Labubu. Almost overnight the adorable furry keychain monster had a stranglehold on many people’s wallets and hearts but as cute as these creatures are, have they brought out the ugliness in all of us?

Full disclosure I am the proud mother of a toffee colored Labubu that sports an elegant black cloak with a small Hufflepuff patch. His name is Bill and I love him.

Labubus are premium toy keychains that come in many shapes, colors and poses. They gained widespread fame in 2024 when K-pop Idol Lisa posted several images of her personal Labubu collection on Instagram. Shortly after that post went viral Labubus started selling out across the world and as demand for them increased so too did the greed of resellers. Meanwhile it wasn’t long before Labubu haters started making their disdain for the furry creatures known.

While I am happy with my purchase I would nonetheless be hard pressed to defend the $60 price I paid from a reseller who hoarded hundreds of blind boxes that originally sold for around $25. Unfortunately, caving in to the ludicrous prices resellers charge for products they inflated the price of by buying the majority of all Labubu shipments is the easiest way to attain one of these munchkins. Some of these resellers have even auctioned rare Labubus for thousands. The best solution to stop resellers would be to place limitations on how many an individual is allowed to buy in a single transaction. While this isn’t foolproof it’s at least a start to creating a more even playing field for all to shop.

Due to the distressing rise in Labubus prices there has been a sizable group of people that mock and criticize fans as brainless sheep, looking to fit in with the herd. While I agree that there is something to be said about our irresponsible consumerist mentality and reckless spending in these times of uncertain economic turmoil, let’s not pretend like we don’t know exactly who’s on the “I hate these things that are primarily enjoyed by women” train. That’s right I blame sexism for the hate bandwagon that Labubu is currently going through. I believe it’s no mere coincidence that the only people that seem to have negative feelings for Labubu are men. This isn’t to say that there aren’t men who enjoy Labubus but it’s ironic to see that the same men that criticize women for buying Labubus are spending hundreds on paper cards with drawings of fictional animals from japan.

Many haters have made the claim that they are simply a fad doomed to fade into obscurity. I have even seen some compare the Labubu boom to the rise and fall of past toy giants like Trolls, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furby. Frankly the comparison is quite apt but regardless the claim is nothing but speculation. Furthermore I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing a steady influx of comics, TV shows or even big budget movies. Besides, I believe that the claim of Labubus going out of style is a non sequitur since we’re just making assumptions on both sides.

Is our infatuation with Labubu shallow? Sure, it’s not a need it’s a want and while people are entitled to criticize each other, it is my firm and sincere belief that these meaningless conflicts only serve to further divide us. So I urge you all to respect each other and your taste in pointless toys.