Chasing the Ghost: An Autoethnography of Scarcity, Fandom, and Value-Making in the Hunt for Labubu

Long Su; Xiaochen Tao

doi:10.62177/chst.v2i3.487

Authors

Long Su Universiti Malaya https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3389-0937
Xiaochen Tao Universiti Malaya https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2285-1193

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/chst.v2i3.487

Keywords:

Autoethnography, Consumer Ritual, Affective Labor, Hype Culture, Cultural Value, Art Toys

Abstract

The global rise of the "blind box" art toy phenomenon, led by brands like Pop Mart, has sparked intense consumer frenzies. This autoethnography offers a close analysis of one such craze: the hunt for the highly sought-after Labubu V3 collectible in Kuala Lumpur. The study explores how a mass-produced object gains extraordinary cultural and economic value through collective consumer practices, moving beyond corporate marketing to frame value as socially co-produced. Drawing on several weeks of immersive fieldwork, the researcher’s personal journey—from curious consumer to committed “hunter”—serves as the core analytical lens. Findings reveal that value emerges through three mechanisms: 1) the formation of insider knowledge systems to navigate scarcity; 2) the performance of affective labor, where emotional and temporal investments generate the object's “aura”; and 3) the ritualization of the restock event, which sacralizes the object and fosters intense, temporary community. The study concludes that the Labubu craze is not just consumption but cultural production. It contributes to cultural and consumer studies by showing how the “aura” of mass-produced goods is re-enchanted through embodied practices and emotional labor, asserting that what consumers feel is central to value-creation in contemporary hype culture.

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Author Biographies

Long Su, Universiti Malaya

Su Long is a national second-level broadcaster and a national third-level psychological counselor. His research interests include gender and media representation, cultural studies, sports media and society. He has worked as a radio news anchor for many years and has also been hired as a lecturer by two universities.

Xiaochen Tao, Universiti Malaya

Tao Xiaochen has successfully defended her PhD dissertation in Visual Arts at the University of Malaya. A former film editor in China, her research lies at the intersection of film, gender, and cultural studies. Her work focuses on masculinity studies and the representation and societal impact of gender in cinema.

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