Is Labubu Still Popular in 2026? The Real Status Update

Short answer: yes—but not in the same way it was in 2024. Labubu has matured from a viral sensation into an established collector's market. And that's actually a good thing.

What the Numbers Say in 2026

Labubu is still the crown jewel of Pop Mart. The THE MONSTERS series has generated over 3 billion RMB in revenue, and global sales of Labubu figures exceeded 100 million units in 2025 alone. That's not the story of a fading trend—it's the story of a brand that became a category.

The big shift? The secondary market has cooled off considerably. Hidden editions that once sold for the equivalent of a used car now trade in the hundreds-of-dollars range. Regular editions have even dropped below their original retail price in some markets. The speculators have moved on; the actual fans have stayed.

Where the Buzz Actually Is Right Now

It's accurate to say the mainstream TikTok viral phase has passed. You don't see Labubu dominating every trending hashtag the way it did in the summer of 2024. But that cooling has a flip side: it's created space for a more sustainable, more engaged collector community.

Here's what's still happening:

• Limited drops still sell out instantly. When a new Labubu collaboration or special edition drops, it vanishes in minutes. The scarcity mechanism is still fully functional.
• Global store expansion. Pop Mart has accelerated its global footprint, opening hundreds of new locations worldwide. More access means more buyers—but also better supply, which explains the price correction.
• Hardcore collectors are still very active. Reddit communities, Discord groups, and local collector meetups are still buzzing. People are still completing sets, hunting rare variants, and displaying their Labubu collections with genuine passion.
• New buyers keep entering the hobby. The awareness built during the viral peak has created a large and ongoing pipeline of new collectors discovering Labubu for the first time.

The Pop Mart Response: More Supply

The company didn't sit idle. Pop Mart responded to the enormous demand by significantly increasing production and restocking frequency. Where a 2024 drop might have been genuinely impossible to find, 2026 editions are still scarce but far more accessible. That's exactly why resale prices have normalized.

As one Reddit collector put it: "It's cooled down, but it's not over. Supply is actually meeting demand now." That feels like the right framing for where things stand.

Beyond Labubu: What's Catching Attention Now

While Labubu has settled into a more mature phase, newer Pop Mart lines are picking up the excitement that once surrounded Labubu exclusively. Collectors who got hooked on Labubu are expanding into:

• Skull Panda — a darker, edgier line that's been gaining serious collector buzz
• Hirono (广野) — a quieter, more introspective character series with a dedicated following
• Crybaby — an emotional, expressive line that resonates with the same audience Labubu captured
• Hachipupu — a newer character IP with growing momentum

None of these have hit Labubu's peak cultural moment. But they're growing as Labubu's story evolves from "you have to get this right now" into "this is a beloved character series with a lasting fanbase."

Is Labubu Over? Should You Still Care?

Not even close. The numbers, the collector communities, the continued sell-out drops—they all tell the same story. Labubu solved the hardest problem any consumer brand can solve: it turned a moment of cultural lightning into an ongoing relationship with millions of people.

If you're a collector, now is actually a better time to buy than at the peak. Prices have corrected, supply has improved, and the community is just as passionate—without the manic energy that made 2024 both exciting and exhausting.

And if you're just curious about what Labubu is about? The hype has passed, but the product is genuinely excellent. Kasing Lung's character design, Pop Mart's quality control, and the collector culture around Labubu are all still very much alive.