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 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.
