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Ella Scott
A Labubu owner has revealed what happened when a child desperate to get their hands on one of the in-demand dolls asked her to fork over one in the middle of a US store.
Chinese company Pop Mart began producing Labubu toys in 2019, but it wasn’t until BLACKPINK’s Lisa’s viral Instagram post in April 2024 that they became a global sensation.
Since then, famous faces like WWE wrestler Rhea Ripley, former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, Dua Lipa and even Kim Kardashian have all taken the time to show off their furry grinning gremlins.
Interestingly, these quirky collectables are not suitable for persons under 15, but that didn’t stop one child from reportedly hounding a Redditor for theirs during a recent shopping trip.
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Posting on the dedicated thread for the plush monsters, the social media user, whose moniker is @thepony23, wrote that they were shopping in South Carolina when they were approached by a young girl and her mother.
“I have two Labubus all dressed up that I display in an ita bag," they explained.
“A young girl and her mother were shopping in the same aisle as I was. The girl sees my Labubus, looks at me, and says ‘Can I have a Labubu too?’”
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The Redditor claimed the girl was ‘smiling and trying to act all cute, probably thinking I'd give it to her’, while the mother was also looking at her with a grin.
“When [the mum] saw my ‘What the f**k!" face, she said to her kid ‘Come on, let's go, honey’,” they wrote.
According to the Redditor, the anonymous child was extremely ‘direct in her approach’ and had ‘no hesitation’ when asking for the oversized bag charm.
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“It's as if the kid has rehearsed or has done this before,” they mused. “Parents on here said they would be embarrassed and address it immediately, but the mother waiting on my reaction was odd.
“It felt off and opportunistic. After reading comments from the parents here, I'm suspicious that this kid was taught this by the mother. As to why, I suspect the mother doesn't want to do the work in figuring out how to get one.”
Fans of the furry friends have taken to the Reddit post’s comments section to have their say, with many blasting the mother for allowing her child to ask someone else for their possession.
“I have two kids that are dyyyying for a Labubu (thanks internet) and if I saw either of them asking a stranger to give up theirs, I would be telling that person to please ignore my kids and enjoy their score,” one typed.
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“Or at the verrry most, ask them for tips on how my kids can get their own. You did just fine here. Nothing wrong with being polite but firm, no shade.”
A second replied: “If I was her mum I’d be embarrassed and apologised immediately, and to a child just made some joke, but definitely not giving away my Labubu or Lafufu.”
Someone else praised the original poster: “As a parent and collector, good on you! I wouldn’t let my child ask a stranger for their belongings.”
“You should have said: ask your mother to buy you one,” another commented.
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However, someone who did cave into giving a kid their Labubu has had their say.
They began: “I gave one unprompted to my adult niece, because I knew she was losing to the bots. It was my choice.
“Working with elementary aged kids has definitely made it way for me to tell a kid no, though. I get asked for things as if I’m a parent on the daily during the school year. Kids have no shame, and adults don’t always teach kids that it’s inappropriate to ask like that.”
According to the official Pop Mart website, Labubus are currently sold out.
However, other popular items, such as Crybabys, Baby Molly figures and Skullpandas are available to buy.