A doll collector "addicted" to Labubus has spent £900 and spends up to four hours a day shopping for them, writes Amy Reast.

Former X Factor contestant Duane AJ, 37, began collecting dolls when he was a child after getting his first at a car boot sale. Since then he has amassed a collection of over 200 dolls - but 2025 has seen his head turned to Labubus.

Duane, from Redruth, found himself desperate to own the collectible plush toys after seeing people sharing theirs on TikTok. But the toys, with characteristic elvish faces, are notoriously difficult to get your hands on and don't come cheap.

Despite this, singer Duane has managed to buy over 30 of the toys - and has a collection worth around £890. He manages to buy them through live sales on TikTok and said he needs to be super fast to snap them up in time.

Duane, who also purchases outfits for all his Labubus, said: "My doll collection came to a nice halt and I saw people opening these Labubu boxes from Pop Mart on TikTok.

"I loved the excitement of watching other people open their blind boxes, and I wanted to experience that myself.I learned they're really hard to get, but I found tricks to get hold of them.

"Because you buy the boxes blind, I've bought some duplicates but because they're so in demand I can just sell them. I have a room for all of my doll collection, so I display them in there, but I clip them on my bag or keychain when I go out.

"I love collecting but it can be addictive trying to find the ones you want. Everyone has something in their life they love to buy that makes them happy."

Duane began collecting dolls from the age of five after his grandmother bought him his first one. From there it grew - and for every birthday and Christmas family would buy him different types of dolls.

He continued growing his collection into adulthood, even giving the collection an allocated room in his house, where he lives with husband Nick. He has everything from Barbies through to Japanese Smart Dolls which set him back up to £600 due to having to also pay to import them.

But this year, for the first time in his life, his head has been turned away from his regular dolls - and towards the Labubus. They plush toys are extremely hard to come by, and the standard ones range in price from £18 to around £80 depending on size.

He said: "You watch them live advertise the new toys and you can scroll down to see what's available. You can only find out what's available on that day.

"You have to wait for the host to count down, then you have to get them as quickly as possible. When you get one you feel like you've won."

They are all sold blind - meaning you don't know which you'll get until it arrives. Duane's collection comprises of 21 smaller Labubus from three different collections.

He also has three medium sized ones, seven collectors 'Pin for Love' Labubus and two large-sized imitation Labubus. His 33-strong collection has a value of £890.

Duane said: "When it comes to selling my collection, I don't know how long the phase will last or if they will hold their value. But that's not why I do it - I do it for the enjoyment.

"I work hard and make good money, and it's nice to spend my money on things I enjoy. I think for me, it's the rush of opening them and not knowing what you'll get.

"It's an addiction - you get obsessed. I wish I could collect and be happy with just one or two but I feel like I need the whole collection now."