Scarcity Sells: What Labubus, Birkin Bags & Silly Bandz Teach Us About Value

A tiny Pop Mart figurine called Labubu recently sold for more than an iPhone. A Hermès Birkin bag just fetched over $400,000. And if you dig through your childhood closet, you might find Silly Bandz or Kooky Pens now worth a surprising amount online.

These stories may sound like trivia, but they reflect something much bigger: the evolving way we assign value in a culture where identity, scarcity, and emotion drive behavior. At Vested, we spend a lot of time thinking about what shapes financial decisions and brand loyalty. One increasingly powerful force? Collectibles.

Collectibles Aren’t Just for Kids

Whether it’s toys, sneakers, trading cards, or luxury bags, the idea of collectibles as “alternative assets” is no longer niche. The global art toy market, for example, is projected to grow from $35 billion in 2024 to more than $160 billion by 2033. Meanwhile, Birkin bags have historically outperformed both the S&P 500 and gold. Pop Mart, the Chinese collectible giant behind the Labubu, debuted with a $7 billion market cap and has continued to rise, thanks to its savvy use of limited releases and fandom-fueled demand.

These aren’t flukes or outliers. They’re case studies in how scarcity, storytelling, and community turn objects into assets.

The Emotional ROI

What’s driving all this? Behavioral economics gives us some answers. Scarcity makes us value things more. Social proof and FOMO amplify that effect. When products are intentionally hard to get, emotionally resonant, or tightly tied to identity, people are more likely to treat them as valuable, even when their actual utility is limited.

In moments of uncertainty, whether economic, social, or cultural, collectibles offer a sense of control and connection. That emotional response often outweighs traditional measures of value. It’s why grown adults line up for blind boxes and why the resale value of a pair of sneakers can jump overnight based on a viral post.

A Lesson for Financial Storytellers

For those of us working in finance and communications, there’s a lot to learn from these trends. Brands that create narratives around exclusivity and belonging aren’t just selling products: they’re creating meaning. And that meaning, in today’s market, is money.

The best-performing “assets” are often the ones people connect with, not just calculate. That applies as much to a fintech platform as it does to a fashion drop.

Understanding how people behave and what they’re drawn to emotionally is crucial for financial marketers. The rise of collectibles is a reminder that people don’t always act rationally. But they do act predictably, especially when emotion, identity, and social signaling are involved.

Why This Matters Now

As trust in institutions fluctuates and the definition of “value” becomes more fluid, collectibles provide a fascinating lens through which to explore bigger questions. What do people consider worth holding onto? Why do they invest, financially or emotionally, in the things they do? And how can brands tap into those motivations in authentic, sustainable ways?

At Vested, we’re asking these questions and looking to financial data and pop culture for answers. In fact, we’re dedicating an upcoming internal editorial meeting to this very topic: exploring collectibles, scarcity, behavioral economics, and what it all means for investors, communicators, and brands alike. 

Whether it’s a Labubu or a luxury handbag, the next bubble might be shaped more by sentiment than spreadsheets.