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Buy one trinket and display it on a desk. Soon, you’ll have an army of figurine babies or furry smiling creatures. Whether you love them or hate them, collectible trinkets like Sonny Angels and Labubus are stirring conversation at Syracuse University.

“My friends at home literally judge me so much,” Josie Gilbert, an SU freshman, said. “They’re like, ‘(Labubus) is the creepiest thing ever.’And I’m just like, ‘No, it’s so cute.’”

Labubus took over social media feeds earlier this spring and found their way onto designer purses and casual totes. Sonny Angels have been a collectible for years, sitting on shelves or sticking onto phone cases. SU students are sporting these trinkets on school supplies or as dorm decoration.

Toy company Pop Mart, known for distributing all kinds of collectible toys, took over producing Labubus from the original artist Kasing Lung in 2019. But it wasn’t until early 2024 when big celebrities like K-pop star Lisa and singer Rihanna were spotted with them that they blew up to a new proportion.

Labubus have become a divisive topic: some people find them adorable, others terrifying. At first, Gilbert was unsure of her opinion on them. Now, she loves them.

“My mom had them first and she started getting these ones that have blinged out necklaces and teeth,” Gilbert said. “And I was like, ‘You’re insane,’ and now I’m obsessed with them.”

It’s a tale trinket collectors are all too familiar with. Every few years, a new figurine or plush will pop up on the market, and soon enough, buyers will have various versions of them. For freshmen roommates Gilbert and Isabella Santos is a fun hobby they’ve been practicing since childhood.

When Santos and Gilbert were little, they loved toys like Shopkins, Mini Brands or Littlest Pet Shop. While they eventually grew out of those, their love for trinkets stayed. Gilbert got her first Sonny Angel two years ago as a gift from her mom. Now, she has over 70.

Freshman roommates Josie Gilbert and Isabella Santos decorate their dorms with collectible items. The centerpiece of their collection is an approximately 3-foot-tall Labubu. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer

Lafufus — fake Labubus — have become more common than the authentic ones. Sophomore Sophie Krause has eight Labubus that her dad bought for her on a business trip to China. She made sure she was getting the originally sourced, “legit” ones and not one of the many fake versions, she said.

When trinkets become popular enough, it’s inevitable that dupes start to pop up, Krause said.

Sonny Angels and Labubus both often come in blind boxes, meaning the buyer doesn’t know what kind they’re getting until they open the box. It’s an enticing factor for many buyers and collectors like Santos. The joy of opening the mystery boxes gives her an adrenaline rush every time, she said.

Collecting can be a way to exhibit your personal style, Santos said. Gilbert said her taste is a little all over the place. Her eight Labubus are coordinated with different purses of hers; she adds a Labubu to include a pop of color.

Santos and Gilbert display their collection of Sonny Angels in their SU dorm. The figurines stand on three shelves directly above their vanity mirror, lined up for everyone to see. They even have a Labubu that stands over three feet tall in the room.

“I feel like you really kind of make it your own,” Santos said. “I have different Sonny Angels that I’m like, ‘Oh, these are so me.’”

While trinkets are personal interests for many like Santos and Gilbert, there’s no denying social media has played a large role in the toys’ popularity, they said. Even for those who dislike the trend, it’s inescapable on Instagram or TikTok feeds. Santos said the collectibles have become an aesthetic.

“When you go on Pinterest, if you look up Sonny Angels, there’s people dressing them up, or showing different ways they display them,” Santos said. “I feel like it’s become its own community, in a way.”

Freshman Josie Gilbert has eight Labubus. She coordinates them with her purses to add a pop of color. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer

Ziek Diallo, a sophomore at SU, isn’t interested in Labubus, but owned one because he was paid by a brand to create hate content on Labubus using his TikTok platform. For two months, he made skits poking fun at the trend.

“I’d make interesting skits about, like, the average performative male that just has their Labubu all the time,” Diallo said.

When he eventually stopped making the skits, he gave his Labubu away to a friend. Diallo doesn’t see the point of having one and thinks they’re just “straight consumerism.” However, he recognizes the longevity and popularity of trinkets among their fan base.

If the trinkets themselves weren’t enough of a social media phenomenon, Labubus have also been memed with other trends and “brainrot,” like Dubai Chocolate, Diallo said. Pairing the toy with different internet lingo has boosted its popularity, he said.

“They have dragged it for as long as possible, and it’s actually working, which is the scary part,” he said. “I don’t even know how Labubus and Dubai Chocolate are correlated.”

But for fans like Santos, brands like Labubu and Sonny Angels practice of continuously reinventing the toys through different series and collections is what keeps pulling buyers in.

While Krause thinks Labubus themselves are a fleeting trend, Santos and Gilbert agreed that trinkets themselves and the act of collecting are here to stay. They represent a larger artistic trend, Santos said.

“It all ties together because everyone is creative and expresses themselves in their own way,” Santos said. “For me, it’s my niche interest in fashion, but other people may express it in other ways.”

Published on October 2, 2025 at 12:45 am