plush keychains are for kids, but labubus are for tastemakers

when collecting turns soulless.

Welcome to soft grunge, the cutest newsletter you’ll ever read. Here, you’ll get all my commentary on the most pressing topics of kawaii culture. Since voting has officially wrapped for the Sanrio character ranking, I’m bringing you a new post while we wait for the results!

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Bag charms are everywhere, and Labubus have become one of the most coveted bag charms out there. While some of us were first introduced to blind boxes thanks to Sonny Angels or Mini Brands (or maybe Kidrobot in the 2000s, like I was), Labubus have become far more than just a Pop Mart blind box. Unlike the dead Tamagotchis and K-pop photo cards that hang on the bags of dedicated collectors and middle school fangirls, Labubus are proudly worn on the $20,000 Birkin bags of Vogue editors and A-list celebrities.

In 2025, “trinkets” aren’t just for kids. TikTok has encouraged all of us to “heal our inner children” and treat ourselves to collectibles and other indulgent purchases. Frankly, we don’t need to read another New York Mag think piece about “recession indicators” to know that times are tough right now. While the criticism of overconsumption is valid, what's really driving it is how the rise of micro-trends has stripped the soul out of collecting, turning it from a personal passion into a Supreme-esque status symbol.

collecting was once something to be ashamed of

For those of us who have always collected figures, plushies, and all of the other things that fill our shelves and overflow our bags, the trinket renaissance is what we’ve been asking for. The days of going an hour out of your way to the nearest authorized Sanrio dealer are officially over—because now, every store from Target to Urban Outfitters has their shelves stocked with an abundance of TikTok-viral blind boxes and bag charms. Scarcity might’ve been part of the fun, but collecting is more accessible than ever. Of course, some netizens still think collecting makes you a vehicle of consumerism (never mind billionaires and corporations being responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions, that’s none of our business)—but overall, it’s way more accepted to be a trinket-lover.

But because bag charms and blind boxes can be boiled down to just another micro trend, it’s still important to understand that, like most trends, the hype is sure to die down. Unlike actual collectors and kawaii fans, influencers who flood our feeds with daily unboxing videos and those that partake just because it’s the “thing to do” will be the ones chucking their Pop Mart blind boxes in the trash and dropping off their keychains at Goodwill.

As dumb as it sounds, collecting was never about owning the rarest charm—it was about curating things you genuinely liked. Whether that means tracking down a plushie of that obscure Sanrio character you could never find when you were little or buying a vintage keychain to spark convos with other members of your fandom, collecting was never meant to be this soulless.

Dua Lipa and her Labubus.

labubu is switzerland

The reason why Labubus are so popular is because they’re almost an “entry level” collectible. Unlike a Sanrio plush that might be met with a Creepypasta “name one character other than Kuromi” stare or a Line Friends keychain that automatically classifies you as BTS army, Labubus are way more neutral. In fact, they’re so neutral that someone like Rihanna or Dua Lipa can proudly wear one without being associated with fangirls or dorky collectors. After seeing your favorite celebrity with one, how can you not want one?

In everyone else’s eyes, to own a Labubu is to be cool. And it’s not because they’re cute (or not cute, I don’t really care to weigh in on this), it’s because they’re exclusive. After Lisa publicly expressed her love for them, they became practically impossible to buy. Not only do they resell for an average of $250 (which Redditors say is a decent price BTW), they cause 2008 Black Friday-like panic on release day and have even become a target for thieves. Unlike a popular toy selling out among a niche community, the Labubu hype almost feels sterile—like scalpers waiting in line for the next PlayStation drop. People might see Labubus as a “if you know you know” kind of thing, but they’re way more of a “Rihanna knows, and I want to too” kind of thing.

bring back slow collecting

At the end of the day, we’re all living on a floating rock. And if lining up overnight for a Labubu brings you joy, who am I to stop you? Just, don’t let your collection be shaped by whatever happens to be dangling from a celebrity’s Birkin that week. Buy what you actually like, not what people around you tell you to.

Truthfully, what I love about collecting is that I get to decide what’s worthy of shelf space. It’s personal. It’s individual. It’s mine. The Labubu hype might’ve made collecting feel soulless—but I have no doubt that the real collectors are still out there. They’re scouring Facebook Marketplace and finding joy in things that are too niche and too dorky to ever get a celebrity co-sign.