I saw a news segment about the Labubu craze, and the reporter said this obsession might be linked to mental illness. Rude, but not entirely wrong.
I’ve self-diagnosed myself with this sickness. Blind boxes are psychological warfare: tiny cardboard slot machines. Pop Mart knows exactly what they’re doing with the limited stock and surprise releases. Yesterday I was at the store when they dropped the Exciting Macarons series and later won two raffle draws for the chance to buy the Pin from the Love series. Of course, I bought a Powerball ticket to see if the lucky streak would continue.
The dopamine hit is addictive: the suspense, the reveal, the little victory. The joy is pure, uncut serotonin. And like any good addict, I keep chasing a bigger high. I tracked down the Forest Fairy Tale Labubu, which was available only overseas. I got my sister-in-law, my enabler with reseller contacts, to lock it in, and then had my cousin smuggle it in from Vietnam like contraband.
Maybe it is a kind of neurological disorder. But at least it’s cheaper than my Hermès habit.
