Collector Journal
How to Spot Fake Pop Mart Figures
A practical collector guide to Pop Mart authenticity: QR codes, packaging, blind boxes, Labubu fakes, finish quality, and official retailer signals.
GrailHub·June 29, 2026
Collector Journal
A practical collector guide to Pop Mart authenticity: QR codes, packaging, blind boxes, Labubu fakes, finish quality, and official retailer signals.
When a character gets hot, fakes arrive. That is not a mystery. Labubu gets expensive, Molly gets copied, Skullpanda gets chased, and suddenly the internet fills with listings that look almost right if you squint and ignore the price whispering nonsense in your ear.
Pop Mart collecting should feel fun, not like detective work in a badly lit alley. But if you are buying outside official channels, a little detective work helps.
The safest Pop Mart path is boring in the best way: official Pop Mart stores, official online shops, authorized retailers, and trusted marketplaces with buyer protection. If you are buying from a random seller, ask for proof of purchase, box photos, and closeups before paying.
Be careful with listings that use only promotional images. You want photos of the exact figure or sealed box being sold.
Pop Mart provides authenticity and verification signals on many products, including QR or anti-counterfeit labels depending on region and release. Check the packaging carefully and follow the official verification path when present. Do not trust screenshots of a successful verification. Scan the code yourself when possible.
If a seller says the code is scratched off, missing, already used, or impossible to photograph, slow down. There may be innocent reasons, but it is still risk.
A legitimate Pop Mart blind box or figure package usually has clean printing, correct character art, proper typography, barcodes or labels, and consistent material quality. Fakes often show blurry art, weak cardboard, weird color, bad spelling, odd seals, low-quality plastic wrap, or boxes that feel too flimsy.
Blind boxes are especially tricky because sealed packaging can create false confidence. A sealed fake is still fake. Check the outer box, case details, QR or anti-counterfeit labels, and whether the product matches known release information.
Pop Mart figures are small, which means manufacturing mistakes are easy to hide in bad photos. Ask for bright, clear pictures. Look for rough paint, poor eye placement, cheap plastic shine, seams that feel too aggressive, loose parts, strange weight, uneven flocking or texture, bad color matching, and missing accessories.
For character-heavy lines like Labubu, Molly, Skullpanda, Dimoo, Hirono, and Crybaby, compare the face carefully. Counterfeits often get the mood wrong. The figure may have the right idea but the wrong soul, like a song played through a broken speaker.
Labubu fakes became common because demand got loud. Collectors even joke about fake Labubu as Lafufu, which is funny until someone pays real money for one by accident. The safest approach is simple: buy from official or trusted sources, check packaging and verification labels, compare the exact series, and avoid listings that are much cheaper than the market without a clear reason.
If the seller cannot identify the series, character, or source, that is not automatically a fake. But it means you should not pay premium money.
Watch for rushed messages, no extra photos, no box, no proof of purchase, stock images only, prices far below market, strange payment requests, or accounts with thin history. A real seller may still be casual, but a good seller will not be offended by reasonable authenticity questions.
Fake Pop Mart figures attack the best part of collecting: trust. The fix is not paranoia. The fix is a better habit. Buy from official channels when possible. Verify the code when available. Inspect the box. Compare the figure. Ask for real photos. Use buyer protection.
The shelf should feel happy when the package arrives. Not haunted.
Sources and references: Pop Mart official authenticity and verification guidance, official retailer practices, and collector marketplace buyer-protection guidance checked June 29, 2026.
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