\u201cLABUBU has been extremely successful, but the challenges that follow should also be noted. For instance, in the past, long-term shortages led to counterfeit goods flooding the market. Now that Pop Mart has boosted production capacity, we can also see consumer complaints about the quality of certain products, which needs improvement. The frenzy around the mini LABUBU continues to reflect the IP\u2019s strong influence: every time a new version is released, it sparks a wave of demand. But over time, no single IP can dominate forever. Therefore, while developing new versions of LABUBU, it\u2019s also essential to cultivate other promising IPs. And this is not only true for Pop Mart\u2014other collectible toy companies also have the opportunity to create the next LABUBU. The market must keep evolving, and product iterations need to follow a deliberate rhythm,\u201d said senior retail analyst Shen Jun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another analyst in the collectible toy industry told Yicai Global that the hype around the \u201cMini LABUBU\u201d<\/em> may not last as long as previous LABUBU series, because essentially it is not very different from earlier versions\u2014only the size has changed. LABUBU\u2019s earlier explosive popularity was largely due to its breakthrough from being just a display figure to becoming a portable keychain accessory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, who has the potential to become the next LABUBU? According to multiple sources consulted by Yicai Global, current market sales suggest that Pop Mart\u2019s \u201cStar Man\u201d\u00a0IP shows strong potential to become the next blockbuster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent months, the popularity of Star Man has been rising, particularly with the release of the \u201cSweet Dreams Weather Bureau Series\u201d<\/em> in August. In Pop Mart\u2019s live-streaming sessions for its mystery box vending machines, there has been a surge of comments asking when the Star Man Weather Bureau series would be restocked. The streamers\u2019 responses were identical to those for inquiries about LABUBU restocks: \u201cNo restock notice yet\u2014you\u2019ll have to wait for a surprise drop.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At some Pop Mart retail stores, Yicai reporters observed that Star Man blind boxes have also begun selling out. Store staff revealed that Star Man is now extremely popular, with some locations running out of stock. Just like with LABUBU\u2019s vinyl plush toys, Star Man products are also shifting to online pre-orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yicai also noticed on trading platforms like QianDao that the \u201cSweet Dreams Weather Bureau\u201d<\/em> series of Star Man saw secondary-market prices surge quickly before slipping back within a short time. Hidden editions briefly sold for over RMB 700, while non-hidden editions hovered around RMB 100+, leaving room for a premium compared with the official retail price of RMB 79.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier, Yicai reported that more than a week ago, Pop Mart launched several new products simultaneously: the Star Man \u201cSweet Dreams Weather Bureau\u201d<\/em>\u00a0plush keychains, the SKULLPANDA \u201cLazy Bear\u201d plush keychains, and a vinyl plush doll collaboration with pop star Zhou Shen (\u201cAnti-Pronoun\u201d<\/em>). These products all saw some degree of price markup in the secondary market. Remarkably, in less than a year, Star Man has already become a billion-yuan IP, with revenue reaching RMB 390 million in the first half of this year alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In terms of growth rate, aside from LABUBU, the fastest-growing IPs have been HACIPUPU\u00a0and CRYBABY. In the first half of this year, their revenues grew by 249.6% and 248.7%, respectively. Both IPs began collaborating with Pop Mart in 2022, and have since shown explosive growth momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Declaration: This article comes from China Business Network.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a phenomenon-level collectible toy IP that has captu […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stationery-trade-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stationerytrade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3.png\")
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