First came the Labubus. Then came their whimsical accessories. A lot of Bay Area collectors are crazy for both.
“They are just gorgeous right on the shelves, with cool personalities, and bring innocence and beauty to the world,” said Nolan Haley, 38, a Labubu lover from Oakley, who attached several of the plush toys in colorful outfits to his crossbody bag.
Related Articles
Breezy bites: 5 Bay Area rooftop restaurants
Where to buy Labubus, the quirky plush monsters that are all the rage in the Bay Area
As the Bill Pickett Rodeo returns, Black cowboy culture sees a resurgence in the Bay Area
Photos: Rainbows, music, dance and joyful pride … hundreds participate in the 55th annual San Francisco Pride Parade
Weeds aren’t just nuisances, they’re messengers. Here’s what they can tell you
His favorite is his first, Sesame Bean, a gray Labubu in a plush baby shark outfit. “My youngest son is autistic, and he loves baby sharks so I have her in an outfit,” Haley said.
Labubu lovers like Haley gathered Saturday at the South San Francisco Conference Center for the Hype Con Bubu Fest, a vibrant festival hosted by local chain Fugitive Toys. Fans and collectors came together to shop for accessories to customize their collectibles, trade them and connect with the community.
Known for its signature creepy-cute grin, Labubu was created by Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist, and first appeared in Lung’s 2015 picture book series “The Monsters.” It wasn’t until a 2019 collaboration with Chinese toy giant Pop Mart that Labubu made the leap into toy stardom, quickly gaining international popularity.
Related Articles
Breezy bites: 5 Bay Area rooftop restaurants
Where to buy Labubus, the quirky plush monsters that are all the rage in the Bay Area
As the Bill Pickett Rodeo returns, Black cowboy culture sees a resurgence in the Bay Area
Photos: Rainbows, music, dance and joyful pride … hundreds participate in the 55th annual San Francisco Pride Parade
Weeds aren’t just nuisances, they’re messengers. Here’s what they can tell you
According to an announcement by Pop Mart, the company expects its profits to surge by more than 350% in the first half of the year, driven largely by Labubu’s explosive global appeal.
The popularity opened the door for entrepreneurs and small-business owners in the Bay Area to tap into a niche but thriving market, offering inspiration, innovation and opportunities to local artists and vendors. Tattoo artists, cosmetologists, artisan jewelry makers and accessory retailers are among those offering Labubu-related merchandise and services.
Labubu lovers are not satisfied with just collecting them; they also are looking for personal expression. Decorating their Labubus is a way to represent their identity, by getting matched tattoos, tooth gems or buying mini outfits for the toys.
Brittany Briscoe, a kindergarten art teacher from Hollister, went to the Bubu Fest with her two daughters. They searched for playful and endearing Labubu outfits and accessories to compete in the upcoming Labubu Best Dressed Contest in San Jose. “We want to win,” she said.
Added Haley: “You can put your own personality on, by putting the clothes on them. … Being a millennial, we love our tchotchkes. It’s fun and not weird or strange.”
Owen Smith, a tattoo artist in Martinez, carefully inked designs onto the Labuubus’ vinyl faces using techniques typically applied to synthetic skin. “It’s the first time I’ve seen tattooing on a toy become part of the trend,” he said.
Smith started tattooing Labubu faces after noticing that many fans wanted to personalize their toys. Some people came to him with Labubus for matching tattoos, while others who didn’t have tattoos themselves took it as an experiment to try the tattoo arts.
Sophia Nguyen, a 30-year-old live artist from San Francisco, who usually works at wedding events, was drawing a cartoon portrait of the customers for $10 each, with one playful twist: Each portrait included a secret Labubu improvised on the spot for added surprise.
“They feel so much joy in seeing their portrait,” Nguyen said. She did almost 50 drawings in one afternoon. “I’m just happy to see families coming together and having fun.”
Dominique Suber, a registered dental hygienist from Fairfield, uses dental-grade materials to pioneeringly apply tooth gems on Labubus, charging $10 for three gems.
“I thought the only thing I could do was clean my teeth, but I see all of these people’s creativity,” Suber said. “This is another little outlet for me.”
Nearby, her 17-year-old daughter Alannah Howell was attaching a tooth gem on a beige Labubu diligently sitting beside a dental chair. The moment moved Suber to tears.
“She’s learning how to be an entrepreneur, finding a niche for herself,” Suber said. “This is something she likes to do so it doesn’t feel like work. I am so proud of her.”
Karli Griffith, an administrator coordinator, and Arta Razavi and Zachary Priddy, both software engineers, sat beside a glowing Labubu LED sign of their own making, selling handmade Labubu wing accessories for $20 each.
“We put our hearts into it and try to create a little positivity. It’s a collaborative effort,” Griffith said.
Trippy Bunnies partners Karli Griffith, left, Zachary Priddy, and Arta Clementine sell accessories for all Labubu toys during the Labubu Fest in South San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, July 12, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
For Skyla Mendivil, a 31-year-old local airbrush artist from San Jose, the Bubu fest is a chance to serve the community of Labubu fans. With an arsenal of stencils, she offered free facepaint for Labubu lovers of all ages. Throughout the event, her booth remained one of the busiest, with people frequently crowding around for her work.
“It helps us connect, builds community and gives us inspiration to make things,” Griffith said. “I really like how Labubu makes a positive impact on people, bringing different generations together over a little cute doll.”
