CHINESE COPY PARTY

THEIR LABUBUS ARE FAKE, AND THEY DON'T CARE

- STORY: JESSICA ROY / NYT

If your Labubu doll has more than nine teeth, or if it came in a box with a shiny bright finish, it may not be a Labubu at all. It may be a “Lafufu”.

Knockoffs of the wildly popular elflike doll, which are collectively called “the Monsters” and are sold exclusively by the Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart, have become almost as popular as the real thing — and they are much easier to find.

Many of the real Labubus come in blind boxes with limited availability, so you don’t know which one you're going to get until you open it, fuelling a sense of scarcity and surprise that adds to the appeal — and a growing resale market, where the dolls can go for much more than their US$20 (about 655 baht) to $30 retail price range. As key chains, the dolls have been wholeheartedly adopted by the fashion set; it's not uncommon to see a $20 Labubu hanging from a $20,000 Birkin.