Goblin doll Labubu’s evil twin contaminating Australian supply, authorities warn

15 hours ago 4

If you find the viral goblin-like collectible doll, Labubu, distasteful, then you haven’t yet met its mutated sidekick, Lafufu. The counterfeits are so scary that on Tuesday, NSW Fair Trading issued a warning to Australian consumers about Lafufus, telling shoppers to beware.

Via its Facebook account, Fair Trading warned consumers that Lafufu – the nickname given to Labubu counterfeits, which look like a worse-off version of the furry elf doll – have infiltrated the Australian market of Labubus.

NSW Fair Trading’s warning to shoppers posted on their Facebook account.

“Labubu toys are all the rage right now – but beware, some online sellers are tricking shoppers with counterfeit Lafufu [fake Labubu] products or not delivering at all,” the warning read.

It told collectors to look out for the Lafufus’ disfigured ears spread far apart from each other, and to count the number of its teeth (if there are more or fewer than nine fangs), which it also said may be “poorly shaped”.

Labubu, a helpful elf-like monster, was created in 2015 by a Belgium-based artist from Hong Kong, Kasing Lung. Labubu was one of several monsters illustrated by Lung for three children’s books based on Nordic folklore.

While the original Labubu is already off-putting to many, its evil twin can be told apart by its frequently mangled features. Some Lafufus’ heads can be removed from their furry bear suits, others’ faces are completely upside-down. Some Lafufus are even more sought after than the originals they are mocking.

Part of the Labubu hype derives from their packaging in “blind boxes”, meaning buyers can’t see which Labubu they get before they buy them. The rarity of some colours and special editions keeps customers buying more, but also makes it harder to detect when one is fake before taking it home.

Fair Trading advised collectors to limit their purchases to legitimate businesses and to beware of overseas websites offering Labubus at “suspiciously low prices”. It added that scam stores could be reported on the Fair Trading website.

Labubu (left) and one version of its counterfeit sidekick, Lafufu.

Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Luschwitz said: “Paying top dollar for a counterfeit toy is no laughing matter – even if they come with a cheeky grin. If your Labubu didn’t show up or looks like a Lafufu, reach out to NSW Fair Trading.”

Daniel Fisher owns the Iconic Nerd, a store in Wollongong that sells Labubu dolls, and goes to great lengths to prevent a Lafufu contagion in his inventory, although he said the task was getting harder.

“They’re really upping their game in the quality,” Fisher said of the counterfeit manufacturers shipping their products from China alongside the real deal. “Some of the Lafufus were starting to sit on shelves.”

Fisher has contacts in China who warned of the Lafufu producers’ new tactics, so he can detect the fakes if they arrive in his store. He said he had also built on years of detective work sorting through fake Pokemon cards.

So far, all the complaints NSW Fair Trading has received about counterfeit Labubus have regarded businesses overseas.

Though he can’t open each box to check whether the doll is disfigured, Fisher checks the outside of each one that arrives in the store: “Sometimes it’s the shrink wrap, sometimes it’s the QR codes.” The increasingly savvy counterfeit makers have begun adding fake authentication codes to the Lafufu boxes.

For Fisher, the time spent warding off Lafufus is worth it.

“We’ve got people coming from all over just to purchase from us because of the authentication,” he said, adding that the increasing price of Labubus reflected this.

“I think this is what people don’t fully understand, that’s what you’re paying for is making sure the companies are checking for fakes.”

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