Pop Mart’s Labubu drives resale, fakes in Japan

Labubu plush dolls from China’s Pop Mart are booming in Japan, with transactions on Soda’s Snkrdunk app 66 times higher than in January and resale prices far above list value. The shortage has fueled a wave of counterfeits, prompting marketplaces and services like Fakebusters to expand authentication using X-rays, UV checks, and verification badges.