Trends Start in Asia Now

Huge reversal

I’m assuming you’ve already heard about the Labubu collectible doll frenzy.

If you haven’t then you must be really dedicated to not-knowing about things because people are going completely bananas over these (ugly) dolls.

Labubu dolls retail for $22. Rare/desirable versions are selling on the secondary market for thousands of dollars. The most expensive price at auction so far is $150k.

For one doll.

In a time-honored tradition of collectible frenzies throughout history, people are now even beating the shit out of each other over them.

Labubu is a product designed by a Hong Kong artist and sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese retailer.

The dolls were popular pretty much right out of the gate throughout Asia, but the real frenzy started when a girl from a K-pop group (Lisa from Blackpink) posted a photo of a Labubu doll on her IG in Spring 2024.

In a Reddit thread talking about the origins of Labubu Mania, a few Americans were calling bullshit because they thought it was ‘impossible’ for the K-pop star to have started a trend a year ago when they just started hearing about it last month.

East ———> West

I understand the confusion. Most Americans are still living in a bubble where they think the world hasn’t changed since the 90’s and that everything starts in America and then radiates outward.

Times have changed.

American celebrities don’t even start trends anymore. They just follow the ones that Korean celebrities start.

Imagine if you would have seen this bubbling up in the early days. You could have stocked up and shipped a bunch to America, then just waited for the buying frenzy to cross the ocean.

Geographical and time arbitrage at the same time.

If you want to stay on top of where the culture is going you have to look East.

Look at the show Squid Game. It’s a global phenomenon.

When was the last time an American show had as much hype? Maybe the shows from the 00’s - early 10’s era (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, et. al.)

But nothing recent.

Now the fourth season of Squid Game is going to be filmed in America.

It started East and moved West.

Same thing with music.

I’ve personally been in airports (multiple times) when a K-pop group passed through and it was complete pandemonium. Girls running around screaming their heads off (I legit think I got hearing damage). The staff at the airport acting all giggly and weird and unable to focus on doing their job. 100% of people holding their phones up. It was bananas.

What you have to do

The best of the best at making money are able to honestly look at where the culture is going and position themselves to profit off of it.

When everyone else is getting emotional and outraged over….everything, you have to be the one who can stay above it all and be honest about the world.

No emotion. No wishing that things were different. Not even happiness. Just a calm acceptance of reality.

Whenever you start to feel either giddy or angry: you’re doing it wrong.

If you bury your head in the sand you’re going to be perpetually surprised and stupefied by every new trend that “comes from nowhere”.

You won’t know what’s going on. You’ll be like a confused boomer staring blankly at anything even slightly different, mouth agape and longing for the good old days when you knew wtf was going on.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Everyone smart is paying attention to Asia. You should do likewise.