Portability of Hong Kong-created toys with global reach leads to plush figures suffering ‘injuries’ which need expert treatment
The craze for the plush Chinese toy Labubu has boosted the careers of so-called toy doctors in China.
A Shanghai “toy doctor” nicknamed Heartman said he had fixed 100 Labubu toys in the past month and had to ask his wife to help and move to a bigger studio.
He said repairs were 10 per cent of the price of the toy, which is considered fair because an ordinary Labubu toy retails at 99 yuan (US$14).
However, they sell for hundreds of yuan on the second-hand market. Rare versions can cost thousands of yuan.
