ReadNOW

As soon as I ripped open the packaging of my brand-new Lafufu, I giggled.

It was my fault. Instead of buying an authentic Labubu from Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, I caved and bought a Lafufu. The sad, budget fuzzy doll stands in for the real deal — a toy that has taken the world by storm and made millions for its Chinese owner.

The term Lafufu is an affectionate nickname for these counterfeit Labubus and is often used in videos on social media platforms like TikTok.

The most obvious knockoff sign was my Lafufu’s lopsided face, which made its creepy smile look extremely unsettling. The next thing I spotted was its missing hands, but upon closer inspection, I saw they had been attached backward.

I compared it to my coworker’s real Labubu and noticed that the devil really is in the details. The paint job on the legit Labubu was cleaner. My Lafufu, meanwhile, felt flimsier, and its white fur was coarser. The Lafufu’s limbs weren’t completely mobile — its feet could not be rotated 360 degrees.

And most unfortunately, my poor Lafufu also appeared to have a receding hairline, while the real Labubu had an ample crown of fur on its head.

I snagged the Lafufu toy for 9.77 Singapore dollars, or about $7.50, on local e-commerce platform Shopee. The real toy of this size from Pop Mart costs SG$24.90.

On Shopee, dozens of listings offer various Lafufus, with prices as low as SG$0.60.

Purchasing it was a two-minute affair, a far cry from waiting in line for hours outside a Pop Mart outlet ahead of product drops. In the UK, Pop Mart has temporarily paused physical sales of the toy because queues were getting out of hand.

Labubu and The Monsters toy line was a lucrative product category for Pop Mart in 2024, with sales totaling 3.04 billion yuan, or about $426 million. Pop Mart’s stock is up more than 530% in the last year.

While some people may buy Lafufus as a Labubu replacement, others are going out of their way to secure the fake version.

Joey Khong, a trends manager at London-based market research agency Mintel, said, “Like most fakes, Lafufus reflect a combination of systemic market inequalities and genuine human motivations: the desire to belong, to experience joy, and to participate in the cultural moment.”

Juda Kanaprach, the cofounder of Singapore-based market research firm Milieu Insight, told me Lafufu is having its “own little cultural moment.”

“Whether it’s about humor, aesthetics, or just jumping on a trend, everyone’s coming at it from a different angle,” Kanaprach said. “And that, to me, makes this whole thing more than just a ‘fake toy’ moment.”

Representatives for Pop Mart did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

A cheaper, funnier alternative to Labubu

Lafufu buyers told me they love the fakes because of how ugly they are, not in spite of it.

Related stories

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Miabella Rivera, a college freshman from San Diego, said she got a Lafufu for $12 because the real ones were “impossible to get.”

“My Lafufu came without eyes, so I had to superglue them on, but it still turned out really cute,” Rivera said.

Renn Lazzerin, who works at an elementary school in Los Angeles as a behavior analyst, has two Lafufus. The first was an unintentional buy — she was scammed by an online seller claiming the doll was authentic.

But soon after, she bought a second Lafufu knowingly, because of how ugly it was.

“The eyes pop out, it has blush blindness, and the teeth are misprinted,” Lazzerin said.

“The fake Labubu offers a different serotonin rush than getting an original. It’s like, how ugly can it get?” she added.

Khong, the trends manager, said fakes can often look more eccentric or intriguing than real Labubus.

“While anyone with enough money can buy a ‘real Labubu’ straight from the store, a rare, well-made fake with a unique outfit or expression might require more taste, effort, or insider knowledge to source,” he said.

Austin D’Souza, the managing director of Ozzie Collectables, an Australian collectibles store, said Labubus are made with high-quality materials.

“Authentic Labubus are crafted with care and creativity, and counterfeit versions can detract from the unique experience that collectors seek,” he said.

“The packaging of genuine products typically features high-quality printing and branding, whereas counterfeit packaging may appear less polished or have inconsistencies,” D’Souza added.

Buying a Lafufu has convinced some people to pick up real Labubus

Despite being obvious fakes, Lafufus may be driving up demand for authentic Labubus.

“Even though they’re fake, they keep the brand in people’s minds. Everyone’s sharing them online, making fun of them, and talking about them, which keeps the attention and interest around the real Labubu going,” said Kanaprach, from Milieu Insight.

“Buying a fake Labubu was not good enough for me, so I punched the real one to make me feel better about owning just one,” said Kimberly Hernandez, a special education assistant from Los Angeles.

The popularity of counterfeits comes with risks

Kanaprach said Pop Mart needs to stay ahead of the game because too many fakes could flood the market. At some point, well-made fakes may become indistinguishable from the real deal.

“Labubu just needs to keep things special, always come up with new designs, keep it limited, and remind people why the original is still worth it,” she said.

Khong said a larger problem for brands like Pop Mart is keeping their core fans engaged and satisfied “while riding the volatility of popularity or trend cycles.”

While I see the allure of a Labubu — despite never having purchased one myself — I think I’m satisfied with my SG$9.77 Lafufu.

After a few days of staring at its lopsided grin, its deformities have even become endearing.