Move over, cat moms—the Labubu mamas are here

At this point, if you have never heard of Labubus, not only are you living in a cave but you’re also living in that cave alone. What was once reserved for online girlies has equally exploded in the stock market. Pop Mart’s coveted ugly plushie with impish ears and a mischievous grin has made the company’s founder, Wang Ning, China’s youngest billionaire and raised its market evaluation well beyond luxury conglomerate Kering. Yes, the same one that owns Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

Everyone, from that micro influencer on Instagram to your kitschy uncle, now owns a Labubu or, at the very least, a Lafufu. If your corner store is like mine, it’s selling Labubu-themed rakhis and your grandmother is likely watching the doll’s supposedly evil origin story on YouTube Shorts. But as is the case with any fandom, once the normies make their way in, the OGs go deeper to swear fealtly. How, you ask?

For starters, real fans don’t own just any Labubu; they travel a thousand miles, queue in lines and bid for rare collectibles. They deck them up in tiny clothes, give them mini manicures and get little diamond studs pierced in their impish ears. Some Labubus even get dentist-approved custom grills—there’s nothing worse than bad teeth, right? If, for a moment, you confuse the doll for a tiny human, we won’t blame you. People are certainly pampering Labubus with long drives and dessert just like they would a child.