Rhiannon Ingle
You'll have no doubt heard about the seriously bizarre Labubu craze that is seemingly taking over the world right now.
Sales of the dolls, which are famed for their furry exterior and since been called out by some for their allegedly 'demonic' origins, have sky-rocketed in the past few months, with many Labubu owners opting to share off their collection of highly-coveted trinkets by clipping them to their handbags.
However, if you're one of the lucky few in possession of these sold-out keepsakes, you may want to think twice before turning it into a bag charm as one Labubu owner has now taken to social media to issue an urgent warning against doing so for one seriously alarming reason.
The owner in question took to Reddit to air their frustration over the situation, as they declared: "I'm taking all my Labubus off my bags. (They're gonna be under house arrest for the foreseeable future.) I can't believe it's even come to this."
Advert
They continued to claim: "As I'm sure many of you have already heard, Pop Mart UK has decided to suspend all sales of Labubus. They worded it nicely, saying it’s due to the crazy increase in demand and concerns for customer safety, but we all know the truth.
"They - finally - took some action after no longer being able to turn a blind eye to the increasing hostility and violence caused by scalpers in their stores, which reached a tipping point in Stratford, London, just a couple of days ago."
The Redditer went on to note that, as someone who lives in London, they are now 'genuinely worried' for their own safety, 'just for carrying a toy'.
"A freaking toy!!" they lamented. "Something that’s supposed to bring people joy."
Issuing a warning to any parents out there, the Labubu owner cautioned: "A few of my friends' kids love their Labubus too, and I’ve been telling their parents to make sure they don’t sneak them into school.
"If they’re anything like I was when I was younger, being told 'no' just meant I’d hide it in my bag until I was out of sight, then bring it out to show off to my friends. God forbid they do that with their Labubu and get attacked while someone tries to steal it from them while they're on the way to or from school.
"I don’t even feel that happy anymore when I look at my Labubus, just stress and confusion. Seriously, what on earth has the world come to??"
Responding to the ordeal, a second Redditer mused: "It’s always something, isn’t it? People are crazy."
"I’m so sorry that a hobby - something that should be fun and brings us joy has came to this," commiserated a third while a fourth revealed: "Someone tried to grab onto mine as I walked through some crowds in Covent Garden - stay safe buds!"
Another quipped: "People are just the absolute worst."
And a final Reddit user echoed: "The audacity of people sometimes honestly amazes me. They’re a plastic toy they’re not worth committing actual crimes for."
Pop Mart UK announced back in May: "Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we've seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days - with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops."
"To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice."
Pop Mart added they are working to 'improve the shopping experience' both in-store and online.
Last week, an Instagram post advertised that the Labubu dolls were now 'back'.
Tyla has reached out to Pop Mart UK for further comment.