Can celebrity collectible toys spawn the next LABUBU phenomenon?

Star power is kicking the market into overdrive

Can a celebrity tie‑in create the next LABUBU-level breakout? Lehua Entertainment (乐华娱乐) thinks so. The company’s WAKUKU IP—launched under a joint venture with toy firm Qimengdao (奇梦岛, formerly Letsvan)—has been pushed hard through concert pop-ups, birthday cake reveals and heavy exposure by roster stars such as Yu Shuxin (虞书欣). It has been reported that Lehua’s 2025 results showed toy operations generated RMB 37.13 million, about 4.1% of total revenue, and that Qimengdao’s unaudited FY2026 Q2 report credited WAKUKU with roughly RMB 129 million in sales, making it the lion’s share of that IP portfolio.

Two business models—and sky-high secondary markets

There are two clear templates for celebrity‑driven toys: artist‑created IPs owned and operated by the star, and co‑created or licensed collaborations with established toy makers. Both routes can work. Remember LABUBU’s Lisa effect? Fans pushed secondary‑market premiums and turned small runs into cultural moments. WAKUKU has replicated that playbook: it has been reported that certain figurines and plushes have seen resale spikes of 150–200%, and some limited items that retailed for a few hundred yuan briefly traded for multiples of their launch price. But is hype sustainable, or just a short‑term squeeze of fandom cash?

Market upside—and the hard work behind longevity

The macro numbers are tempting. According to the Guangdong Toy Association, China’s designer toy industry could reach about RMB 110.1 billion by 2026, outpacing traditional toys. That explains why entertainment companies, manufacturers and new entrants are all piling in. Yet geopolitical headwinds—trade frictions, export logistics and changing e‑commerce rules—mean overseas ambitions aren’t frictionless. More importantly, the industry’s next phase will reward product design, iteration cadence and coherent “world‑building” over one‑off celebrity drops.

Celebrity cachet speeds discovery. But brands that want to become the next LABUBU must turn fandom into durable IP storytelling and quality product pipelines, not just one viral moment. In short: star power opens the door. Narrative, creativity and repeatable supply will determine who walks through it.