The LABUBU Craze Meets the 3D Printing Wave: When Collectible Scarcity Encounters Technological Democratization

A desktop 3D printer and a few yuan in filament—that’s all it takes to bring a thousand-yuan designer toy down to earth.

△ LABUBU mid-print on a 3D printer—its head still unfinished

Once selling for thousands on the secondhand market, and cherished by Western collectors willing to pay premiums, LABUBU—an IP under Pop Mart—has become a global sensation. Hailed by enthusiasts as the "Plastic Moutai," it has even been elevated to the status of social currency by celebrities.

Yet in online 3D printing communities around the world, hundreds of LABUBU models are being downloaded daily. Enthusiasts recreate the figure for as little as 3 yuan in materials—and some have even profited tens of thousands.

On one side stands the mythos of rare collectibles; on the other, a democratized reality of instant duplication. This silent upheaval, driven by technology, is reshaping the very rules of the designer toy industry.

01. The Birth—and Bubble—of a Myth

Back in 2010, when Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung brought his illustrated character to life in 3D form, it barely made a splash. LABUBU’s rise was long and winding, but in 2019, everything changed with a licensing deal from Pop Mart.

This sharp-toothed, ugly-cute figure shattered the stereotype that Chinese products could only compete on price. Even amid increased U.S. tariffs, consumers lined up in the early hours to get their hands on one.

On the resale market, prices soared by multiples. LABUBU became a luxury bag charm and a status symbol, endorsed by celebrities like Rihanna.

Scarcity lies at the heart of this business model. Companies like Pop Mart carefully regulate supply with limited editions and hidden variants, cultivating a speculative frenzy of “unboxing to profit.”

LABUBU became the “Moutai of plastics”—where simply walking out of a store with one could instantly multiply its value.

02. The Techno-Democracy Movement

Faced with scarcity, a global wave of 3D printing hobbyists launched a grassroots “technological equalization” movement.

On platforms like MakerWorld, Cults3D, and Creality Cloud, LABUBU downloads surged.

The cost comparison is staggering: On e-commerce sites, PLA filament sells for under ¥40 per kilogram. Printing a 13.4 cm LABUBU consumes less than 100g—material cost? Under ¥4. That’s a 100x difference from official retail pricing.

China’s booming 3D printing industry has laid the foundation for this movement. Companies such as Anycubic, Creality, Longer3D, Snapmaker, and Flashforge now dominate the global consumer 3D printing market.

03. The Intellectual Property Quagmire

But beneath this democratic surface, murky waters churn. Some individuals are profiting tens of thousands from selling 3D-printed LABUBUs—blurring the line between fandom and infringement.

Legal red lines are clear. IP attorneys warn: “Unauthorized replication risks violating copyright, trademark, and unfair competition laws. If ruled infringing, consequences include takedowns and financial penalties.”

The irony is sharp: Pop Mart itself uses 3D printing extensively in its design pipeline, slashing development costs. Yet while corporate use is innovation, personal use might spell infringement.

IP law experts are watching closely. Protecting designer toy IP is a maze—each figure may involve overlapping rights including copyright, design patents, and trademarks. Meanwhile, hobbyist modifications and derivative models make infringement rulings even more complex.

04. Signals of Industry Disruption

Market reactions hint at transformation. As the LABUBU 3D printing craze intensified, the stock price of leading PLA supplier Hisun Biomaterials surged nearly 50% in just three days. In 2024, its 3D printing filament sales rose 185.67% year-over-year, now making up 20% of total revenue.

However, some argue this is speculative hype. As 3D printing influencer Nanji Xiong observed, “This is wild speculation—new-generation retail investors are just drawing wild connections.” The PLA surge stems not from LABUBU, but from viral articulated toys like dragons, eggs, and snakes, which now see annual production in the hundreds of millions. And with IP owners stepping in, 3D-printed LABUBUs may soon face a total crackdown.

Meanwhile, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) dominates the consumer space due to its low cost and ease of use. Material innovation is ongoing—from basic PLA and PETG to engineering-grade polymers, carbon-fiber composites, and flexible TPU.

05. The Crossroads of Designer Toy Futures

The LABUBU phenomenon exposes a deep shift: the traditional pillars of designer toy value—scarcity, licensing, and collectibility—are being deconstructed by open technology.

Deeper changes are brewing. In hubs like Dongguan, manufacturers are transitioning from OEMs to creative collaborators. Value chains are realigning: designers connect directly with factories, Chinese aesthetics are gaining depth, and “Guochao” (Chinese cultural trend) is reshaping creative direction. The shift from “Made in China” to “Created in China” is underway.

In a Dongguan workshop, a former OEM worker holds up a freshly printed LABUBU and shakes his head: “The precision’s decent, but the feel still isn’t there.” Then he smiles: “But hey, young people love it—and that’s what matters.”

Technology is rewriting the rules of the game. As the next generation of designer toy artists launches their work directly on 3D printing platforms, and as consumers shift from paying for rarity to paying for creativity, this LABUBU-triggered revolution may well usher in a new species—one that transcends the “Plastic Moutai” myth.