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The messages started flooding my PopNya inbox around the same time Lisa from Blackpink posted her Labubu haul. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know the same thing: "Which one is the rarest Labubu?" and "Do you have the Chestnut one?!"
I get it. The thrill of the hunt is a huge part of collecting. But as someone who has been handling these little monsters long before they were TikTok famous, I need to set the record straight. The conversation around Labubu rarity** has gotten a little out of control, and new collectors are at risk of getting burned.
So, let's talk about what "rare" really means in the world of Kasing Lung's creations. It's not just about what's expensive right now.Hype-Rare vs. Production-Rare: The Million-Dollar Difference
This is the single most important concept you need to grasp. Not all rare figures are created equal.
Hype-Rare: This is what's driving the market insane at the moment. A figure becomes "Hype-Rare" when social media, a celebrity, or a sudden trend catapults it into the spotlight. The perfect example is The Monsters Exciting Macarons series.
When that series dropped, it was just another (admittedly awesome) Labubu release. I was selling individual boxes for around $16. Then the celebrity photos hit. Within 72 hours, I watched the secondary market price for the "Soymilk" Macaron (the white one with the little hat) jump from its retail value to over $100. The chase figure, "Chestnut," was hitting absurd numbers, easily $250+.
Is the Chestnut Macaron a rare Labubu doll? Technically, yes. It's a "secret" figure with a 1/72 pull rate. But its price isn't just a reflection of that ratio. It's 90% hype. We're seeing people pay 10-15x retail for a figure that was mass-produced in the tens of thousands just a few months ago. The scarcity is artificial, driven by demand, not by a truly limited supply. These are the figures that create price bubbles.
Production-Rare: This is where the real collectors get excited. These are the figures that are scarce because, well, not many were made in the first place. This is the true measure of a rare Labubu.
Think about figures that fall into these categories: * Pre-Pop Mart Releases: Before Kasing Lung partnered with Pop Mart, he worked with a Hong Kong company called How2Work. These early vinyl figures, like the original "Big" Labubu or the first Zimomo, were produced in much smaller batches. They don't have the same polished, blind-box feel, but their place in the character's history makes them incredibly sought-after by long-time fans. Finding one of these in good condition is a real challenge.
* Super Secrets & "Mega" Secrets: Pop Mart is getting clever. Beyond the standard 1/144 "super secret," they've introduced even rarer tiers. Some sets have a secret that's rumored to be 1/288 or even rarer. These are the true lottery tickets of the blind box world.
The key difference? The price of a Hype-Rare figure can crash as quickly as it climbed. Once the next hot series drops, demand for the Macarons will likely cool off. But the price of a Production-Rare figure, like an early How2Work piece, tends to be more stable and appreciate slowly over time because its scarcity is a hard fact.
A Collector's Playbook: How to Actually Hunt for Rare Labubu Figures
Okay, so you want to find something special. Forget shaking boxes in the store (it doesn't work, especially on newer series where they've standardized the packaging and weight). Here's my actual process.
1. Define Your "Why": Are you hunting for a grail to complete a personal collection, or are you looking for an investment piece? If it's for love, any figure can be your grail. If it's for investment, you need to be looking at Production-Rare items. Be honest with yourself. Don't go into debt for a piece of vinyl just because it's trending on Instagram.
2. Master the Aftermarket: Your best friends are the "sold" listings on eBay, StockX, and Mercari. Don't look at what people are asking for a rare la boo boo (yes, I see you searching that, it's okay!). Look at what people have actually paid. This is the true market value. You'll quickly see patterns. You'll notice that some figures, like the recent Satyr Rory crossover, hold their value better than others.
3. Look Beyond the Obvious: Everyone is fighting over the same five hyped figures. My advice? Look at the "duds" from older series. I'm serious. A few years ago, nobody wanted the "Typo" Labubu from the Monsters Toys Blind Box Series 1. He's just a plain grey figure holding a pencil. Now? He's surprisingly hard to find because nobody kept him, and set completers are paying $80-$100 just to fill that slot. That's a smart place to hunt.
4. Understand Regional Differences: This is a tip you won't find in most guides. A series that sold out instantly in the US might still be sitting on shelves in a Pop Mart in Singapore or the UK. I have friends in different countries, and we act as "proxies" for each other. Being part of the global collector community is your biggest advantage. It's how you can sometimes get a "rare" figure for retail price + shipping, while everyone else is paying 5x on StockX.
5. Learn to Spot Fakes: The fakes are getting good. Frighteningly good. With a popular figure like a Macaron, the fakers go into overdrive. If you're buying a high-dollar rare Labubu doll from an unofficial source, demand detailed pictures.
The authentic Chestnut has a very specific matte finish with a rich, chocolatey-brown color. The fakes are often slightly more glossy and the brown is a little too reddish. The weight can also be slightly off. It's subtle, but when you've handled hundreds of them like I have, you can feel it. If the price is too good to be true, it's a fake. No one is selling a real $250 Chestnut for $50. No one. For more tips on this, checking out a detailed guide on Labubu boxes and pricing can save you a lot of headaches.
Real Talk: Is Chasing the Rarest Labubu Worth It?
Honestly? For most people, no.
I've seen collectors get so obsessed with finding the rarest Labubu that they forget why they started collecting in the first place: for the joy of it. They spend more time refreshing aftermarket sites and stressing about prices than they do appreciating the art.
The chase can be exhilarating, but it can also be exhausting and incredibly expensive. The current market feels a bit like the Beanie Babies craze of the 90s.We're already seeing some signs of the Macaron hype cooling off as people move on to the next big thing. And don't even get me started on the absurdity surrounding things like the mythical 24k Gold Labubu, which is a whole other level of hype and speculation.
My personal verdict is this: don't let "rarity" be the only factor that determines what you collect. My favorite figure in my entire collection isn't the most valuable. It's a standard Tycoco from the Monsters Forest Concert series. I just think the design is perfect. It sits on my desk and makes me smile. It cost me $14.
Collect what you love. If you happen to pull a super secret, that's an amazing bonus! Celebrate it! But don't let the pursuit of a 1/144 figure ruin your enjoyment of the other 143. The true joy of this hobby is building a collection that reflects your taste, not what an algorithm tells you is popular this week.
If you're just starting your journey or looking to add a new member to your monster family, the best approach is to simply explore. See which designs speak to you. Sometimes the most fulfilling finds aren't the rarest, but the ones you connect with the most. You can always browse LABUBU figures in our shop and see if a little monster catches your eye, no crazy aftermarket prices, just the pure fun of collecting.
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