4 days ago
Good luck finding Labubu dolls in Austin
Austinites are lining up for Labubu dolls, mischievous little monsters with fangs that have become America's must-have toy.
State of play: The "cute horror" character from Chinese toy giant Pop Mart has gone viral worldwide.
Sold in "blind boxes," buyers don't know which version they'll get — sparking a resale frenzy and soaring prices.
Zoom in: In Austin, demand is outpacing supply.
Toy store Ellicor saw lines that wrapped through the parking lot during the store's soft opening, which featured Labubu dolls and other blind box items.
Austin Food Adventures, an Instagram account known for food reviews, has hosted Labubu meal popups around the city. The next events are scheduled for Wednesday at 5pm at JewBoy Burgers (sold out) and at Parker and Scott 11-3pm Sunday.
What they're saying: Amanda Wong, the creator behind Austin Food Adventures, estimates as many as 400 people have showed up to her previous pop-ups.
"I think they're popular because there's so much going on in the world and it's an innocent and fun interest that people can have," Wong tells Axios.
"It's fun to try getting the color you want and they're so cute!"
