Okay! Fads like this is one of those things I'm actually really fascinated by and keep an eye on, so I think I can speak to this in a little more depth. Because broadly speaking, while I think Bless is right-- folks get built different, and some just have a greater pull for this kind of in-group signalling than others-- I think there are some other systems at play that have been adding to why these fads have gotten so intense over the last few years. (This isn't academic or anything, just general trends I've picked up from personal observation and following discussions of these).
1. Yes, some groups do care.
Listening to podcasts on the Stanley Cup craze, something I often heard was parents (moms, mostly) being like "I wasn't going to get a Stanley Cup, but then my daughter came home sobbing because the kids were bullying her at school because she didn't have one."
And as a parent you have a choice there. You could have a conversation with your kid about social pressure and complex social dynamics and the like. Or, for like $30, you can make that problem... Disappear. And if your kid is clearly unhappy (or else very persistent), for some folks that's worth it.
With adults, I don't think it's this overt. I mean, I'm sure there are social groups where people are mean enough and shallow enough that they'll actually ostracize a 'friend' if they don't come to brunch with the latest cool top or water bottle or doll, but that's probably an outlier. I think it's generally going to be more like... Sarah shows up with a new labubu on her bag, and Suyin says, woah that's so cute! And Sarah says thank you, and Rochelle compares her doll too, and everyone takes out theirs (or pictures of theirs) and they're all chatting about it. And maybe they don't even mean to exclude you, but nonetheless, they're talking about something you don't have. You can't contribute to the conversation. So I think it's often less "this will get me to be a pat of a new group I want to be in", but "this will help me continue to be involved with a group I'm already in".
2. Social Media Supercharges This
So I spend my personal social media time on Tumblr, and I think it's fair to say most folks reading this, via selection bias, do too. But my understanding is that labubus (and Stanely Cups before them) were all over algorithm driven short form video sites like TikTok and Instagram. Trends like unboxing videos, making big special drinks in your cups, showing off your beautiful #aesthetic collection, etc.
And they're doing numbers, getting likes and comments. And the allure of Number Go Up is big. So you get a (or multiple) labubus and stanely cups to be in on the trend. And then if that video does do well? There's the feeling that you're part of the in-group that OP asked after.
3. Self-Expression Within Boundaries
Something that jumps out about me about all of these is there are a lot of different versions. For labubus, that's many different expressions and outfits and theming (or crossover with other luxury brands). For Stanley Cups, that was huge varieties of colours, different carrying cases and trays, charms, etc. You get to belong to the in-group with Thing, but you also get to say, this is My take on it. Then you get people who start wanting to coordinate with different outfits, which yes, drives them to buy more. (Which begets those big collection videos as mentioned in the last point).
But with Labubus specifically, I think a specific dynamic we have to talk about is...
4. Gambling, Sorry, I Mean Blind Boxes
Folks might not know, that with most labubus, you don't just go and buy the one you want. No, they're sold in blind boxes.
These things are HUGELY popular, and used to be primarily aimed at kids, but have shifted recently to appeal to all ages; labubu is just the one which seems to have gotten the Biggest. It'll be sets of 5-6 toys with different toys, usually based around a theme... but the kicker is, you don't know which design you'll get until you open it.
This encourages a lot of investment in what you're buying. You go in, you choose which set you want, you identify the design you want the Most (and also which ones you'd be unhappy with)... You open, this slot-machine like experience... Big shot of dopamine... What is it?...
Either the sweet victory of success, or more likely, disappointment. Not what you wanted. But you know all it would take to maybe get that prize is one more go...
Which of course means you end up having way more of these than you intended, in which case you either commit to a collection, or you try to swap, which gives rise to a flourishing trading market. Either way, it's a win for the company.
So is Any of this a Problem?
Eh. I am distinctly of two minds on it.
On one hand, 'let people enjoy things'. Sure, labubus and stanely cups specifically do nothing for me, but I'm sure I've made plenty of purchases other people would think were silly and frivolous. A lot of folks clearly get joy from their little ugly-cute dolls, and while I personally thought they seemed so big they'd actively suck to carry, a lot of folks genuinely speak to the quality of Stanley Cups and how they helped them drink more water.
(It also doesn't escape me that these big fad items that go on to get badly mocked are often mostly collected by women, so there's a vague undercurrent of misogyny to this sometimes too.)
I am very, very aware of the waste involved in a lot of this. A big discussion point around Stanley Cups was they were supposed to be a really eco-friendly re-usable water bottle... the point of which is entirely missed if you buy like 30 of them. Same to go with the all the charms you got to decorate them, or all the labubu accessories that are cropping up.
While I think the joy you can get from in-group signaling and also customizing your aesthetic isn't invalid (I've bought video game skins before!), I think it can get out of control. (See: people who have gone into debt buying video game skins.) In general, I think people should generally interrogate big advertising campaigns that are trying to make you buy things, Because Then You'll Be Fulfilled. That's especially true when you have stuff like blind boxes that are using gambling-esque mechanics to drive you to buy more, more, more.
If you're genuinely enjoying fads like that, more power to you! But it's worth pausing and asking, hey, is this actually making me feel good, or am I going to regret all the time and money I've spent on this in three years?
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