Collecting “Barbie” Merch: Tips by an (Occasional) Barbie Historian – WorthPoint

As a Barbie enthusiast, collector, and occasional Barbie historian, I am off this afternoon to see the new Barbie movie for the third time while mulling over what will endure from the movie in terms of both Barbienthusiasm and Barbie movie collectibles worth saving. As I noted in my Barbie movie review, the film is a hot pink joy, a pleasure to view for both vintage Barbie enthusiasts of a grayer generation and up-and-coming millennial and Gen Z Barbie fans. However, once the hype of the summer 2023 Barbie movie has passed, we must ask ourselves the all-important question: What will endure? Let’s take a look at the Barbienthusiasm and movie collectibles sure to last for years to come.

Barbienthusiasm

Each time I’ve seen the new Barbie movie, there have been attendees in the theater with fresh eyes, ears, and minds. Some are older, but many are of an age still open to new ideas and knowledge. These folks range from preteen girls still playing with American Girl dolls to the under-forty crowd who never took a film theory class and are hearing some semiotic tidbits for the first time, all pleasantly cloaked in the visually arresting scenes from Barbieland. For all these viewers, the new Barbie movie introduces and encourages a love of Barbie which will undoubtedly translate into a future love of Barbie merch and collectibles. Some of the under-forty crowd went to the movie on dates, so nostalgia will certainly kick in for those folks whose relationships succeed. Preteen to forty, these viewers will keep the field of Barbie collectibles strong for decades to come.

As a side note, I have heard conversations on the beach this summer from certain groups of older day drinkers complaining about the emphasis on Ken and Allan in the movie and the portrayal of this new idea in the film called “patriarchy.” I’m not too worried about the collectibles consumption of these folks because if this is the first time they’ve heard the word “patriarchy,” they may not be key players in the collectibles market anyway!

Moving on, what is worth saving and collecting from the Barbie movie? What will increase in value over time? I know some resellers who always play this prediction game for every collectible under the sun. It is a tricky game, for sure. Predicting what antiques and collectibles will increase in future value is at the heart of any reseller’s vocation, as it is the only certain path to profit. Many resellers have a closet full of new “collectibles” they hope will be “worth a lot one day.” If you are willing to play this game for the 2023 Barbie movie, here are a few tried and true tips.

5 Tips for Collecting 2023 Barbie Movie Merch

1. Keep an eye out for product releases and limited-edition merchandise. In today’s social media-heavy world, this may mean following certain Instagram or Facebook accounts for announcements. Even Amazon had a special “Barbie Best Week Ever” merch event exclusively for email subscribers before the movie’s release. Don’t open the boxes for these items—keep them “New in Box.”
2. Mass-produced dolls like those currently lining the shelves of Target are less likely to retain value over time than scarcer Barbie movie souvenirs. Did your local theatre offer a “Barbie box” to pose in for a selfie on opening day? Those are few and far between and may be beloved collectibles in the future. On the other hand, it’s better to err with saving smaller size collectibles. Storing and future shipping of one of those life-size Barbie boxes may only be practical if you have a spare barn.
3. Beware of Barbie movie merch that resellers are already buying caseloads of while the movie is still in theatres and trying to hawk it on the secondary market. For instance, if you already see cases of Barbie Corvette Hot Wheels being unloaded online, there are likely a lot more out there, and the market will be predictably saturated for years to come.
4. You can’t go wrong with signed merch. While Ryan Gosling was once known more as a Mouseketeer, he will forever now be known as the real-life Ken. Anything with his signature will be sure to increase in value over time. I predict the same will hold for Greta Gerwig-signed items, as she has decades in front of her with her career as a superstar director and movie maker.
5. Everyone will continue to love vintage Barbie. Sure, 1970s to 1990s Barbies are hot now as well—but more and more folks are discovering that there is more to the original 1950s–1960s Barbie dolls than that iconic black-and-white striped swimsuit. Look no further than Gay Parisienne and Easter Parade.

So what do I have squirreled away from the summer 2023 Barbie movie phenomenon? As any good reseller will tell you, I am not giving away my secrets—but rest assured, everything I have kept adheres to those five tips above!

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

WorthPoint—Discover. Value. Preserve.