Barbie Dolls in Australia in 2020

I’m back, Happy New Year! Sorry this post is a bit wordy (hey, I haven’t posted for weeks!) but it’s safe to say that 2020 was a strange year for all of us, and here in Australia, it was a strange year for Barbie dolls too, so I thought I’d recap.  We don’t get the full range of dolls available in the US and other parts of the world here.  If a doll is available as blonde, brunette and AA, we tend to get only the blonde version – even when it comes to collectible dolls like the Holiday or Birthday Wishes dolls.  The Fashionistas and Careers ranges are now really the only way we get diverse dolls, but again, we often don’t get the full complement of each wave, they are often heavily edited. So when we see pics of series such as BMR 1959, new Made to Move or Barbie Extra dolls, often our first thought is, ‘bet they don’t come here’. Some think that our lack of access to black dolls is because Mattel describes them as ‘AA’ which stands for African American.  But surely the ‘AA’ description is more relevant here as it can stand for Aboriginal Australian, Asian Australian or African Australian.

The beginning of the year started pretty much as normal, but mid-year brought us the Tokyo Olympics dolls, minus the AA Surfer doll (although a few do seem to be available at one or two toy shops). I was pleased to see there was a very pale curvy Skateboarder doll in the range, perfect for a head swap with a doll I had, but getting her was difficult. At the time, here in my state we were in a fairly strict Covid 19 lockdown, so getting out to shop for dolls was not an option for me (I’m a high risk category so I didn’t want to risk exposure).  The dolls were available online, but all our large variety shops – Kmart, Target and Big W – only offer these types of doll ranges as ‘selected at random’ when buying from their websites. So, four Olympics dolls available and if I bought online, no guarantee I’d get the one I wanted. Really retailers, what is the point? Who would want to buy dolls randomly? I was worried the dolls would be available in limited numbers so luckily, a relative was able to grab the doll that I wanted, but six months later, the dolls are still on our shelves, so there was no hurry. There were some surprises at Christmas though.

In December, Big W announced that they would be stocking the first three Barbie Extra dolls as a store exclusive. Collectors were surprised, ecstatic and annoyed in almost equal measure. Some had ordered the dolls from overseas, sure they wouldn’t make it to our shops, so were none too happy. I was rapt, I had two black dolls that needed articulated bodies and I was sure that doll number one would be a perfect match as a body donor.  I also loved the pics of the doll and her far out fur fashion, so was contemplating buying at least two, three if I liked the doll as much in person.  Again, online, they were chosen at random, so I headed to the nearest store that was showing available stock on their website.  When I got there they had none, but were expecting more and told me to phone back in a couple of days and they could hold them for me. But when I rang they were sold out.  I was so annoyed.  I put out a call out on social media and it revealed two nude dolls available for sale from friends so I snapped them up, but was disappointed at not having that amazing fashion.  The week after Christmas, Target started selling number 4 and 5 Extra dolls, and surprise, surprise, at my store, they also had the first three dolls. So much for them being a Big W exclusive!  I finally got my hands on number 1 NRFB. But I really don’t like her face as much in person as in the promo pics. Luckily a friend was after a nude doll, so I’m keeping the fashion and he’s getting the doll.  What a kerfuffle.

This Fashionista is in the new vinyl pouch packaging. I don’t really like the pouches, I’d prefer something more environmentally friendly – I can’t see them being re-used. I really wanted this doll, so ordered her from overseas. I’ll be very peeved if she now turns up here. The problem with buying from OS or online, you can’t check the doll for faults. This girl’s eyes are very lightly misplaced.

As usual the Holiday doll was available, but in another surprise, some stores actually had the brunette as well as the blonde version.  A new wave of Fashionistas in the new vinyl pouch packaging arrived just before Christmas too, but it wasn’t a complete wave.  We were pleased to see the inclusion of the bald doll, but missing was Fashionista 147, which has a new face mould, and of course was the one I wanted.  I bit the bullet and bought her from overseas, so if she turns up in a future release, I’ll be mightily peeved.  Also a surprise was Fashionista 167 – Ken in wheelchair – available online at Target and in selected stores and listed separately, not ‘selected at random’ with the rest of the range.  The irony is, this Ken is on a Made to Move body.  So, ‘able bodied’ Ken dolls have stiff, non-articulated bodies, but wheelchair Ken is on the most articulated body to date. WTH Mattel? I snapped one up, and I was hoping they’d go on sale so I could grab at least one more for swapping, but they’re now marked as sold out online and in store. Bugger.

These dolls all share the same box background, but ironically, the fitness doll with yoga mat doesn’t have a Made to Move body like the other two, her articulation is quite limited.

The new Made to Move dolls also popped up at Big W, and this time we got all four dolls.  We’ve only had the first wave of dolls sold here, and it was missing the black doll in the yellow top. I was excited to get my hands on the new black doll and the new curvy doll for body swapping.  The curvy doll seems to be the harder to find, my store sold out quickly, they had plenty of the other three.  A week or two later the Wellness dolls appeared – one in pyjamas, one set for a spa day and one ready for the gym.  The gym doll has a pale articulated body, so she was on my list for body swapping and I loved her accessories. I managed to snare one before they sold out.  Once again, it’s slightly ironic that these dolls are articulated, but not Made to Move dolls, and surely, the gym doll with her yoga mat and exercise gear would benefit from a M2M body?  It was a bit of a surprise to see the Breathe with Me Barbie finally available here.  Kmart also had the latest range of the $5 basic Barbie dolls and it was great to see the black girl with huge afro included.  I was lucky enough to get her for Christmas, and although she has a face mould I already have, she so gorgeous she’s a keeper.  The Collector Reproduction Dreamhouse also popped up online at Target, but its $300 price tag is way too much for most collectors.  It was on sale at a mere $200 for a short time, and while I’d love it, it’s too pricey and too big to store for me.

The basic Barbie dolls were at Kmart, and I love this girl. But don’t you hate it when you wake up with box hair?

So, it’s felt like December and January brought dolly surprise after dolly surprise, and I was making almost weekly doll runs to different shops.  There were news reports that sales of Barbie dolls increased during lock down as parents tried to lure their little ones away from screens and into some wholesome real world play.  Perhaps that’s why we got so many new dolls? Is it because retailers were trying to boost their bottom lines at Christmas and excess stock was available because of world-wide lock downs? I don’t know the answer.  But I do know it’s been fabulous to be able to get my hands on these dolls in local shops.  And expensive, it’s been a wee bit expensive. So thank heaven for Christmas and birthday money and vouchers.  I managed to grab some of the 2020 fashions too, so I’ll show you some of the things I’ve bought and the re-bodying I’ve done in future posts.  For now, here’s hoping this year is an improvement on the last, and I hope Christmas and New Year brought you your dolly wish list too.

Don’t forget, I’m now on Instagram – @jenjoysworld. There’ll be some unique content and behind the scenes stuff, so head over and follow.

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