Yes, Labubu raves are taking over Brooklynâs nightlife scene
Every generation gets the toy craze it deserves, and no toy craze is any weirder than the last. From Pet Rocks to Cabbage Patch dolls to Troll Dolls and Tamagotchis, our collective past is littered with âI gotta have it or Iâll die!â status symbols. And Labubus have definitely taken their place among them.
Not only have the plush toys with unsettling wide grins revealing serrated knife-like teeth become an instant grid-worthy addition to Instagram accounts, but theyâre now beginning to revitalize nightlife. At least at the Brooklyn Monarch in Williamsburg, where raves featuring Labubus as the headliners attract up to 800 people.
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Labubus have become unavoidable, both on social media and on the subways, where the weirdly adorable little creatures with big eyes, sharp teeth, and full-on gremlin energy seem to be everywhere, most often dangling from purses, keychains, and waistbands.
Created by artist Kasing Lung, Labubus are part of the Pop Mart universe, which means mystery boxes, limited editions, and serious collector hype. People line up or endlessly refresh websites, hoping to score a rare one. (How big have Labubus become? A human-sized Labubu recently sold for more than $170,000.) For collectors, the toy is almost secondary to the thrill of the unboxing, the trade culture, and the bragging rights of scoring a super rare variant.
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