Why Collectors Customize Labubu
Custom Labubu figures have become a creative art form within the collector community. Artists acquire 'blank' base figures (all-white or single-color versions Pop Mart occasionally releases for customization) or retired/damaged originals and repaint them with entirely new designs.
Some customizers achieve significant followings and sell their work at prices well above a stock figure — a skilled custom is valued as unique art rather than a collectible reproduction. This is a legitimate and celebrated part of the art toy culture Labubu exists within.
Paints and Materials That Work on Vinyl
Flexible acrylic paints designed for leather and vinyl adhere best to PVC surfaces. Angelus leather paint and Vallejo Model Color are popular choices in the custom art toy community. Standard craft acrylics can work but are more prone to cracking if the figure's vinyl flexes.
Surface preparation: lightly sand the area with 400-grit sandpaper to create tooth for adhesion, then wipe clean with isopropyl alcohol. Apply a vinyl primer coat before your base color for maximum adhesion. Seal completed custom work with a flexible matte or gloss varnish — rigid varnishes crack on flexible vinyl.
For the faux fur ears: options are limited. You can dye faux fur with fabric dye, replace it with custom fabric, or remove it and sculpt vinyl replacement ears if you have sculpting skills. Most customizers work with the original ear material or swap it for different fabric.
What Customization Does to Value
Painting over an original Labubu makes it no longer authentic as a collectible. The figure cannot be sold as 'original Pop Mart' and any authentication scan still reads the original production data — which won't match the custom appearance. For resale purposes, customize only figures you intend to keep or sell explicitly as custom artwork.
Use common or damaged figures for customization practice rather than rare or valuable editions. A figure worth $200+ as an original is worth much less as a custom unless your artistic skill level commands premium prices in the custom art toy market.
The blank/white base figures Pop Mart occasionally releases exist specifically for this use case — if customization interests you, those are the right starting point.