Labubus remain the top-selling collectible doll on resale platform StockX, but other versions of “ugly-cute” collectibles are gaining sales momentum. (Photo by Pedro PARDO / AFP) (Photo by PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sales of slim sneakers are jumping, collectors are investing heavily in trading cards, and new lines of “ugly-cute” collectibles are gaining momentum on category leader Labubu, according to the latest trends report from resale platform StockX.
StockX’s Q3 trends report shows that consumer demand for sought-after sneakers, streetwear, and pop-culture collectibles remains strong even at a time when many consumers are worrying about their budgets, and consumer confidence has plummeted.
StockX is a leading online secondary market for sneakers, clothing, collectibles, electronics and other items. It describes itself as a stock market for goods, and enables buyers and sellers to bid and set prices in real time, and arrive at prices that reflect up to the minute demand.
‘A Front Row Seat To Global Shifts’
“StockX’s market data gives us a front-row seat to global shifts in taste and culture,” StockX CEO Greg Schwartz said in a statement issued with the report, which was released today. “These trends reflect the ways people are expressing themselves through what they wear and collect,” he said.
One shift identified in the Q3 report is the growing sales momentum for three new ugly-cute collectible lines that are chasing the same market as category leader Labubu. Labubus, wide-eyed, snaggle-toothed, pocket-sized monster dolls made by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart have been the top-selling collectible on StockX for the past year. The brand remains the market leader, StockX reports, but similar collectible lines are seeing faster sales growth on the platform.
Skullpanda toys are seen at Pop Mart store in London, Great Britain on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Hacipupu and Skullpanda Sales Up Triple-Digits
Two other Pop Mart lines of collectible dolls, the Hacipupu line and the Skullpanda line, saw triple-digit sales growth between Q2 and Q3. Hacipupu sales rose 281% and Skullpanda sales were up 132%. Sales of a third Pop Mart collectible series, Crybaby, rose 21%.
Like Labubus, the Hacipupu and Skullpanda dolls are manufactured in limited editions, and sold in blind boxes, meaning the customer doesn’t know which character or color he or she is purchasing. The blind box packaging fuels the secondary market, as collectors seek to sell duplicate items, and look to buy rare characters.
Trading Cards As Valuable Investments
Sales of trading cards continued to surge during Q3, with StockX suggesting in the report that some collectors view the cards as investments with impressive resale potential. Sales of Magic:The Gathering trading cards are up 700% year-over-year and Pokemon card sales are up 339%. Sales of Topps trading cards are up 127%.
In sneakers, StockX reports that Asics remains the market leader in the running category, and that other running brands that once were considered niche are becoming increasingly popular on the secondary market. Saucony, Mizuno, and Brooks all have set new sales records this year, with Brooks having the most dramatic increase, up 1,508%.
Slim Sneakers Are Best Sellers
The slim sneaker trend – low-profile, streamlined sneakers formerly seen most commonly at international track meets, and now seen on the feet of celebrities and fashionistas, has shaken up the sneaker secondary market, StockX reports. New Balance’s slim model 204L is its best selling new model on StockX.
StockX notes that a surprising breakout category this year is digital cameras. Searches for the Canon G7X up 1,919% year-over-year and over $6 million spent on Canon cameras on StockX so far this year.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2025/11/12/look-out-labubus-new-pop-mart-collectibles-are-gaining-on-you/
