Why Did People Line Up All Night In Front Of An Illinois Store For A Toy?

Black Friday, but make it April.

In a world of online purchasing, it's great to see the good ol' brick-and-mortar swarms every once in a while. And that's exactly what happened late Thursday night into Friday morning in Chicago.

Dozens of people camped out on Michigan Avenue in front of Pop Mart to try to get their hands on a rare, viral toy, according to NBC Chicago.

Pop Mart is known for it's "blind box", where people don't know what toy is in a purchased box until they open it. The store opened in Chicago last year, but it started in China in 2010.

The Toy Everyone Wants

Some of these blind boxes (now inspired by "The Monsters" series) include a "Labubu", a popular plushie. It's the thing everyone wants.

@tang.joseph My mom’s first blind box unboxing #popmart ♬ Funny video "Carmen Prelude" Arranging weakness(836530) - yo suzuki(akisai)

The limit is one full set of blind boxes (which is 6 individual boxes). Joycelyn Zumba, one of the people waiting in the line, told NBC Chicago she got there at 2:30 a.m. She wants to give the plushies to her sisters and says that the tag on the foot of the plushie is important because it helps certify the plushie's authenticity.

It's giving Beanie Babies, round 2, is it not?

Here's what they look like:

Multiple comments on Pop Mart's social media posts mention Labubus selling out within seconds of being available on the website.

Pop Mart said that when they open, they'll allow the first 15 customers inside the store to make their purchases and continue with a one out/one in practice to keep the store from getting unsafe and overcrowded.