Labubus have seemingly come out of nowhere—and gay men can’t seem to get enough of them. So it’s no surprise that vendors at Northalsted Market Days 2025 were hawking Labubus and possible knockoffs in every size, some even sporting their own tiny harnesses.
“It’s giving like dom daddy, who’s kinky,” said Marcell, who shot down any comparisons to Beanie Babies. “Beanie Babies were cute and innocent. These things look demonic. They look twisted.”
The plush dolls have sparked a frenzy with their steep price tags and cult-like appeal. Knockoffs have quickly flooded the market.
Market seller Erica Jimenez has watched the craze firsthand. The owner of Kika’s Jewelry says she sells out of Labubus again and again. She didn’t get it at first.
“I wasn’t interested. But then I just saw how they kind of looked like ugly-cute, I guess,” she said. “People go crazy for them. Every market I end up selling out, so I just keep restocking and restocking.”
She’s selling smaller key-chain versions of the dolls, and like them Jimenez is making her first Market Days appearance. “The vibe is great. The people are nice,” she said.
At another booth, Kiana browsed a line-up of Labubus. Her four-year-old daughter is turning five at the end of the month, and she’s considering one as a birthday gift—not the harnessed versions, to be clear—so she can dress it up like the Barbie dolls she had growing up.
She brought up Lizzo’s lyric, “Can’t even outdress my Labubu,” from her song “Yitty On Yo Titties.”
“At first I thought they looked ugly,” Kiana said. “But when people started dressing them up, I was like, okay—this is kind of a cute little trend.”