Latest news with #collectors
The Verge
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
‘Honestly, the more botched they look, the better.'
Posted Jun 27, 2025 at 5:11 PM UTC 'Honestly, the more botched they look, the better.' Labubus — those kind of scary little dolls with teeth that people are obsessed with — are hard to come by these days. It's no surprise that the knock off industry is filling the gap; what is funny is that the fake dolls ('Lafufus') are popular, too. For some Labubu owners, the authenticity of their doll doesn't even matter. It's part of the fandom experience all the same. What Is a Lafufu? Fake Labubus Find Some Fans Online. [
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Their Labubus Are Fake, and They Don't Care
If your Labubu doll has more than nine teeth, or if it came in a box with a shiny bright finish, it may not be a Labubu at all. It may be a 'Lafufu.' Knockoffs of the wildly popular elflike doll, which are collectively called 'the Monsters' and are sold exclusively by the Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart, have become almost as popular as the real thing — and they are much easier to find. Many of the real Labubus come in blind boxes with limited availability, so you don't know which one you're going to get until you open it, fueling a sense of scarcity and surprise that adds to the appeal — and a growing resale market, where the dolls can go for much more than their $20 to $30 retail price range. As key chains, the dolls have been wholeheartedly adopted by the fashion set; it's not uncommon to see a $20 Labubu hanging from a $20,000 Birkin. The hype is real: A life-size version of one of the dolls recently sold for more than $170,000 at auction, and Pop Marts in Britain briefly halted sales of the dolls in May after reports of chaotic crowd surges and fights among customers hoping to snag new releases. Yet 'Lafufus,' as the fake figures are affectionately called, are also trending. Sold both in person (been to Canal Street recently?) and online at cheaper prices than their brethren's, they're much easier to find, even if they look a little … off. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
National Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
A collection of Napoleon memorabilia, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, sells for $10M
Paris (AFP) — A massive trove of artwork and curios linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, including one of his iconic bicorne hats, has sold for more than $10 million in Paris, an auction house said. Article content Sotheby's said it had originally estimated the more than 110 items of Napoleonic memorabilia that it sold on Wednesday at around $7 million. Article content Article content Famous paintings of the 19th-century French emperor, gilded imperial furniture and a copy of the marriage certificate between Napoleon and his wife Josephine were among the items up for auction. Article content Relics linked to Napoleon regularly come up for sale at auction in France in a flourishing trade marked by intense interest from collectors. Article content Article content The vast collection also included Napoleon's first will written while in exile on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and the sword and staff used for his coronation at Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804. Article content Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815 after his defeat by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He died there six years later. Article content French collector Pierre-Jean Chalencon, a former star of a French antiques television show who dubs himself 'Napoleon's press officer,' assembled the collection over four decades. Article content Article content Born in a Parisian suburb, Chalencon started his collection at the age of 13 and accumulated more than 1,000 objects, including a coronation ring and a piece of the emperor's coffin. Article content
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Abingdon man's model trains and boats among items stolen
Model boats and two vintage motorbikes were among the collectors' items and family heirlooms stolen from the home of an engineering enthusiast in his Valley Police said thieves took various possessions from a home on Netherton Road, in Abingdon, on 4 among the items stolen were model steam trains and other son of the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, urged the public to "please help us to recover his treasured belongings". Det Con Laura Oakes said: "We're appealing to anybody who has any knowledge of the whereabouts of this property to please come forward with information to help return them to the family."Police said the vintage motorbikes were believed to have been advertised for sale online in the Oxfordshire area since the theft."It is believed the motorcycles were advertised for sale in May, so we would urge anybody with information about the sale of the purchase of them to contact police," Det Con Oakes said. The victim's son said: "Our father is over 90-years-old. He served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and later worked at the Pressed Steel in Cowley, designing mechanical parts of cars."His passion was collecting everything to do with engineering, model steam trains and engines and motorbikes."Working on these engines kept him alive and continue to give him great enjoyment and a sense of purpose."Anybody with any information that may help to locate the stolen items has been urged to contact Thames Valley Police. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Exact detail to spot on rare coins that makes them worth over 400 times their value – do you have one in your pocket?
SPOTTING these exact details on rare coins could make them worth up to 416 times their face value. A coin is usually regarded as rare if a limited amount of the piece was put into circulation, meaning fewer people will have one lying around at home. 5 Sometimes, the coin will have an unusual marking, and other times it can feature a familiar character or cartoon on it. These features can drive up demand from collectors. But do bear in mind that coins are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. The Sun recently found four rare coins that sold for a combined total of £423.59 this June. Atlantic Salmon 50p - £70.59 This coin features a portrait of King Charles III on the front, while the back of the coin depicts an Atlantic salmon leaping from the waves. Research by Change Checker found only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. The group said only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. And it appears collectors are prepared to pay a pretty penny for one of these coins. On Saturday, June 21 a seller managed to flog an Atlantic Salmon coin for £70.59. That makes it 141 times its face value. That was after a fierce bidding war with 18 wannabe buyers. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands Kew Gardens 50p - £127.08 5 The front of this rare coin has an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley, below. But what makes it special is the reverse, which features a leafy vine wrapped around a Chinese pagoda. It also has the date of the year it was made to commemorate the anniversary. There are around 210,000 of these coins in circulation making it another rare find. Recently one of these coins sold for £127.08 on June 22 after 16 people tried to bid for it. That makes it a whopping 254 times its face value. But in the past, Kew Gardens coins have sold for up to £700. Olympic Football 50p - £17.59 This coin, also known as the Offside Rule 50p, is one of twenty-nine commemorative 2012 Olympic 50ps issued by The Royal Mint. The design was created by Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist and features a diagram to show how the Offside Rule works. Around 1.2million of the Olympic Football 50p's were put into circulation, so you might have a better chance of finding one lying around your house. On June 22, one of these coins sold for £17.59 after eight bids. On this occasion, the coin has sold for over 35 times its face value. But in the past, it has sold for £24 so there is a chance you get more depending on collectors' interest at the time. Blue Peter 50p - £208 This Blue Peter 50p coin was released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. It features a cartoon of a high jumper on the back, with the design etched by a nine-year-old girl. Over 2.2million of the Blue Peter 50p coins were issued, with most minted in 2011. In the past, this coin has sold for up to £223. On Sunday June 22 The Sun spotted one of these coins sold for £208 after an eight-person bidding war. On this occasion, the Blue Peter coin has sold for 416 times its face value.
