The inside story of queues at Glasgow's Barras over Labubu craze
Three generations help stock and sell from the family-run stall, which has rocketed to success since opening in the market last year.
They said: 'We're about to have our third drop of the Labubus, and the demand has been overwhelming, they sell out instantly.
'The queues start at around 7am and are right out the door.
"We've had to start limiting sales to one per customer so that less people are disappointed.
'I told my daughter we should start handing out tickets, but she said that was too far.
'It's really sad to see people upset when we run out, but we just can't keep up with the demand.
'We usually only get this busy at Christmas, so it's nice to have such a buzz about the place at this time of year.'
Labubu Macaron and Have a Seat dolls (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns) There are two main types of Labubu, the Have a Seat and the Macaron, with the newer Big Into Energy series due in stock soon.
With the Barras only open from 10am until 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, there's always huge demand for the sprite-like creatures, which they describe as 'creepy cute'.
Part of the appeal also lies in the element of surprise - Labubu dolls are sold in 'surprise boxes', meaning you don't know which character you'll get until you unwrap it.
This fuels the 'addictive' nature of the collectables and the stall says: 'The minute people get one, they want them all.
"I would put them in the same bracket as when my daughter was into Cabbage Patch Dolls or my son was into Ninja Turtles".
The rarest of 'The Monsters' even fetch 'thousands of pounds' when resold online.
Never Miss a Gift is a whole family operation, with family on the other side of the world helping source the critters.
They explained: 'Labubus are so hard to get. My granddaughter first saw them when visiting family in Vietnam, and we've worked hard to stock genuine dolls.
'There are a lot of fakes around, but you can verify the actual dolls with the sticker on the back of the boxes – we always make sure they're the real deal.
'We've seen horror stories where people get fakes, one didn't have a face, and the other had no legs.
'It's important to have them authenticated because they're collector's items - why would you want a fake one?
'People spend their hard-earned cash on them, and we would never mess anyone about.'
READ MORE: Barras transformed into Hong Kong market for one weekend | Glasgow Times
The craze includes collectors accessorising their outfits with the dolls, hanging them from handbags and clothing as a designer addition.
But it doesn't stop there, the Labubus themselves can also be accessorised with clothing, items, a 'car seat' or even a moped.
A Labubu Macaron doll on its moped (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns) Never Miss a Gift showed off their stock: 'The clothes are a big thing, we make all these into wee packets with complete outfits.
'There's everything from a basketball player to something fancier, and then they can have wee cameras that flash or doll-sized phones and water bottles.
'They've honestly thought of everything, it just depends on how far you want to go.'
Labubu come from the imagination of Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung, who credits their inspiration to folk tales from Norway.
Made by Japan-based Pop Mart, the company has seen their profits rise by 188 per cent in the past year.
READ NEXT: New trader brings taste of Poland to Glasgow's Barras Market
Never Miss a Gift has tried to meet the demand in Glasgow, having first started the stall by selling candles and other handmade gifts.
Now offering a huge range of toys and collectables, the stall has gone from strength to strength.
They said: 'We started the toy and collectable side with the capybaras, which are also really popular.
Labubu 40cm 'Monster' dolls (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns) "Pop Mart's got another range which is the Cry-baby's, they're newer than the Labubus, but are starting to get more popular – I think they're so cute for something that's crying.'
The stall is open every weekend as part of the bustling Barras Markets and can be found in the main unit, just off Kent Street under the Barrowland Ballroom.
Labubus are available while stocks last. Fans can also try to snap up the creatures on Never Miss a Gift's website.
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