Thursday, August 25, 2011

Why!!!!



Once in a great while, a doll company hits a home run. Mattel hit it out of the park this year with the new Barbie Basics 2.5. For the uninitiated, Barbie Basics are a line of dolls utilizing various head molds, skin tones, and poses. These dolls had a price point of about $20 and were perfect for customizers and costumers. I was a fan from the beginning and only wished the dolls were more articulated. My wish was granted when I saw pics of the 2.5 dolls last spring - these new dolls would have articulated bodies - yeah! I read a post on a message board that said the dolls would be limited editions and got more than a bit anxious. If the dolls would be limited, I might not get one, so I was delighted to find a website taking pre-orders. I ordered 2 model #8 dolls and they arrived last week. Here she is and I couldn't be happier with her!

Also last week, I read that the next wave (3.0) will be the last of the Barbie Basics - WHY? I know the dolls are popular with adult collectors and are selling. Heck, I have 10 myself, and I am cheap! I realize that companies must continually alter their product in order to stay current and relevant, but when you hit that perfect wave - ride it!

3 comments:

Black Doll Enthusiast said...

Congratulations on your 2.5 beauty. I plan to get her soon.

Why Mattel has decided to discontinue the Barbie Basics remains a mystery to me. I don't think they even know.

dbg

D7ana said...

Happy collectors? Maybe Mattel really doesn't want happy collectors.

They may prefer us angry and disappointed ;-D

cosmodollitan ELLE said...

Sad for me is I just discovered them in December, and THEY brought me back to collecting after I HAD to take a long hiatus. And I came back about two or more months too early to be sensible, but oh well - haha.

So the thing is, these limited dolls are now so rare they are very expensive and I have 0 of 2.5 so far!! :-(

I thought they would last a long time because of the extra 0s in their names! I was way late to learn they are ending now, because after I received a shipment from BarbieCollector.com (some accessories on sale and a couple from the new swim range) I took a bit of time to read the catalog and there it was: "final"!!!

:-( No good reason. Also, why did they quit doing articulation?!