You've seen that mischievous, serrated-tooth grin everywhere. It’s on Lisa from Blackpink's handbag. It’s dangling from backpacks in Bangkok, Manila, and New York. Labubu, the flagship character of Kasing Lung’s "The Monsters" series produced by Pop Mart, has officially transitioned from a niche designer toy to a global phenomenon. Honestly, it’s chaos.
When a vinyl toy becomes this culturally massive, the counterfeiters move in faster than you can hit "add to cart."
The market is currently flooded. If you’re looking to buy a real and fake Labubu side-by-side, the differences can be subtle enough to trick a casual collector but glaringly obvious to someone who knows where the seams literally lie. Buying a fake doesn't just suck because you lost money; it sucks because the quality of these "bootlegs" is often riddled with lead paint or shedding fur that feels like steel wool.
Why the Labubu Hype Created a Counterfeit Crisis
Pop Mart didn't just make a toy. They made a status symbol. Because the "Macaron" and "Have a Seat" series are sold as blind boxes, the scarcity is manufactured. This scarcity is the perfect breeding ground for scammers. You’ll see listings on TikTok Shop, Shopee, or even random Facebook groups claiming to have "factory overstock" or "original leftover stock."
That is a lie.
Pop Mart is notoriously tight with their supply chain. There is no such thing as "factory leftovers" appearing on a random discount site for $12 when the resale value is $60. If the price feels too good to be true, you aren't finding a deal; you're buying a piece of plastic that probably smells like gasoline.
The Physical Tell: Fur, Teeth, and Feet
Let’s get into the weeds. When you hold a real and fake Labubu, the first thing you should do is close your eyes and touch it. Seriously.
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A genuine Labubu from the Macaron series has soft, somewhat "clumpy" fur that feels premium. It’s dense. Fake versions often use a cheaper synthetic fiber that feels scratchy or overly shiny under bright lights. If the fur looks like it belongs on a prize from a dusty carnival game, put it back.
Look at the face.
The face mold on a real Labubu is crisp. The "vinyl" part of the face—the area with the eyes and those iconic 17 teeth—is matte or slightly satin. On many fakes, this plastic is way too shiny. It reflects light in a "greasy" way. Also, count the teeth. While most high-end fakes get the count right now, the spacing on a real one is mathematically perfect. In counterfeits, the paint on the teeth often bleeds into the gums.
Check the feet.
Flip that monster over. On a legitimate Pop Mart product, the logo on the bottom of the foot is embossed clearly. The font is "Pop Mart" in its specific, trademarked typeface. On fakes, the lettering is often shallow, blurry, or—believe it or not—sometimes misspelled. I’ve seen some that say "Pop Mark" or "Pip Mart."
The Box and The "Scannable" Lie
The box is usually the first line of defense, but it’s also where counterfeiters are getting scary good.
A real box has high-quality cardstock. The printing is vibrant. The most important feature, though, is the QR code authentication sticker. Pop Mart uses a scratch-off coating. When you scratch it, you get a code that you can scan with your phone.
Here is the trick scammers are using lately:
They create a fake website that looks like the Pop Mart authentication page. You scan the QR code, it takes you to "https://www.google.com/search?q=pop-mart-verify.com" (a fake URL), and tells you the product is "100% Authentic."
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Always ensure the URL is the official www.popmart.com domain. If the QR code takes you to a weird, long URL or a site that looks like it was designed in 2005, you've been had. Also, a real QR code can usually only be scanned a few times before the system flags it as "previously checked." If you scan a "new" box and it says it’s been checked 400 times, it’s a copied code.
The Smell Test and Articulation
It sounds weird, but smell the toy.
Authentic Pop Mart vinyl has a very faint, neutral plastic scent. Counterfeits often use cheap PVC or recycled plastics that emit a strong, chemical "new shower curtain" odor. This is actually a safety issue; those fumes are often VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that aren't great to be huffing in a small room.
Then, move the head.
The "Have a Seat" series features Labubus that can sit and move their limbs. The joints on a real one are firm but smooth. They click or rotate with a certain level of resistance. Fakes often have "floppy" heads or limbs that feel like they might snap off if you apply even a tiny bit of pressure.
Buying Second-Hand: The "Lisa Effect"
Because Lisa from Blackpink posted her collection, the prices for specific colors like "Sea Salt Coconut" or "Toffee" have skyrocketed. If you are buying from a reseller on platforms like eBay or Grailed, demand a "tagged" photo. This is a photo of the Labubu next to a piece of paper with the seller’s username and today’s date.
Scammers love to steal high-res photos from real collectors.
Also, look at the lanyard or the keychain attachment. A real Labubu keychain has a sturdy, brushed-metal finish on the hardware. Many fakes use a very bright, yellowish "fake gold" or a flimsy silver-colored plastic that feels light in the hand. The weight difference is usually around 10-15 grams—it doesn't sound like much, but you can feel the lack of "heft" in a counterfeit.
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The Evolution of "Super Fakes"
We have to acknowledge that there are "Super Fakes" now. These are high-tier counterfeits that cost almost as much as the retail price of a real Labubu. They use the same weight of plastic and very similar fur.
In these cases, the only way to be sure is the internal stitching. If you are brave enough to look under the "skin" (though I don't recommend cutting your toy), the internal structure of a real Labubu is organized. Fakes use messy hot glue and jagged plastic internal frames.
But honestly? If you have to go that far, the "vibe" of the toy has already failed. The real joy of a Labubu is the artistic intent of Kasing Lung. Counterfeits always miss the soul of the expression—the eyes might be angled just 1 millimeter off, making the monster look "derpy" rather than mischievous.
Practical Steps to Secure a Real Labubu
Don't let the FOMO (fear of missing out) lead you into a bad financial decision. The "The Monsters" series is regularly restocked, even if it sells out in minutes.
- Stick to Authorized Channels: Only buy from the official Pop Mart Global website, their official stores on AliExpress/Lazada/Shopee (check for the "Mall" or "LazMall" verification), or physical Pop Mart vending machines (Roboshops).
- Verify the Hologram: Look for the holographic sticker on the side or bottom of the box. It should shift colors smoothly, not just look like a static rainbow sticker.
- Check the "Birthmark": On many Labubu series, there is a tiny, almost invisible embossed code on the back of the neck or the foot that matches the batch number on the box.
- Join Collector Communities: Groups on Reddit or Discord are great at "LC" (Legit Checking) items. Post clear photos of the feet, the face, and the box stickers.
The market for real and fake Labubu figures is only going to get more complicated as new series drop. Stay cynical. If a deal looks amazing, it’s probably a scam. If the seller refuses to show you the QR code sticker, walk away. Your collection deserves the real deal, not a chemical-smelling imitation that loses its fur in a week.
Keep your eyes on the official Pop Mart social media accounts for restock alerts. That is the only 100% guaranteed way to ensure your mischievous little monster is the real thing. Check the stitching, verify the URL of the QR code, and never buy "unboxed" items from unverified sellers unless you're okay with the high risk of a bootleg.