The frenzy for Labubus seems to have reached the point of burglary.
A store in La Puente that has been known for its stock of the adorable monsters and other merchandise was broken into on Wednesday morning, according to social media posts. The viral sensation known as Labubus may look like a child’s toy, but they are highly sought after by adults and, apparently, thieves.
One Stop Sales shared video footage on their Instagram page of the burglars breaking into the store on Glendora Avenue around 1:30 a.m. The masked thieves can be seen carrying away several boxes. The store shared surveillance footage of a white Toyota Tacoma believed to be involved in the burglary.
“Today we got robbed, and they took all of our inventory, trashed our store,” the store owners said in an Instagram post. “We are still in shock.”
It’s unclear how many Labubu boxes the thieves made off with, but the store had been promoting its inventory on social media in the days ahead of the break-in.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One Stop Sales, which opened in May, sells plush animals and other items in “blind boxes,” which are sealed items that include collectible pendants or figurines that can be stylized as fashion accessories. The storefront boasts Labubus, which are exclusively sold by the Chinese-based store Pop Mart. The store also sells clothing and other items for collectors to style their Labubu pendants.
Last year, K-pop superstar Lisa posted a video on Instagram of her hugging a large Labubu plush doll. The doll boasted accessories, including a handbag and pendants.
A single Labubu character retails for $28 and often quickly sell out when made available online. But Labubus can sell for double or triple their price on the secondhand market due to their popularity. NBC reports that a life-size Labubu sold for $170,000 at a Beijing auction in June.
