Would you queue at 3am to buy a plushie toy like these grown ups?

At 3am in the morning, most of us are snug as a bug, safely tucked up in bed – but there’s a new craze sweeping Australia that has people lining the streets instead of soundly sleeping.

The Labubu, a furry plushie featuring a bizarre grin and sharp teeth, has become the ultimate status symbol* after soaring to global fame thanks to huge celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa.

Designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the product is sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, following a collaboration* with Lung on his storybook series The Monsters, released in 2015.

While the Labubu hit the Asian market in 2019, the slightly angry-looking plushie only took off after Blackpink’s Lisa, a popular K-pop singer, was spotted with a $32 key chain version of the doll attached to her handbag in April 2024.

And in just 12 months, the whole world has become hooked, including Australians.

Aussies were first able to get hold of the now-viral toy following Pop Mart’s arrival Down Under in mid-2023.

Fast-forward two years, and there are now 11 Pop Mart stores in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, all of which regularly draw huge crowds hoping to snag an in-demand plushie.

But, as one recent video filmed in Melbourne shows, it’s not children who are frantic for the Labubu – it’s fully-grown adults.

Another clip shows puzzled onlookers watching on as a long queue stretched down Sydney’s Pitt Street recently, prompting the TikTok user to ask: “All for a Labubu?”

Pop Mart, which describes itself as a “rising global force in pop culture* and entertainment”, said the power lies in the “love at first sight” reaction the toys get from loyal followers.

“This isn’t just about ‘toys’ but a collectable, pop culture movement engaging Australian adults like never before,” a Pop Mart spokesperson told news.com.au.

“The excitement here mirrors what we’ve seen in major cities globally, with queues forming around the block as eager collectors hope to get their hands on these unique pieces.

“We collaborate with a series of designers to create highly collectable figurines and the range has grown from strength to strength.”

Another key element in the toy’s desirability is that consumers never know which design they are getting.

Each one comes sealed in a box that could contain one of several variations of the toy, or a very rare “special” version, that are highly coveted among collectors.

Shoppers are also only notified of a new drop at short notice, often via WhatsApp the morning stock becomes available, further fuelling hype.

With collectors often waiting in line for hours, some have reported queuing on social media for over 12 hours, and some Aussies have resorted to extreme measures.

Airtasker, a site for outsourcing* everyday tasks to other people, has revealed users are booking other people to queue up and buy a Labubu on their behalf, with one Sydneysider paying a stranger $100 just to avoid the crowds.

“It’s always fascinating to see how Airtasker users adapt to cultural moments,” Airtasker Founder and CEO Tim Fung told news.com.au.

“Labubu isn’t the first craze we have seen people paying others to help them source – there was digital queuing for the Taylor Swift Eras tickets, help finding the CJ Hendry* artistic wheelie bins and lining up in person for the popular pistachio papi desserts.

“If there is a cult buy happening, it’s more than likely you will find people posting on Airtasker for help to get their hands on it.”

The key-ring doll, which often has a resale value of well over $100, was recently described as a “must-have fashion accessory” by revered* fashion magazine Vogue – cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.

But while many are prepared to get up at the crack of dawn to snag the doll, others have decided it’s “not worth the hype”.

“My friend arrived at 3:30am and I got there at 4:30am and we saw people were getting trampled,” one wrote on social media.

“I genuinely don’t know what the hype for Labubu is. Someone please explain what’s so appealing?” another asked.

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• status symbol: something that you own that you think shows how important or rich you are, or that demonstrates social and economic standing
• collaboration: working with other people or organisations to create or achieve something
• outsourcing: hiring someone to do something you can’t or won’t do yourself
• CJ Hendry: self-taught Australian artist based in New York, known for very detailed drawings of luxury objects and everyday items
• revered: deeply respected and admired

EXTRA READING

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Who is the artist behind the Labubu dolls?
2. What is the name of the series the dolls are based on?
3. How many Pop Mart stores are there currently in Australia?
4. What is the approximate resale value of the key-ring doll?
5. What are users of outsourcing site Airtasker paying other people to do for them and why?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Labubu craze
So what is with this Labubu craze? Work with a classmate to list your top five reasons as to why these little furry toys are making fully-grown adults queue up for hours!

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2.

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4.

5.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Design your own pop culture item to make you a millionaire! Sketch and label your design and list the ways you are going to make it the next global craze.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Design and Technologies, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there interviewing people queuing at one of these 3am retail events discussed in the article.

Create a conversation between two characters – it could be two shoppers in line to buy a Labubu. You may need or want to include yourself as one of them. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.