Labubu Big Into Energy V3 Unboxed, Reviewed: Everything Collectors Need to Know

The Third Chapter in Labubu's Vinyl Plush Pendant Line

Pop Mart's Big Into Energy series, universally tagged as V3 by the community, marks the third installment in the vinyl plush pendant lineup that began with Exciting Macaron (V1) in October 2023 and continued through Have a Seat (V2). Released on April 25, 2025, and restocked multiple times into 2026, V3 has become the dominant Labubu conversation piece in collector circles on both sides of the Atlantic. DoubleBoxed, the UK-based collector blog and shop, published a hands-on unboxing review that captures what makes V3 a meaningful step forward, and what experienced collectors should watch out for before spending.

The Full V3 Variant Checklist

Six regular designs make up the core lineup, each themed to a distinct emotion and color:

• Love: warm red tones, heart-themed pose
• Happiness: vibrant orange
• Loyalty: pink and yellow dual-tone
• Serenity: green, the calmest palette in the set
• Hope: soft blue, widely regarded as the fan-favorite design
• Luck: rich purple

Every figure stands 17cm (6.69 inches) tall, excluding the hanging loop, and is constructed with a PVC vinyl face paired with a polyester plush body stuffed with polyester and iron wire. The entire series is built around one defining visual signature: tie-dye. Unlike the soft pastels of Exciting Macaron V1 or the comparatively muted tones of Have a Seat V2, every V3 figure features bold, saturated tie-dye coloring. Because each figure is individually dyed, no two are literally identical, which is a genuine differentiator for display-focused collectors.

All six regulars carry the classic nine-tooth Labubu grin, but V3 adds one colored tooth per figure that matches each character's theme palette, a subtle but recognizable update from earlier generations.

The Chase: ID, and Why It Still Commands a Premium

The secret figure, named ID, is where the pull-rate math gets serious. ID arrives with gray fur, rainbow-gradient glitter eyes, rainbow-colored teeth (replacing the single colored tooth of the regulars), and black nose and toenails. The odds of pulling ID from a standard blind box are 1:72. At peak demand in June 2025, a single ID sold for $1,800. By February 2026, eBay listings had settled into the $100 to $250 range, which is still a meaningful multiple over the $19.46 retail price of a single box.

For collectors hunting ID specifically, the telltales to verify authenticity on resale are the glitter-flecked rainbow iris (not a flat color gradient), the gray fur quality (authentic pieces are noticeably softer and fuller than counterfeits), and the rainbow teeth pattern, which fakes often render as flat, uneven, or off-color.

What the Packaging Reveals

DoubleBoxed's review makes a point the community has long debated: the V3 box is not just a protective shell. Pop Mart has designed the packaging as a deliberate part of the brand experience, with the outer artwork, inner wrapping, and tactile weight of the sealed box all contributing to the emotional build-up before the reveal. Each box also includes a Pop Card carrying the character's name, continuing a tradition from V1 and V2 that helps collectors track their pulls and spot fakes (counterfeit Pop Cards frequently have font inconsistencies or thinner card stock).

One practical authentication tool that has become standard in the community: the QR code verification sticker on the box reverse. Pop Mart's official app scan confirms authenticity before the box is even opened. On resale pieces, check whether the QR code has already been redeemed; unscanned codes carry a premium in the secondary market because they preserve the full unboxing ritual.

Top 5 Collector Takeaways

*1. Paint and QC* DoubleBoxed notes tighter paint application and higher-quality stitching in V3 compared to some earlier mass releases. This is a meaningful signal: Pop Mart has been investing in perceived product quality rather than relying purely on scarcity mechanics to sustain brand value. That said, loose stitching on individual pieces does appear in community unboxing videos, so V3 is not immune to the QC variance that affects all blind-box production at scale. Inspect resale pieces carefully around the plush seams and around the vinyl face join.

*2. Articulation and Construction* V3 figures are not poseable in the traditional art-toy sense, the iron wire armature in the stuffing allows very minor shaping of the plush body, but the vinyl face is fixed. Compared to V1 and V2, the plush material in V3 is widely described as softer and fuller, which changes how the figures hang as bag charms versus how they display on shelves.

*3. Size and Display* At 17cm, V3 sits at the same height as V1 and V2, so existing display setups require no adjustment. The figures are pendants, designed with a hanging loop, but they also stand upright on flat surfaces without support given the iron wire base. For shelf display, the bold tie-dye colorways read extremely well at a distance and photograph vividly, which matters for collectors who use social sharing as part of their hobby.

*4. Duplicate Risk and Sealed Box Math* A sealed case of six boxes retails at $168 USD and, crucially, guarantees no duplicate regular designs across those six pulls. That is the mathematical argument for buying a full case: you complete the regular six-piece set with zero duplication and pay an average of $28 per figure. The secret ID is not guaranteed in any case configuration; it replaces one of the six regular slots when pulled, at the 1:72 rate. Buying singles at $19.46 each is the budget path but introduces real duplicate risk after the first three or four pulls.

*5. Resale Volatility* DoubleBoxed's recommendation is deliberately unsentimental: resale spikes are possible but unpredictable, and restocks have already compressed ID's secondary value from its $1,800 June 2025 peak. The Monsters line generated approximately $670 million in the first half of 2025 alone, which signals Pop Mart has every incentive to restock popular series when demand sustains. Speculative buyers should factor that restock risk into any secondary-market purchase.

V3 vs. V1 and V2: What Changed, What Stayed the Same

The core formula remains intact: vinyl face, plush body, pendant format, blind-box mechanic, one secret at low pull rate. What V3 changes is the color ambition. V1's Exciting Macaron palette leaned pastel and dessert-soft; V2's Have a Seat was slightly bolder but still restrained. V3's tie-dye approach is the most visually aggressive of the three, and the "no two are exactly alike" manufacturing reality gives V3 a collectibility argument that neither predecessor could make. The ID secret is also the most visually distinct chase in the pendant line to date, with its glitter eyes and full rainbow tooth row making it immediately identifiable even in low-resolution resale photos.

Singles, Sealed Boxes, or Skip: The Decision Guide

Buy singles if you have one or two specific colorways in mind and you're not chasing ID. Hope (blue) and Love (red) are the community's most-requested singles, which means resale prices for those two are modestly elevated compared to Happiness or Loyalty. Expect to pay $25 to $35 for popular singles from trusted resellers.

Buy a sealed case if completing the full regular six-piece set is the goal and you want to eliminate duplicate risk on the standard lineup. At $168 for six confirmed unique figures, the per-unit math is better than buying six individual blind boxes, and the sealed case experience preserves the unboxing ritual for each figure individually.

Skip, or wait, if your primary interest is ID specifically. The secondary market has already found its post-hype equilibrium in the $100 to $250 range, and further restocks could push that floor lower. Patience has rewarded collectors in previous Labubu series; V3 is unlikely to be different. DoubleBoxed's broader point holds: V3 is a genuine production and design upgrade over its predecessors, worth owning for the love of the figure; it is a shaky investment if the purchase decision rests entirely on resale upside.