How to Spot a Fake Labubu

Labubu — the mischievous toothy creature by Kasing Lung, produced by Pop Mart — has become one of the most counterfeited designer toys on the planet. Pop Mart sued a major US convenience chain in 2025 for selling fakes, US Customs seized over 11,000 counterfeit units in a single action, and the safety risk to children is real.

At monstertale we run every box through our Authentication Lab before it ships. Below are the seven checks our team uses. Read them once and you will know more than 95% of buyers.

1. The packaging

Real - Pop Mart logo is sharp, perfectly centered, and the gold/silver foil reflects evenly. - The cardboard has a slight matte texture, not a shiny plastic-feel coating. - Case-of-6 / case-of-12 outer cartons have factory-sealed plastic wrap with no tape or hand-applied stickers.

Fake - Logo is slightly blurry, off-center, or printed with a faded foil. - Cardboard feels too glossy or, conversely, too thin and floppy. - Outer cartons are re-wrapped by hand with packing tape over the original wrap.

2. The QR code

Every authentic Pop Mart box includes a QR code linking to Pop Mart's official anti-counterfeit verification page.

  • Scan it. The page should load on popmart.com with the series name and serial number.
  • Counterfeit boxes either omit the QR code entirely, print a non-functional code, or link to a fake site.
  • If the QR resolves but the listed series does not match the box graphic, the figure has been swapped.

3. The foot stamp

Real Labubu figures have Pop Mart and series identifiers stamped or molded on the underside of one foot.

  • Stamp letters are crisp, evenly spaced, and at uniform depth.
  • The plastic around the stamp is smooth — no flashing, no excess seam.
  • Fakes often have shallow, wobbly text or smeared plastic where a cheap mold left burrs.

4. The face paint

Labubu's face — the freckles, blush, the tooth detail — is hand-finished on most series.

  • Real: paint is precise, blush is soft and uniform, freckles are evenly distributed and a consistent size.
  • Fake: paint runs over the lip line, freckles cluster or vary in size, blush looks streaky.

Minor paint variation on real Pop Mart units exists (factory tolerance), but consistent paint quality across multiple Labubu suggests authenticity.

5. The weight

This is the check most casual buyers skip. Pop Mart uses a specific resin / PVC blend that produces a characteristic weight.

  • A standard ~100 mm Labubu figure weighs in a tight range. Significantly lighter (hollow / thin-walled) usually means counterfeit.
  • We use a 0.1 g kitchen scale and compare to our reference table for the series. If you have multiple of the same SKU, compare them. A 15%+ deviation is a red flag.

6. The accessories

Many Labubu series include small accessories — a hat, a flag, a charm, a base. Counterfeits frequently get the accessories wrong:

  • Accessory paint quality differs from the figure itself.
  • Plastic feels noticeably thinner.
  • An accessory is missing or replaced with a generic substitute.

The manufacturer's accessory checklist for each series is published on Pop Mart's site. We compare every unit to it.

7. The edges

Run your finger along the seam lines (where the mold halves joined).

  • Real: seam is barely perceptible, sometimes hand-polished.
  • Fake: a noticeable raised ridge, sharp burrs, or visible mold-release residue.

This is the fastest single check at a glance, and very reliable.

What we do at Authentication Lab

Every box that ships from monstertale passes through all seven of the checks above. We photograph each box's QR scan result, the foot stamp, and the seal state, and archive that evidence with the order. If you ever doubt your purchase, we can pull the file.

If something does slip through, we make it right immediately — full refund plus return label at our cost — and we trace the supplier.

See authentication live. On our Whatnot live shows we open cases on camera and run the QR scan, foot stamp, and seam check on every chase pull. Most of these seven checks happen on stream in front of buyers — the fastest way to train your eye is to watch a few shows.

What to do if you suspect a fake

If a unit in your collection (from any retailer) fails three or more of these checks, treat it as suspicious. You can:

  1. Report the seller on the platform you bought from.
  2. Submit to Pop Mart's anti-counterfeit team at the email on their official site.
  3. Bring it to monstertale — we will inspect it free of charge and tell you what we see.

Authentic figures hold value. Fakes do not, and they harm the entire designer-toy community by undermining the artists, designers, and the trust that makes the hobby fun.

Collect with confidence.

— The Authentication Lab team at monstertale

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