Cover Starting a doll or toy collection is like eating popcorn or potato chips–you can’t just have one (Photo: Instagram/@waterflake.dolls)
Starting a doll or toy collection is like eating popcorn or potato chips–you can’t just have one (Photo: Instagram/@waterflake.dolls)
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The monster-like Labubu dolls are the current day’s must-haves but they’re not the first collectible craze. Meet the Labubu dolls’ “predecessors” whose worlds we’re still here for and living in
“Why do people like Labubu dolls so much? It looks creepy.”
“I don’t understand the hype around the Labubu dolls. Plus, it’s crazy expensive!”
“It’s just a monster thing on a keychain.”
From “just a toy” to a statement piece and a testament to one’s wealth, driving people to spend thousands, worn and flaunted by influencers and celebrities like global K-pop superstar Lisa, Singaporean billionaire’s heiress Kim Lim, Malaysian style icon and entrepreneur Marion Caunter, Thai politician Puangpet Chunlaiad, Filipino actress Marian Rivera–anyone who’s someone wants it or has it.
Read more: The rise of Labubu: Why are people obsessed with this plush toy accessory?
Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung breathed life into the vibrant, creepy-but-cute world of Labubu dolls that stemmed from his childhood imagination through pen and brush. His work, which bridges the gap between art and accessible collectibles (albeit with sizeable price tags), became a global phenomenon and a turning point in his career. But he’s not the first.
Here, we look at the Labubu dolls' “predecessors” whose worlds we’re still here for and living in.
Barbie
We can’t talk about dolls without mentioning the OG–Barbie.
The doll was created by Mattel Inc. co-founder Ruth Handler, who was inspired by an alluring German comic character named Bild Lilli from the post-World War II era. At the time, girls’ dolls in the US were mostly baby dolls.
Barbie debuted in 1959 along with outfits that could be purchased separately, under the Mattel toy company, and changed the toy industry. Before long, she was everywhere: clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, stationeries, makeup, skincare, F&B, kitchenware–you name it. Throughout Barbie’s 65 years of existence, she has had over 250 different occupations (aside from the obvious, a model), from astronaut to Olympian to tooth fairy and the president of the US, and recently including more STEM fields.
See also: Mattel’s new blind Barbie is designed for kids with visual impairments
In 1977, the Journal of Popular Culture wrote, “has a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealised upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends.” Mattel ensured that they stayed ahead of the game by acknowledging diversity, equity, and inclusivity, offering broader representations of race, body types, and careers as they strived to show girls, “Yes, you can be anything you want to be.”
In 2023, Barbie headlined her first live-action movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, after numerous animated films and specials, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The film grossed US$1.446 billion and achieved several milestones, including the highest-grossing film of 2023, the highest-grossing film ever released by Warner Bros., and the 14th-highest-grossing film of all time.
Fun fact: Barbie and Ken were named after Handler’s children, Barbara and Kenneth.
Blythe
This doll is anything but obscure, with its signature oversized head and large, colour-changing eyes.
The Blythe doll has a great story of second chances and a monumental comeback. It was actually created by Allison Katzman in 1972 for US toy company Kenner (later bought over by Hasbro) but only lasted one year on store shelves before it was pulled. Blythe dolls were ignored and considered a commercial failure.
Decades later, Blythe dolls stumbled upon an unexpected rebirth when New York-based photographer and video producer Gina Garan was given a 1972 Kenner Blythe. She brought her Blythe everywhere, took hundreds of photos, and authored This Is Blythe, which sold over 50,000 copies and made everyone obsessed.
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In 2001, Hasbro gave Takara and Tokyo-based creative agency CWC and Japanese toy company Takara the license to produce the New Edition of Blythe (Neo Blythe). The doll was used in a Parco (the fashion branch of Seibu Department Stores) campaign and became an instant hit, marking a Blythe renaissance.
Blythe’s unexpected rebirth transformed them into highly sought-after collectibles and artistic muses, and there’s now a network of hobbyists both online and offline, customising everything from their hair to their makeup and even creating elaborate wardrobes. Fashion designers have also used them as inspiration, with brands like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and Dolce & Gabbana dressing the dolls. In 2009, Alexander McQueen launched a fashion line for Target with an ad campaign featuring Blythe dolls.
The hauntingly beautiful doll’s journey from failed toy to cultural icon demonstrates how sometimes the most unconventional creations can find their audience–even if it takes a few decades to get there.
Fun fact: Katzman came up with the idea for the Blythe doll, loosely based on Betty Boop, to compete with Mattel Inc.’s iconic Barbie. Blythe’s colour-changing eyes were inspired by Katzman’s daughter, Melissa Katzman Braggins, who received and wore the wrong set of “very olive green” tinted contact lenses, resulting in a surreal look.
Furby
Introducing Furby, the wide-eyed fuzzy little critters which resemble Gizmo from 1984’s Gremlins. They were probably one of the world’s first interactive, “digital pet”-like toys that brought out the kid in all of us.
Furby’s origin story started between 1996 to 1998 when two product developers–Dave Hampton and Caleb Chung–who met while working at Mattel, attended the International Toy Fair in New York and saw the Tamagotchi. Intrigued, Hampton went back to his workshop where he and Chung would spend 18 months designing and creating a toy inspired by the Tamagotchi–except, one that you could hug and pet, and would “talk” to you.
Together with fellow toy and game inventor Richard C. Levy, they brought Furby to Tiger Electronics, a subsidiary of Hasbro, and the company bought the patent. Furby first appeared at the American International Toy Fair in 1998. It was full throttle after that.
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Furby first went on sale in October 1998. The festive season of giving, coupled with a powerful advertising campaign caused a spike in demand. As supplies dwindled, buyers turned to the internet where the resale prices of Furbies were multiples of their original retail price. That same year, 1.8 million units of the novelty toy were sold and during the first three years of its original production, over 40 million were sold.
Over the years, Furbies were released in limited and special editions including a jewelled Furby valued at over US$100,000. It also went through many iterations: The Emoto-Tronic Furby with voice recognition and more complex facial movements, Furby with black and white LCD eyes and a mobile app, and Furby Connect with colour LCD eyes. The last new generation was released in 2023.
Fun fact: Hampton initially named the invention Furball but shortened it to Furby and created a language for the creature chatter away in–Furbish–a mix of all the languages he had learned during his years of service in the US Navy.
Funko Pop!
The late 20th century to the early 21st century were truly the golden years of toys with oversized heads. Enter Funko Pop!, which dominated all pop culture-themed stores and took the world by storm.
In 1998, Funko Inc. founder Mike Becker conceived the company as a small project to create low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys, starting with manufacturing a bobblehead of the iconic mascot of the restaurant chain, Big Boy. After seeing some success, Funko Inc. began branching out, producing bobbleheads and figures based on all kinds of beloved characters, from classic cartoon icons to blockbuster movie stars such as Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Betty Boop, The Cat in the Hat, Cap'n Crunch, and Peanuts, allowing fans to relive their childhood and have their dose of nostalgic serotonin.
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It wasn’t until 2010 that Funko Pop! vinyl figures, the company’s most successful line, were created. The figures’ cartoonish features and exaggerated body proportions are distinctive and almost instantly recognisable: oversized heads, beady eyes, and minimalist bodies. It gave fans something they never knew they needed and became a huge obsession with collectors and pop culture enthusiasts worldwide, on the internet and at conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, the US’ largest comics and pop culture event.
Today, there are Funky Pop! versions of every imaginable fandom from various franchises, from Game of Thrones to Wizarding World, to Dragon Ball and DC, and not forgetting Disney’s portfolio of respected film studios Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. Funko Inc. has also signed licensing deals with Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, MTV, Sanrio, NBCUniversal, and Major League Baseball. You name it, chances are, Funko Inc. has made a Funko Pop! of it.
And it’s not limited to the vinyl figures alone. Various offshoot products using the Funko Pop! brand and its character stylisation include plush toys, T-shirts, keychains (with miniaturised versions of the figures), and mugs, feeding the collectors’ obsession and enabling them to continue tracking down everything Funko Pop!.
Fun fact: Most Funko Pop! figures are not bobbleheads except all Star Wars and Genshin Impact figures, and most Marvel figures. This is to avoid licensing conflicts with Hasbro and Good Smile Company, the companies which hold the license to make ordinary (non-bobblehead) figures of characters from these franchises.
Bearbrick
You’re at a friend’s house, you see a giant figure that looks like what would happen if a Lego minifigure and a teddy bear had a baby. It looks like a cute, super simple piece of home decor until your friend casually mentions that it costs more than your yearly grocery bill. Welcome to the world of Bearbrick (stylised as BE@RBRICK).
It’s hard to put a finger on what Bearbrick is because it’s a status symbol, art piece, high fashion, and obsession all rolled into one. Something Japanese company Medicom Toy Incorporated didn’t expect when they dropped the first Bearbrick as a freebie for World Character Convention 12 attendees in Tokyo in 2001. Medicom Toy Incorporated founder and CEO was asked to create something that could be made in large numbers. As he needed something simple that could be made quickly, out came a product that would eventually launch a phenomenon and become one of the most sought-after collectibles in the world.
The classic Bearbrick has a bear-shaped body with movable arms and legs and a signature round belly that’s loved by all. Since the World Character Convention 12, Bearbricks have been released in several different sizes using a variety of materials, including wood, felt, and glow-in-the-dark plastic, and various sizes.
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A standard-sized Bearbrick is seven centimetres high and these figures are referred to as ‘100% Bearbricks’. Other Bearbricks are named for their size relative to the standard: ‘50% Bearbricks’ are four centimetres high, ‘70% Bearbricks’ are five centimetres high, ‘400% Bearbricks’ are 28 centimetres high, and ‘1000% Bearbricks’ are 70 centimetres high.
The real magic of Bearbrick and the true secret to Medicom Toy Incorporated’s success lies in its exclusivity (many Bearbricks are released in limited quantities) and collaborations. Because its simple bear shape is a blank canvas for endless possibilities for customisation, high fashion brands like Chanel, MCM, Fendi, and Nike, artists like Kaws and Banksy, and even companies like Disney and Nike got in on the action. Each collaboration (some one-offs), brings something unique to the table, turning these otherwise basic bear shapes into masterpieces that can sell for thousands of dollars. Generally considered as ‘designer toys’, the rarer a Bearbrick is, the higher its value.
Fun fact: Some Bearbricks are sold for tens of thousands at auctions, turning these bears into legitimate investment pieces. The Yue Minjun “Qiu Tu” ‘1000% Bearbricks’, a one-off design by Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun, was sold at an auction for over US$157,000 after debuting in 2008 and remains one of the most expensive Bearbricks ever sold.
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Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
