Calembou Names Four Blind‑Box IPs Poised to Become the Next Labubu

Calembou has picked four emerging blind-box characters—Nommi, Crybaby, WAKUKU and Nanci—as candidates to become the next Labubu, a sign that designers and retailers are pushing new IP into the same orbit as Pop Mart’s breakout hit. Labubu, the adorable elf-like character from Pop Mart's THE MONSTERS series, has become one of the most sought-after designer toys in 2026, and its market gravity is shaping how new lines are prototyped, launched and promoted.

Blind-box mechanics remain central to the appeal. Series are sold as sealed boxes with a randomized figure inside, and most collections use a rarity ladder of common, special editions and ultra-rare chase pieces. “Secret figures typically appear in 1 out of every 144 boxes, making them highly coveted by collectors,” Thecouplecorner notes, a ratio that drives pull strategies, case buying and resale dynamics across secondary markets.

Calembou’s four names give collectors specific targets. Crybaby is explicitly described as a Pop Mart sub-IP, and that presence in a mainstream list mirrors industry supplier thinking. Edntoy’s product playbook, which maps how to build a headliner-driven blind-box line, also lists Crybaby alongside new potentials such as Hacipupu and Upset Duck. Edntoy lays out a production pathway that many studios now follow: “We use full-color 3D printing2 to prototype small 6–8 cm resin figures, test reaction online, then move to PVC or ABS for mass production.” That workflow lowers risk and makes rapid small-run tests financially viable.

Design and collector experience remain the story drivers. Wired’s first-person reporting captures the tactile and sensory details that sell blind boxes: “The figures are small and mischievous, with swiveling feet, a soft furry texture, and a vinyl face. I like that they're small and that the colors are so bright. I got the letter I, a turquoise little fella with a bright green nose and a sort-of-scary expression. I love him.” Wired also called out production pressure on flagship Labubu drops: “Let it be known that I tried to get my hands on the most popular Labubu figures—the Big Into Energy series—and as of press time a month later, my order has yet to arrive.” Sensory gimmicks pop up in adjacent IP too: “I got Blueberry. It's soft, it's not too big or too small, its facial expression is adorable, and it smells like blueberries. The smell does dissipate quickly... There's a high-quality key-chain loop built in, and the stitching and painted details are solid too.”

Mainstream business coverage has followed the wave, with reporting framed under headlines about toy makers chasing the blind-box trend and a correction that “(Corrects paragraph 18 to say that unit sales in overall holiday spending may fall by as much as 2.5%, not that the figure applies just to toys).” Social platforms amplify the ritual of pulls and luck predictions, especially around Lunar New Year, keeping hype cycles tight and seasonal.

For collectors and small creators the takeaway is practical: watch Nommi, Crybaby, WAKUKU and Nanci for early drops and exclusives; lean on combo sets or single-box entries to manage spend—“Start with a single blind box to experience the excitement, or invest in a combo set for better value. If you're shopping as a couple, combo sets let you both enjoy the collecting experience together”—and pay attention to case ratios and prototype reveals. Expect more headliner-support-new potential lineups as studios use full-color 3D prototyping to field-test characters before scaling. The next major Labubu successor will likely emerge from that iterative, social-first pipeline.