In anticipation for Warner Bros’ Barbie movie, Mattel recently unveiled a collection of collectible Barbie dolls based on Greta Gerwig’s film. And as you can imagine, they're already flying off the shelves. The doll version of Margot Robbie's titular character in her pink western outfit has already sold out completely and is going for around $100 on Ebay, for example. But Barbie fans have things to say about the retail price points for some of the products. Some are even going as far as to say that they're "gonna be broke" by the time it's all said and done.
The collection consists of nine signature dolls that are all modeled after characters from the movie and wearing outfits that appear in the film. (Many of them were teased in the recently released full Barbie trailer.) Check out this viral TikTok illustrating the tough spot the merchandise is putting fans in:
@heyitsmeblackguy ♬ original sound - South Park
That’s right, many of the dolls inspired by the movie cost a whopping $50 to own, including Margot Robbie’s character in a plaid matching set, the western outfit, her pink gingham dress and gold disco jumpsuit. Additionally, Issa Rae’s president Barbie, America Ferrera’s Gloria Doll, Simu Liu’s Ken, Ryan Gosling’s Ken rocking his viral denim fit (with the “Ken” underwear that was apparently Gosling’s idea) also retail at the $50 price point.
So if you wanted a few of them, you’d be out hundreds of dollars. And that’s without mentioning that you can also own the pink Corvette, a $150 replica DreamHouse building kit and all sorts of exclusive clothing too! Check out some of the comments that came out of the TikTok post pointing out the prices:
- princesspastelita: “Yeah I’m gonna be broke.”
- oncelers_discord_kitten: “They were so evil for these prices.”
- color_me_barbie: “Those prices made me humble real quick… I’ll get what I can Mattel has lost their minds”
It was pretty much a given that Warner Bros. and Mattel were going to capitalize on this movie with plenty of merch. And to be quite honest, it's not all that surprising that the latter is charging so much for the highly coveted doll.
Let's be real, people are clearly going to buy these dolls anyway and very much have, considering the shortage of some of the dolls already. Another commenter shared “my finger slipped and I purchased western Barbie and denim Ken” while another fan figuratively shouted “WHERES MICHAEL CERA” in the collection. Cera is among the Barbie movie cast and is playing the role of Barbieland resident Allan. Perhaps, a second wave of this collection will hit at some point?
While most of the dolls are $50 each, Mattel did make two dolls $25 as well. Barbie in the pink gingham dress and Ken in his striped beach matching set can both be purchased for that lower price point. Based on the fact that folks are paying $50 a pop now, one can't help but get the sense that Barbie feels like a 2023 new movie release that’s about to be a huge hit and pop culture phenomenon.
Check out the highly anticipated film when it opens in theaters on July 21. Also, know that Barbiecore has been seriously going strong in recent months among celebrities, so clearly this is a sensation that could very well sweep the nation.
