I, with a monthly salary of 3,000, was emptied of my wallet by a Labubu

Written by: Pang Tong

Stop cursing LaBuBu! You have no idea it's "murdering" your rationality!

Have you noticed that people around you have been talking about a "little elf" lately? It has a pair of pointy ears and a crooked mouth, sometimes with a bit of a mischievous smile. It is LaBuBu, the hottest trendy toy IP under Pop Mart. From celebrity trendsetters to ordinary white-collar workers, from first-tier cities to small counties, LaBuBu has swept into our lives at an incredible speed, even making countless people "willingly" empty their wallets.

Do you think this is just a simple trend celebration? Do you think you are just paying for a "hobby"? How naive!

Today, I will tear off the "cute" outer layer of LaBuBu, revealing how it accurately taps into your psychology, step by step "murdering" your rationality, making you unknowingly become its "ATM"!

This is not alarmism; behind this, there are several "mental models" that you have never noticed quietly manipulating you!

Principle of Scarcity: What you're competing for is not the toy, but the fear of "missing out!"

Why are LaBuBu's blind boxes always "hard to come by"? Why can the hidden versions' prices soar to sky-high levels?

This is precisely the "Scarcity Principle" at work!

Humans have an almost obsessive desire for scarce items. When an item is limited in quantity and difficult to obtain, we instinctively believe it to be more valuable, resulting in a stronger desire to possess it. Pop Mart understands this principle well, artificially creating the "scarcity" of LaBuBu through limited releases, hidden designs, and hunger marketing.

You think you are rushing to buy LaBuBu, but in fact, you are rushing to buy a kind of psychological security of "not being left behind"! You are afraid of missing out, afraid that others have it and you do not. This "fear of missing out" (FOMO) makes you lose your rationality, and you are willing to pay any price to bring it home.

Intermittent reinforcement: A "psychological trap" more addictive than gambling!

What is the charm of blind boxes? It lies in that sense of "uncertainty"!

You never know what will come out of the next blind box, whether it will be the desired style or a duplicate "lemon"? This mechanism of "sometimes rewarding, sometimes not" is known in psychology as "intermittent reinforcement."

It is more enchanting than continuous reinforcement (where there is a reward every time), as it can create a "gambler's mentality." Just like a slot machine, you never know when you will hit the jackpot, but every pull of the lever is filled with anticipation and excitement. Even if you miss several times in a row, as long as there is one "win," it can instantly offset the previous disappointment, making you full of confidence for the next "good luck."

LaBuBu's blind box is the "psychological slot machine" in your hands! Every time you open a box, it's a psychological gamble. You're not just "pulling a blind box"; you're "betting" on human nature! And this intermittent stimulation will make you unable to resist, sinking deeper and deeper, until your wallet is emptied, and you're still looking forward to the next "miracle"!

Loss aversion: What you spend is not money, but "unwillingness to accept loss"!

Have you ever had the experience of buying dozens of blind boxes just to get a certain hidden version, but you're still just a tiny bit short?

At this moment, do you feel a strong sense of "unwillingness"? You might think that if you give up now, the money you spent before will be "wasted!"

Congratulations, you have fallen into the "loss aversion" trap again!

Psychological research shows that the pain people feel from loss is far greater than the pleasure from gaining an equivalent benefit. When you invest time and money but do not achieve the desired result, the pain of that "loss" can be unbearable. To avoid this pain, you may choose to continue investing until you "break even" or obtain what you want.

So, every penny you spend on LaBuBu may not be for "gaining," but rather for "not losing"! You are not paying for a new toy; you are just paying for your "unwillingness to accept defeat"!

Social recognition and the bandwagon effect: What you are buying is not a trendy toy, but "social currency"!

Why is LaBuBu so popular all over the internet? Why are celebrities and trendsetters showing off LaBuBu?

Because LaBuBu is no longer just a toy; it is more of a "social currency"!

Humans are social animals; we crave recognition and desire to belong to a group. When LaBuBu becomes a trend symbol, becoming a "popular topic" on social media, having it means you are at the forefront of fashion, and it means you belong to a certain "circle."

You think you are chasing trends, but in reality, you are just chasing a feeling of "being recognized"! What you are buying is not trendy toys, but a "ticket" to enter the circle, a "social currency" to connect with others.

Anchoring Effect and Mental Accounting: Your Wallet is Being Manipulated by the "Invisible Hand"!

Have you ever felt that although a single LaBuBu blind box isn't expensive, you end up spending hundreds or even thousands without realizing it?

Behind this, the "anchoring effect" and "mental accounting" are quietly at work!

The "anchoring effect" refers to the tendency of people to rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive (the "anchor") when making decisions. When LaBuBu's hidden items are speculated to thousands or even tens of thousands, a blind box priced at just a few dozen seems "very cheap" in your mind. This high-priced "anchor" makes you lose your guard against the low-priced blind boxes.

The "mental accounting" allows you to categorize the money spent on buying LaBuBu into the "entertainment account" or "small expense account." You perceive it as "small change" and "fun," which makes spending it feel effortless, even more "generous" than buying necessities.

Your wallet is being manipulated by these "invisible hands"! You think you are spending freely, but you are actually just playing the game according to the "rules" they set!

Conclusion: See through the truth behind the "little elf" and return to your rational self!

The explosive success of LaBuBu is by no means a coincidence. It precisely leverages the weaknesses of human nature by constructing a powerful "consumption loop" through a series of cognitive models such as scarcity, intermittent reinforcement, loss aversion, social proof, anchoring effect, and mental accounting.

We are not denying the artistic value of LaBuBu and the joy it brings, but rather reminding you that it is crucial to maintain a sense of clarity and rationality in the face of fervent trends.

The next time you pick up a LaBuBu blind box, why not ask yourself:

Do I really like it, or am I afraid of missing out?

Am I really enjoying the fun of unboxing, or am I looking forward to that uncertain "grand prize"?

Am I really paying for my hobby, or am I paying for my "unwillingness"?

Am I really pursuing individuality, or am I chasing the feeling of "being recognized"?

To see the truth behind "little spirits," you must truly take control of your wallet and return to your rational self!

Don't let a "little elf" empty your wallet and "murder" your rationality!