You wake up one morning checking out stories after stories of family, friends, and co-workers featuring their new bag charm. You went from asking, “What exactly is that?” to exclaiming, “Oh, there’s another Labubu!” in such a short span of time.
Labubu is an elf character which is part of The Monsters story series created by illustrator Kasing Lung back in 2015. It has recently invaded the global market, including that of the Philippines, due to local and foreign celebrity influence. However, it’s not a secret that every Labubu piece comes with a hefty price tag. What makes Filipino consumers buy one amidst the rising cost of household essentials, and what makes them want to add more to their collection?
Here’s a surprising revelation.
When a merchandise stirs a parent’s emotions towards her little ones, there’s usually no thinking twice about adding it to cart!
As a new mom, Jera Torres, 30, loves seeing her baby boy Caleb smile and giggle over anything. Surprisingly, one of the things that bring out Caleb’s irresistible giggles is his grandma’s Labubu phone case, which Mommy Jera was able to capture in a video. She posted it in her FB stories, and a friend who happened to be in Thailand saw it and thought of giving them a Sesame Bean Labubu as pasalubong! Mommy Jera then placed it in her baby’s swing rocker.
Endeared by her son’s reaction to Labubus, Mommy Jera bought two more in an online luxury sourcing store on Instagram so she can put one in her bag, and another in her son’s baby bag to keep him at bay when they’re out. She got both for ₱6,000, including the shipping fee.
Meanwhile, Samantha Nicole, 17, randomly saw a Labubu post on TikTok and found it cute to display one in her bag. So when she and her family went on a recent trip to Bangkok, Thailand, her parents bought her first Labubu piece at a converted price of ₱2,500, a relatively cheaper price because they bought it at a time when “it was not as trendy yet.”
Her other six Labubu pieces were from their family trip to Singapore, which her parents got her for SGD 450, or ₱20,700. Samantha is a fashionista herself, and a fan of keychains, trinkets, and cute stuff to add charm to her already adorable outfits. Her parents fully support her interests and hobbies, as Sam also collects Powerpuff Girls x Crybaby Edition, Crybaby Plushies Sunset Song Party Series, Miffy, House of Little Bunny, Mr. Pa the Escaped Vegetable, and Miyee Cafe Plushies.
Every professional in today’s economy must have felt the weight of clocking in more hours or attending to more side hustles to be able to manage expenses. So, it’s inevitable for them to feel jaded from the routine of working, paying bills, buying essentials, and saving for the future.
Lyka Lyanne Marquez-Ferrer, 36 and mom of one, believes that hardworking individuals also need to “stay sane amidst the daily struggles” and to “treat themselves occasionally.”
Like many other Labubu collectors, Mommy Lyka first became interested in the world-famous monster when it went viral after Blackpink’s Lisa showed her Labubu-adorned bag. She didn’t make the purchase right away, but it was the Labubus selling out fast and their “actual cuteness” that convinced her to buy. Her first purchase was not just one piece, but an entire set of Labubu Macaron, which she got for $225 (or roughly ₱13,000) in StockX. She admits that she got it at a much higher price, but it already covered tax, processing, and verification fees.
Now owning a total of 9 Labubu figures, Mommy Lyka says she keeps purchasing because she finds each one unique, and according to her, “they make a good collection that I can pass on if I’m lucky enough to have a daughter.” She also considers reselling them for a good price in the future if they become valuable collector’s items, but she’s happy to keep them as displays in her walk-in closet for a long time.
Aside from Labubus, her collection includes the entire Powerpuff Crybaby series, the entire Cry Baby Scene series, a Cry Baby Plush Doll pendant, and the Cry Baby Popbean Mini Rainbow Set.
When others would be so sure about getting a Labubu, Apple Alcaide, 40 and mom of one, hesitated at first because she wasn’t so sure about starting a collection – not to mention the ₱2,090 price tag apiece! But she made her first Labubu purchase anyway, and she had absolutely no regrets!
She describes her Labubu Have a Seat Vinyl Plush with Key Ring “love at first sight.” If there’s anything that made her drawn to the little monster, it’s the “quirky expression – a combination of innocence and a touch of mischief.” With it, Mommy Apple felt like a playful grade schooler all over again!
From that first purchase, her collection now grew to 9 Labubu Plush Keychains, “each with its own unique look and story.” Every time she sees another with a new design or theme, she instantly feels like it’s a must-have! Collecting Labubus has also become a small hobby that brings her and her daughter Krishna a lot of joy.
Mommy Apple also has a few Pop Mart Cry Baby and Care Bear in her collection, but she confesses that among her collectibles, “Labubu definitely has the most personality and charm,” and it helps bring back her playful side. Doesn’t a hardworking mom like her need to be grounded by play, creativity, and imagination too?
Not all kids have an abundance of toys to play with. Some just borrow toys from their friends. This is the story of Mary Villaflores, 27, who now enjoys growing her toy collection. Although she’s not into the Labubu craze, she is passionate about letting other people know that they have a lot of options, should they want to start collecting. Take a look at some of the pieces from her CryBaby, Pucky, Mofusand, and Sanrio collections!
A random day at the mall was all it took for Mary to start her own collection. She got curious about the pile of SkullPanda blind boxes on display. She bought one box for ₱550 at Fully Booked that she unboxed in front of her friends. As the label suggests, a “blind box” doesn’t tell you exactly what you will be getting.
Mary shares that the happiness in purchasing and unboxing blind boxes is inexplicable, most especially when the buyer happens to get the design he or she eyes. In fact, because she was so happy with her very first unboxing, she bought two more on the same day!
Her collection had already expanded that she couldn’t count the number of blind boxes and plushies anymore. For her SkullPanda collection, she already has 24 figures. Mary shares that because every piece in her collection does not come cheap, it’s important to prioritize the must-haves before the nice-to-haves.
In the midst of the Labubu and other toy crazes, one thing becomes clear: people’s spending habits often reflect their personal values. As long as collectors earn their money honestly and have their essentials covered, there’s no harm in purchasing pieces that bring joy, fulfillment, and even a sense of healing to themselves and their loved ones.