SoCal store known for selling Labubus ransacked by thieves
- Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
The frenzy for Labubus seems to have reached the point of burglary.
A store in La Puente that has been known for its stock of the adorable monsters and other merchandise was broken into on Wednesday morning, according to social media posts. The viral sensation known as Labubus may look like a child’s toy, but they are highly sought after by adults and, apparently, thieves.
- Share via
One Stop Sales shared video footage on their Instagram page of the burglars breaking into the store on Glendora Avenue around 1:30 a.m. The masked thieves can be seen carrying away several boxes. The store shared surveillance footage of a white Toyota Tacoma believed to be involved in the burglary.
“Today we got robbed, and they took all of our inventory, trashed our store,” the store owners said in an Instagram post. “We are still in shock.”
The store had been promoting its inventory on social media in the days ahead of the break-in, including the highly sought-after Labubu monsters.
Everyone wants Labubu, a furry toy character with rabbit-like ears and a nightmarish grin. The frenzy is fortuitous timing for Pop Mart, the toy’s maker, as it makes a major push into the U.S.
The thieves stole several boxes of Labubu dolls “valued at approximately seven thousand dollars” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities confirmed the thieves were masked during the break-in and the white pickup truck used in the burglary was found, but there were no reports of any arrests.
One Stop Sales, which opened in May, sells plush animals and other items in “blind boxes,” which are sealed items that include collectible pendants or figurines that can be stylized as fashion accessories. The storefront boasts Labubus, which are exclusively sold by the Chinese-based store Pop Mart. The store also sells clothing and other items for collectors to style their Labubu pendants.
Last year, K-pop superstar Lisa posted a video on Instagram of her hugging a large Labubu plush doll. The doll boasted accessories, including a handbag and pendants.
A single Labubu character retails for $28 and often quickly sell out when made available online. But Labubus can sell for double or triple their price on the secondhand market due to their popularity. NBC reports that a life-size Labubu sold for $170,000 at a Beijing auction in June.
Investigators with the Sheriff’s Department Industry Station are investigating the burglary at the La Puente store. Anyone with information about the break-in can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Industry Station at (626) 330-3322.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
Kim, an attorney and former San Francisco supervisor, is running against State Sen. Benjamin Allen for the role of running California’s long-beleaguered Department of Insurance. In this episode she talks to Rebuilding L.A. host Kate Cagle about why she should get the job.
The Hillside Strangler murders terrorized Los Angeles in the late 1970s. The killers were a pair of sadistic cousins. One confessed. The other was set to stand trial—until L.A. prosecutors flinched.
Hosts Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito sit down with Puerto Rican rapper and composer Álvaro Díaz, fresh off the release of OMAKASE — his third album, a genre-defying concept record that debuted at number one globally on Spotify and is charting in 16 Latin American countries.
