Hong Kong and Beijing
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In a busy market in a small town in China’s Hebei province, the Lovebu is no longer a coveted collectible on display in the case of glass. Here they are treated like sweet potatoes or cabbage, dozens of them being thrown into large plastic bags or stacked in the trunks of cars waiting to be sold.
These are not real Lovebu, not Pop Mart dolls that have achieved cult status in recent months, but “Rahufu”, the nickname for the imitation wave tongue. Collectors have even created playful variations such as “Lagogo”, “Lababa” and “Lapoopu.”
Last month, Pop Mart reported an incredible stunning increase in first half profits by 400%. Despite warnings not to buy from multiple countries, sales of Rahu Fu have also skyrocketed, sparking a flood of memes, funny clips and boxing video blogs.
Most of these “rahufu” are manufactured at small factories in Guangdong and Hebei provinces in China, and are sold in large quantities both domestically and internationally.
US and UK authorities have warned consumers that fake lovebu is insufficient and contains small removable parts such as the eyes, hands and feet, pose a serious choking risk for young children.
Chinese authorities are also trying to steal them from the market. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1.8 million dolls have been seized for export purposes.
The editorials in state media show why Chinese authorities are so concerned about the rise of Rahuhu.
Praises Lovebu as a success story in China, the Xinhua editorial stated that “the rampaging spread of “fakes” and “imitations” has erode national innovation.
“They’re the cutest, gli-like thing you’ve ever seen,” said Daniel Halls, 50, a single mother from Texas.
The Horres Family even named their Rahufu “Gary.” He is now officially part of the family. “I’m 50 and I don’t have time in toy life, so that’s the stupidest thing,” she laughed. “But it’s just this cute fur… do you know what it reminds me? A ugh baby!”
People are attracted to Rahufu for simple reasons. They are their quirky features, like singing and dancing. It’s not even the original doesn’t – and perhaps most importantly, the price tag. Rahufu is usually only one-tenth of the official version.
“I like to go and look for fakes because I actually do not have fake ones. Sing and dance!” horror said.
To Mao Zedong, a 29-year-old pastry chef in Fujian, China, the value of Lovebu comes from brand hype alone, and spending so much on it feels like throwing the money he earns into the capitalist drain.
“The price of Lovebu can’t get any more inflated. It was originally priced at 99 yuan ($13.80). Why do they cost hundreds of copies more than the price of the hype?” she said. “It’s just a doll.”
On Pop Mart’s China website, Labubu’s luxurious pendant blind box costs 99 yuan, while the regular gorgeous doll usually costs 499 yuan ($69.45), making the more popular numbers even higher. All of them are marked “out of stock.”
Secondary market prices are difficult. Initially 99 yuan – is a hidden print pendant sold for 1,400 yuan ($195) on Chinese buyer platform Dewu. The newly released series originally sold 199 yuan ($27.70) and is resold at 2,000 yuan ($278).
In the US, official retail prices are on average about twice the Chinese market, maintaining a robust market for second-hand Lovebu figures.
“We have to go to the Facebook Marketplace. You need to know someone who knows who, so you’re really paying for the opportunity to buy it,” said Horace, a mom in Texas. “They buy big boxes, actually unlock them, and sell one for $60 each.”
Horres understands why many social media users understand that Lovebu figures are hanging from Hermes Birkin bags as status and trend displays. But for her, Rahufu has returned to the essence of dolls: toys.
“I don’t want to be part of that Birkin and Lovebu trend. I want to be part of the Walmart trend from Rahufu and Bilkin,” Horace said.
China is cracking down on fake love buses.
One toy maker in Dongguan, Guangdong, told CNN that it will sell between 150,000 and 160,000 fake Labubu Toys at peak demand in July, extracting profits of up to 2 million yuan ($278,000).
“Many fans couldn’t get a Love Boo, even those who really tried so hard,” said the factory sales manager who was rejected to be named because of the sensitivity of his business. “So they turned to Rahuh.”
The manager said the factory’s imitation Lovebu toys are shipped all over China and to Europe and Southeast Asia. But most of them go to the US. The US accounts for more than 40% of factory exports.
China remains the leading source of counterfeit products in the world, despite authorities increasing prosecutors’ prosecutors.
In the US alone, counterfeit and pirated goods from China account for 84% and 90% of such goods seized by US authorities in 2023, according to a 2024 market review issued by US trade representatives.
Last year, China’s best people prosecutors reported that they had charged 21,404 individuals with the production and sale of counterfeit products and substandard goods. However, the false flooding shows no signs of slowing down.
Dongguan’s factory produces not only “Labubu,” but also variants called “Lagogo” (singing and dancing Labubu with ears). Monthly sales reach between 30,000 and 40,000 units, the sales manager said.
Still, the factory manager drew a boundary between the two. “Lagogo is clearly not Lovebu, but Rahofu looks almost the same, and it becomes intellectual property.
Customs authorities at several Chinese airports have seized tens of thousands of Raffas for exports since June. The Customs Administration said these dolls and packaging were considered infringement of the company’s trademark rights and used the “Pop Mart” logo without approval.
According to an official newspaper of China’s National Intellectual Property Bureau in early July, both the government sector and local market regulators have stepped up their efforts to target the pirate Lovebu business.
Pop Mart has submitted a registration for the trademark “Lafufu” as shown on the company information platform Qichacha, which is considered a protective measure against copy flooding.
Amidst the fierce crackdown, two Chinese Rahu-Hu makers told CNN in early July that they had heard that their peers were “in detention” and have maintained a lower profile ever since.
According to state-owned outlet Red Star News, the street market, which was packed with roughfass bags and bags in Hebei, was wiped out by local governments on July 2.
But buyers like Mao Zedong are cute if not authentic (as long as they’re still paying for the fake market to exist for a while, if not authentic.”
“Now counterfeits are made very well, and they look almost the same, with a few dozen people at a few costs.
Mao admitted that she’s tired of genuine offensive marketing.
“Buying Rahufu is my rebellious way.”
