Residents line up to buy Labubu toys in front of Five Little Monkeys in Albany, Calif., on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
The crowd began to gather outside Five Little Monkeys on a recent Saturday, before the Albany toy store even opened. Kids bounced with anticipation, while the unexpected line drew curious passersby. What could possibly be worth the early-morning wait?
For the fans of Labubu, it was the chance to acquire a quirky plush collectible monster sold by Pop Mart that’s gone viral across the US. With its mischievous charm and blind-box mystery packaging, Labubu is winning the hearts of fans nationwide and stirring a full-blown global craze among millennials and Generation Z.
“I’ve always loved just, like, cute and kind of creepy little creatures and characters, and they really inspire my art,” said Nikaela Bradford, a tattoo artist at Magnetic Arts in Berkeley.
Nikaela Bradford, 30, an illustrative artist at Magnetic Arts, shows her new Labubu blind boxes at Five Little Monkeys in Albany, Calif., on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Wearing tiny Labubu earrings and holding her second Labubu, Bradford said she’s designed a series of Labubu-inspired tattoos for her studio, which is popular among clients for its spooky-cute aesthetic. “I think they really resonated with my design.”
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The toy’s signature characters with creepy-cute smiles were originally designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, who said he was inspired by his childhood readings of Nordic folklore while living in the Netherlands.
He created Labubu in his 2015 storybook series “The Monsters.” In 2019 he started a designer toy line in collaboration with Chinese toy company Pop Mart, sparking a global frenzy for Labubu.
Pop Mart is projecting at least a 350% profit increase and at least a 200% revenue increase for the six months of the year after the craze went global, Bloomberg reported.
In the Bay Area, Labubu remains rather hard to come by, a scarcity created by Pop Mart’s desire for exclusivity and the toy’s growing global popularity. Stores with a Pop Mart partnership have a stable supply, but others rely on resellers or other importers across Asia.
Five Little Monkeys recently received its first shipment of Labubu, said Porter Orloff, a staff member. Customers talking about the craze started ramping up about six months ago.
“They’re really hard to get, and people would go crazy for them,” he said.
Labubu toys are sold at Five Little Monkeys in Albany, Calif., on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
A “Have A Seat” Labubu blind box retails for $27.99 on Pop Mart’s official website – when it’s in stock. At Five Little Monkeys’ drop event, the same box was priced at $69.99.
“They are usually out of stock on Pop Mart, and people sit on websites, too,” said Lori Arrendondo, another employee at Five Little Monkeys in Albany. The store sourced the toys from a reseller, paying prices well above retail, so they have to mark them up.
Labubu was easier to get last year, but starting in February, it went really viral and became impossible to find, according to Nelson Ng, the owner of Fugitive Toys, a Burlingame toy store with a Pop Mart wholesale account that started to sell Pop Mart toys this past October.
“Everybody wants to have what they can’t get,” Ng said. “When there’s no supply to meet demand, people are willing to pay.”
For Labubu lovers and wanna-be collectors, where can they get a Labubu in the Bay Area? Here are some stores that sell them, but call ahead to check availability.
Bay Area stores that sell Labubus (when in stock):
Pop Mart, 3251 20th Ave #116, San Francisco, CA 94132, 628-338-2843
ToysHut, 1350 Travis Blvd, Fairfield, CA 94533, 650-218-7343
Popshop925, 2223 Railroad Ave suite 200, Pittsburg, CA 94565, 925-384-3743
(out of stock but usually will be restock in 2 weeks)
iFun, 3770 Livermore Outlets Dr, Livermore, CA 94551, 415-702-7442
Fugitive Toys, 1550 Rollins Rd Suite A, Burlingame, CA 94010
Fun Park, 2441 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, 626-703-2059
iFun, 1350 A Park St, Alameda, CA 94501, 415-702-7442
Fun Park, #08624060, Milpitas, CA 95035, 415-702-7442