Skateboarding culture has always had a way of adopting unlikely icons and right now one of the most talked about newcomers is not a pro skater or a brand but a bug eyed snaggle toothed creature called Labubu.
What started as a niche collectible from Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung has now rolled its way into the skateboarding scene.
Skaters are not just riding with these characters.
They are collecting them displaying them and even customizing their decks to match.
According to reports, the rare skateboarding edition Labubu wearing Vans from head to toe sold on eBay for an eye watering $10,500.
Originally priced at $85 this little monster brought in 125 times its original value.
The doll’s outfit is straight from the streets with Vans sneakers a branded sweatshirt and a cap reading “The Monsters” tying it back to its own quirky universe.
The collaboration between Vans and Pop Mart dropped in 2023 but even a year later the hype has not cooled. The combination of skateboarding aesthetics and collectible culture has only fueled its appeal.
Labubus are sold in blind boxes so buyers never know which one they are getting until they open it. Most sell for between $20 and $40 but the ultra rare secret editions with odds as slim as one in 144 are now selling for thousands.
A pink secret edition from early 2024 sold for $2,000 not long ago. Skaters who grew up chasing limited sneaker drops see the same thrill in the hunt and now it has crossed over into toys.
It is not just Gen Z getting in on this.
Older skaters who have been part of the scene for decades are also stacking their shelves finding joy in owning something that ties together nostalgia design and skate culture.
Some treat these figures as art pieces while others see them as badges of honor that show they scored one before it disappeared from stores.
Labubu release days have become a spectacle. In some places people line up before sunrise just to have a chance at getting one.
Weekly drops online and in stores sell out instantly. In the UK fans joke about Labubu Hunger Games where competition gets so intense that some stores have removed stock to avoid fights breaking out.
For many skaters it is about more than just flipping them for profit. It is about being part of a growing subculture that blends skateboarding’s do it yourself attitude with the collectible toy scene’s obsession for rare finds.
That mix is creating a new corner of skate culture where your setup might include a Labubu sitting right next to your deck on display.
And with collectors paying five figures for a small toy dressed in skate gear it is clear that Labubu is becoming part of skateboarding’s evolving story one limited drop at a time.