A Miami Vending Machine Is Selling Those Viral Labubu Dolls

Miami's latest obsession might be sitting inside a vending machine inside Dolphin Mall.

The Chinese retailer Pop Mart — known for its "blind boxes," or randomized sets of the now-viral Labubu dolls (pronounced la-boo-boo) — has officially brought one of its vending machines to the sprawling outlet mall. A recent TikTok video captured long lines of people waiting their turn to snag something from the bright yellow machine, which appears to be Pop Mart's first location in Florida.

The highly sought-after Labubu dolls are the latest craze in a wave of pop culture collectibles winning the hearts (and wallets) of Gen Z and beyond, alongside favorites like Jellycats and Sonny Angels.

Created in 2015 by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, Labubu is one of "The Monsters," a group of characters inspired by Nordic mythology in Lung’s children’s book series. According to Pop Mart's description, Labubu is "kind-hearted and always wants to help, but often accidentally achieves the opposite."

The latest Labubu collection, which dropped last month and sold out within seconds, retailed at $27.99 for one blind box or $167.94 for a set of six. The items are now being sold for twice their original price on sites like eBay and StockX, alongside rare Labubu dolls selling for upwards of $3,300.

In recent weeks, TikTok has been filled with videos of people sharing tips on how to score some of the fuzzy, toothy, mischievous-looking dolls, which now dangle from the (mostly designer) purses of it-girls across the globe, including celebrities like Rihanna and Blackpink's Lisa, who've helped popularize the mini gremlin plushies.

"I go to Pop Mart everywhere. If I fly to New York, I go to Miami, I try to find Pop Mart there," Lisa recently told Vanity Fair, adding it's "kinda like finding treasure."

As new Pop Mart vending machines keep popping up across the world, people are — for back of better phrasing — losing their shit.

In the United Kingdom, for instance, Pop Mart recently paused in-store sales of Labubu dolls due to "safety reasons" after massive crowds formed outside the store. Stateside, in Los Angeles, California, videos recently showed hundreds of people rushing a Pop Mart location, prompting police presence and the event's cancellation.

If you want to snag a plushie, Miami’s Pop Mart vending machine operates during Dolphin Mall’s regular hours. The mall is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.