasing that same feeling. It's the little question mark on the side of the box that holds infinite possibilities.
Whether you're trying to find that one specific chase figure or just dipping your toes into the world of designer toys, the most important thing is to collect what you love. Find the designs that make you smile. And if you're ever curious to see the huge variety of monsters out there, you can always browse our LABUBU collection at PopNya. You never know which one will be your next favorite.
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