Many toys, or collectables, were popular in the year 2025, ranging from many different things like stuffed animals, keychains, or just overall toys. Consumerism is the preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods. People may see this term as disrespectful because most things bought are ruining the environment when people are down with their plastic, the plastic eventually reaches the ocean, with all the plastic they waste. Many people are falling for consumerism, considering how some people who already have the product are pushing it. Many brands are also making the collectables more expensive when they notice how many people are buying them.

1: Labubu

I think this toy may be the most popular and well-known. This critter is a keychain and is a fuzzy demon-looking creature. These can range from $30-$120. The price range before they got popular was around $20. Labubus are usually found in Pop Marts. Videos of kids have been taken of them running into Pop Mart right when they open, just to get a Labubu in their hands. Some have been found in tiny vendors, but are often fake just to profit way more than necessary. Popmarts are hard to find everywhere since they have only been seen in big cities, because if you’re living in big, popular cities it is assumed you have enough money for the keychain because of how much money it costs to live in the city. To solve this problem, vending machines with some of Pop Mart’s most popular products have been placed in many shopping areas, including Belden Village mall. This vending machine that I have seen has a long line of people, most likely wanting to get a Labubu. The keychain comes in a blindbox that has many different kinds of possible Labubus, but you can get only in one package. Also, there are different series of Labubus, like ‘Big into Energy’, which has a tie-dye-like pattern, also coming in different colors. Many series have been made due to their popularity, and the more fun the design, the more expensive. People have started to even sew clothes for Labubus.

2: Stanley vs. Owala

This whole craze of cups went bad around Valentine’s Day when Target came out with the Valentine’s Day Stanley cups. Stanley cups simply became popular because of the style and the straw. Many people kept buying every color of every style of cup, which defeats the whole purpose. The Stanley cup was made to be reusable and only to have one per person. A cup goes for around $40-$60. The Stanley isn’t very durable, so I think this price is a little excessive. Stanley allegedly had lead on the inside. So, if you slightly broke the cup and were still drinking water out of it, you were possibly consuming lead. Soon after the craze, someone on TikTok had posted a video basically saying that everyone should buy Owala’s instead because they don’t spill and make you look like a Koala when you take a sip out of it. This video had reached many people, so now people were buying Owala’s and leaving their Stanley Cups behind.​

A current Freshman stated “I believe consumerism is connected to current funds. One famous person mentions buying grapes and suddenly their fans start buying them too. Just like toilet paper in 2020 and now Labubu’s in 2025.” This year has been crazy with how consumerism was pushed onto people. Most of the products bought had been purchased just to fulfill a temporary happiness. Consumerism is getting worse as the days go on, and it is quickly changing the quality of the world, with how sucked in people are with the media just to remain ‘trendy’.