Toys and Play: LEGO, Pokémon, Labubu and Toy Safety — 2026-09-27

Top developments

Labubu resale market slides below retail as restocks pile up

Chinese deal-tracking community posts from September 23–26 report that secondary-market prices for Pop Mart's THE MONSTERS (Labubu) vinyl figures have fallen from earlier "below-issue" levels to below original retail, with one widely shared Xiaohongshu post asking whether now is the time to buy at under list price. The same coverage tallies repeated official restocks in September (citing notices on September 10, 12, 16, 18 and 22 for the Stellalulu/"星星人" series), lengthening inventory turnover and squeezing resellers. The post frames the shift bluntly: a figure that once peaked near 4,500 yuan now trades around 400 yuan in some cases.

Pop Mart's post-blind-box question revisited

Tech/finance outlet 36氪 (36Kr) republished a DoNews analysis on September 24 asking how long Pop Mart can stay hot after the blind box boom, tracing the company's rise from blind-box novelty to capital-markets heavyweight. The piece lands amid the resale-price cooling above, reinforcing investor concerns about whether Pop Mart can hatch a next global hit.

Pokémon Center launches Pokémon TCG Pocket-inspired goods

On September 26, Pokémon Centers in Japan released new merchandise themed on Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket ("PokéPoke"), including an LED lamp shaped like a booster-pack hourglass and pouches and tissue cases styled after expansion packs such as "Eevee Garden" and "Crimson Blaze". Pokémon's official site announced the lineup on September 18, and gaming outlets covered the launch in the past week.

Gizmodo Japan picks the best of Tokyo Toy Show 2026

Gizmodo Japan (September 26) published an editor-curated roundup of the most interesting toys from TOKYOおもちゃショー2026 (Tokyo Toy Show 2026, held last month at Tokyo Big Sight), aimed squarely at adults who are serious toy fans — another data point in the "kidult" trend that has powered LEGO's growth.

CPSC keeps button-battery and magnet hazards front and center

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission's recalls listing (updated within the past week) continues to feature toy recalls for violations of the mandatory button-cell battery standard, including a Meaicezli play purse set sold on Amazon by Angeer-US, where ingested coin batteries can cause internal chemical burns or death, alongside magnetic fidget sliders recalled for magnet-ingestion risk.

Local view

Japanese media focused on the Pokémon Center merchandise drop: Inside-Games (September 21) detailed the "PokéPoke" LED light and expansion-pack-themed accessories hitting stores September 26, and GAME Watch ran its own preview of the same lineup. In China, the consumer-deal community smzdm published a three-step authentication guide for secondhand Labubu buyers over the Mid-Autumn holiday, a sign that bargain-hunting has replaced scalping as the dominant labubu narrative.

Context & numbers

• Pop Mart reported H1 2026 revenue of RMB 17.173 billion (+23.8% YoY) with net profit of RMB 5.038 billion, below market expectations — figures from mid-September that frame this week's resale slump.
• One smzdm tally cites official Pop Mart restocks of 4 million-plus units and inventory turnover stretched to 78 days.

On the radar

• A Chinese collector's edition of Kasing Lung's "The Monsters Trilogy" (精灵三部曲), priced at 199 yuan with numbered editions, sold out within a week of its September 17 release — watch whether Labubu demand migrates from vinyl figures to editorial/collectible formats.
• The LEGO–Pokémon GO in-store partnership runs through September 30, 2026 at participating LEGO Stores in the US, UK, Poland, France, Germany and Australia — expect a wrap-up and any extension news in early October.
• Watch CPSC's recalls page for further button-battery toy recalls heading into the holiday season.