Amassing “Barbie” Merch: Suggestions by an (Occasional) Barbie Historian

As a Barbie fanatic, collector, and occasional Barbie historian, I’m off this afternoon to see the brand new Barbie film for the third time whereas mulling over what’s going to endure from the film by way of each Barbienthusiasm and Barbie film collectibles price saving. As I famous in my Barbie movie review, the movie is a sizzling pink pleasure, a pleasure to view for each vintage Barbie fanatics of a grayer technology and up-and-coming millennial and Gen Z Barbie followers. Nevertheless, as soon as the hype of the summer time 2023 Barbie film has handed, we should ask ourselves the all-important query: What’s going to endure? Let’s check out the Barbienthusiasm and film collectibles positive to final for years to return.

Barbienthusiasm

Every time I’ve seen the brand new Barbie film, there have been attendees within the theater with recent eyes, ears, and minds. Some are older, however many are of an age nonetheless open to new concepts and data. These people vary from preteen women nonetheless taking part in with American Lady dolls to the under-forty crowd who by no means took a movie concept class and are listening to some semiotic tidbits for the primary time, all pleasantly cloaked within the visually arresting scenes from Barbieland. For all these viewers, the brand new Barbie film introduces and encourages a love of Barbie which is able to undoubtedly translate right into a future love of Barbie merch and collectibles. A number of the under-forty crowd went to the film on dates, so nostalgia will definitely kick in for these people whose relationships succeed. Preteen to forty, these viewers will maintain the sector of Barbie collectibles robust for many years to return.

As a facet notice, I’ve heard conversations on the seashore this summer time from sure teams of older day drinkers complaining concerning the emphasis on Ken and Allan within the film and the portrayal of this new concept within the movie referred to as “patriarchy.” I’m not too fearful concerning the collectibles consumption of those people as a result of if that is the primary time they’ve heard the phrase “patriarchy,” they is probably not key gamers within the collectibles market anyway!

Shifting on, what’s price saving and accumulating from the Barbie film? What’s going to enhance in worth over time? I do know some resellers who all the time play this prediction recreation for each collectible underneath the solar. It’s a difficult recreation, for positive. Predicting what antiques and collectibles will enhance in future worth is on the coronary heart of any reseller’s vocation, as it’s the solely sure path to revenue. Many resellers have a closet full of latest “collectibles” they hope will likely be “price so much sooner or later.” In case you are prepared to play this recreation for the 2023 Barbie film, listed here are a couple of tried and true ideas.

5 Suggestions for Amassing 2023 Barbie Film Merch

1. Maintain a watch out for product releases and limited-edition merchandise. In at present’s social media-heavy world, this will likely imply following sure Instagram or Fb accounts for bulletins. Even Amazon had a particular “Barbie Finest Week Ever” merch occasion completely for electronic mail subscribers earlier than the film’s launch. Don’t open the packing containers for these things—maintain them “New in Field.”
2. Mass-produced dolls like these at the moment lining the cabinets of Goal are much less prone to retain worth over time than scarcer Barbie film souvenirs. Did your native theatre provide a “Barbie field” to pose in for a selfie on opening day? These are few and much between and could also be beloved collectibles sooner or later. However, it’s higher to err with saving smaller measurement collectibles. Storing and future delivery of a type of life-size Barbie packing containers might solely be sensible when you’ve got a spare barn.
3. Watch out for Barbie film merch that resellers are already shopping for caseloads of whereas the film remains to be in theatres and attempting to hawk it on the secondary market. As an example, should you already see circumstances of Barbie Corvette Hot Wheels being unloaded on-line, there are probably much more on the market, and the market will likely be predictably saturated for years to return.
4. You’ll be able to’t go flawed with signed merch. Whereas Ryan Gosling was as soon as recognized extra as a Mouseketeer, he’ll endlessly now be often called the real-life Ken. Something together with his signature will be sure you enhance in worth over time. I predict the identical will maintain for Greta Gerwig-signed objects, as she has many years in entrance of her together with her profession as a famous person director and film maker.
5. Everybody will proceed to like classic Barbie. Positive, 1970s to 1990s Barbies are sizzling now as effectively—however an increasing number of people are discovering that there’s extra to the unique Fifties–Nineteen Sixties Barbie dolls than that iconic black-and-white striped swimsuit. Look no additional than Gay Parisienne and Easter Parade.

So what do I’ve squirreled away from the summer time 2023 Barbie film phenomenon? As any good reseller will let you know, I’m not giving freely my secrets and techniques—however relaxation assured, every part I’ve saved adheres to these 5 ideas above!

Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visible Artwork from Brown College and lives in Boston.

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