With the popularity of the plush toy Labubu in the market, the demand for Labubu products has surged, leading to a flood of counterfeit goods entering the market. These counterfeit products have not only sparked consumer dissatisfaction and complaints but also raised concerns about safety, prompting governments in multiple countries to issue warnings.
On the evening of August 28, at 10 p.m., the new product from Pop Mart, “THE MONSTERS: Password of the Heart” series – blind box plush keychain (mini Labubu), was officially launched. That night, on payment pages of online platforms such as Tmall flagship store and Douyin Mall, there were prolonged delays, prompting people to try multiple times. Less than 5 minutes after the launch, both links for the mini Labubu blind boxes were already sold out.
The second-hand market was even more bustling. Even before the mini version of Labubu was released, many sellers had already posted pre-order services, with prices varying. The price of a single mini Labubu had soared to a maximum of 300 yuan each, while some sellers charged as high as 2,699 yuan for a complete set of 14. This indicated a doubling of the official original price.
Hidden editions were hyped up to “sky-high” prices, with a single blind box of “hidden edition – heart” priced at 79 yuan originally, now being sold for as low as 679.5 yuan, with some even being sold for 1,188 yuan and 1,100 yuan, marking a 15-fold increase from the original price.
Labubu is a monster plush toy with the image of a Nordic forest elf, created by artist Dragon in 2015, born in Hong Kong and raised in the Netherlands. Later, Dragon signed with Pop Mart, headquartered in Beijing.
In 2023, Labubu’s sales exceeded 100 million, with a growth rate of nearly 40%, making it the fastest-growing head IP in Pop Mart’s sales. In 2025, the Labubu “High Energy Ahead” series was globally launched and has been extremely popular in global markets in recent months.
However, while Labubu was selling well in China, governments of multiple countries have begun to be wary of counterfeit “Labubu” products due to safety risks. Fake goods have raised consumer complaints, and officials have pointed out safety hazards in Labubu, detecting potential harmful chemicals.
On August 18, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an emergency warning to consumers, alerting them to counterfeit Labubu plush toys (sometimes also called “Lafufu”), which pose serious choking and death risks to young children.
These counterfeit plush toys and plush keychains are small in size, allowing children to put them in their mouths and cause airway obstruction. The CPSC also received reports that counterfeit Labubu plush toys are easily broken, and the scattered small fragments could pose a choking hazard. Therefore, the CPSC warned consumers not to purchase these counterfeit products and to stop using them immediately.
Peter A. Feldman, Acting Chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, stated, “These counterfeit Labubu products are dangerous and illegal, not suitable for American households. Please protect your children and purchase from reputable sellers.”
Meanwhile, the CPSC will continue to vigorously enforce laws at major ports in the US to prevent dangerous products from entering American households.
The Daily Mail reported on August 13 that the UK market is flooded with “unsafe” counterfeit collectibles, with thousands of toys seized across the UK, prompting an urgent warning.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) issued a notice this month about the rising sales of counterfeit Labubu products in the UK, warning parents and collectors that third-party sellers are illegally selling fake goods online and in local stores. Counterfeit Labubu products are poorly made, often in violation of the UK’s 2011 Toys (Safety) Regulations, lacking safety markings (CE or UKCA), importer details, and safety warnings.
The association stated that, based on leads reported by parents, thousands of counterfeit dolls have been found in shops in England and Scotland.
Christine Heemskerk, Chief Officer of Product Safety at CTSI, stated that these fake dolls are produced with inferior craftsmanship in unsafe manufacturing sites.
Without proper safety checks, the plastic in counterfeit Labubu products may contain lead, harmful dyes, or banned plasticizers, posing lifelong damage to children’s organs. The small parts of the dolls, such as eyes, hands, and feet, easily come off, posing a serious choking hazard for young children.
Dutch media reported that since March of this year, Dutch customs have seized 400,000 fake Labubu plush toys at locations such as Amsterdam, borders, and ports. Among them, 250,000 products labeled with the name “Lafufu” were concentrated at Schiphol Airport, while another 150,000 were intercepted through other routes of entry.
Dutch customs stated that counterfeit goods often have misspellings on packaging or labels, and parts of the counterfeit products easily come off, such as feet, eyes, or even the entire head, posing a risk of choking for children. Additionally, “Lafufu” products may use harmful chemicals during production, which do not comply with EU toy safety standards.