Four masked thieves targeted a La Puente store in California,stealing valuable Labubu collectible dolls. The incident highlights the growing value and demand for these popular toys worldwide.
A smash-and-grab robbery in California has spotlighted the darker side of one of the world’s most sought-after toys.
On Wednesday, One Stop Sales in La Puente, east of Los Angeles, was broken into by four masked men in the early morning hours. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the burglars stole “several boxes of Labubu dolls” valued at roughly $7,000. Surveillance footage shows the thieves loading the loot into a stolen Toyota Tacoma, later recovered by police.
“We’re still in shock,” the store posted on Instagram. “They took all of our inventory and trashed our store. Please help us find these thieves.”
The incident underscores the skyrocketing demand and price tags for Labubu, a toothy plush toy that has grown from an art project into an international phenomenon. Rare editions can fetch hundreds of dollars on resale platforms, while a life-size version recently sold for over $170,000 at auction in China.
Labubu was created in 2015 by Hong Kong–born artist Kasing Lung as part of his illustrated series The Monsters, inspired by Nordic fairy tales. The characters are mischievous yet kind-hearted elves whose good intentions often lead to chaos. In 2019, Lung teamed up with Chinese toy giant POP MART to release the dolls in “blind boxes,” sealed packages that keep the design secret until opened.
"That's why I wanted to create something that I've always known existed in my heart," he said in an interview with CGTN Europe in March. "It's amazing that so many people love it."
Over the years, it has been spotted on the bags of pop singers like Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and Lisa from the K-pop group BLACKPINK.
Since then, Labubu has become a pop culture fixture, spotted at Pride parades, clipped to designer bags, and traded like precious collectibles. Psychologists say the thrill of opening a mystery box taps into nostalgia and the excitement of chance, the same impulses behind trading cards and cereal-box prizes.
But as Wednesday’s robbery shows, the line between whimsy and high-value commodity is narrowing fast.
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