BarBBro Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 Curiouser and Curiouser, like Alice would say, but does Mattel listen when collectors request Mattel create a new doll? I am just wondering on this because here we are in a forum engineered by Mattel where idealistically the collectors and Mattel are in an ideal setting where ideas on doll creations can be tossed about and explored involving both the collector-consumer and Mattel as the creator, where, I wonder, if the two can merge, that is, the creator becomes both Mattel and the Barbie doll collector/consumer rather than just the collector giving feed back on what Mattel creates. Is there some statistical data or thereabouts from Mattel on dolls that they (Mattel) have created as a result of the collectors requesting a particular doll.? I know that some years back I seemed to recall that Mattel did seem to listen to ideas collectors had, such as when Mattel first started to create the nostalgic reproductions in the mid 1990's and the consumer/collectors requested modifications of the hands and hair and makeups to reflect the originals and Mattel complied; I also think that the advent of the Silkstones in the late 1990s was also a result of Mattel studying what the collector wanted and studying the vintage market and entering that terrain through their own analysis and discovery. So, I would like to learn, relevant to our current times and this here forum, if Mattel is still listening to collectors - BECAUSE - my intent is to visit the forum periodically and channel the child within me visiting Santa Claus and let Mattel know what I want for Christmas... Dear Santa Mattel, I would like you to create the following Barbies.... 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABSOLUTEMEISTER Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 It can be difficult to tell if Mattel is listening. For starters, Mattel takes about a year at the minimum to bring something from sketch to product in the shop, assuming the legal team doesn't have to get involved (ex. Barbies based on real people or brands). If the legal team gets involved, that process can take multiple years. Let's say you want a certain color scheme for the Holiday Barbies. If you mention it now (as in, the time of posting) and assuming whoever's designing the dolls likes the idea, you wouldn't see the doll you wanted until 2026. The 2024 Holiday Barbies are probably finishing production and the sketch for 2025 has probably been finalized at this point. Also, the designers have their own ideas that they want to make. I'm not sure how many ideas the designers have going on at any given time and how many they have in reserve. There are also other factors that determine what the designers work on: the Barbie Movie dolls had to be ready by May/ June 2023 and many of the designers worked on at least one of them. There are also Barbie's anniversary years (2024 is her 65th), so the designers have to plan for that. Bill Greening works on most of the reproductions and keeps up with many of Barbie's friends and family's anniversaries, on top of creating original designs. That isn't to say that Mattel doesn't take collector feedback and requests into consideration. Back in December 2023, Mattel had a poll of which of Christie's looks we wanted reproduced, with the statement that she was planned to be available in 2025. There have also been a couple of polls where designer Angel Kent has created 4 sketches and collectors vote in 2 rounds to see which one gets made into a doll. Bill Greening posted on Instagram whether people wanted more dolls in the Haunted Beauty line and people have been talking about this in the members-only forums showing their support. The incredibly popular BFMC ended in 2020 and collectors have been screaming for years to get it back. The reboot is scheduled for 2024. The thing is, you have to be patient. A finite number of dolls will launch in any given year and some of them are anniversary dolls or from long-running series like the Holiday Barbies. In the event that another Barbie Movie is made, we'll likely see several related dolls from that. Don't expect your wish to be granted immediately, but don't lose hope, either. Santa Mattel has many tricks up its sleeve... 4 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarBBro Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 Ok, Santa Mattel: it's hard to explain bureaucracy to a child but will give it a shot. Santa Mattel can expect more 'wish list' letters from 'the kids'. But kids are so resilient that sometimes they will improvise with their own ingenuity and creativity based on the momentum. It is however very nice to keep an article of hope in a treasure chest as it can be re-visited from time to time and seems to take on a life of its own; sort of like, let's take a look-see at that hope we put in the treasure chest 5 years ago and give it a tweak. Tricks are for kids. Including treats 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy80 Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 Let’s just put it into the universe! 🎉 I would love to see a Barbie and Ken from the 80’s film “Labyrinth”. The ballroom scene 🤩😍💓 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABSOLUTEMEISTER Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 32 minutes ago, Tracy80 said: Let’s just put it into the universe! 🎉 I would love to see a Barbie and Ken from the 80’s film “Labyrinth”. The ballroom scene 🤩😍💓 We've put that into the universe a few times. It might happen, since Mattel has a contract with Disney, who owns the rights to it (they bought Jim Henson Productions). We're waiting for an anniversary year. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.viniciusxavier Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 Believe that they listen. For example: recently, we had a tremendous reception for the OOAK Gloria Estefan doll. I'm sure that at some point we will get her produced. This happened before with Celia Cruz, for example. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lubo Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 42 minutes ago, dr.viniciusxavier said: Believe that they listen. For example: recently, we had a tremendous reception for the OOAK Gloria Estefan doll. I'm sure that at some point we will get her produced. This happened before with Celia Cruz, for example. You thought Kylie Minogue? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lubo Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 I wish, they listened. In the past, in times of chats with designers, collectors wrote what they wanted, some ideas were made reality. I really want doll with Nichelle 1990 sculpt and Model Muse body (what no one knows at this forum 😄 ), when Mattel makes her, I can move to another wish. 😄 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.viniciusxavier Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 23 minutes ago, lubo said: You thought Kylie Minogue? Yeeeees. Sorry!!!!! To much dolls on my mind. My mistake. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DARDECK Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 27 minutes ago, lubo said: I wish, they listened. In the past, in times of chats with designers, collectors wrote what they wanted, some ideas were made reality. I really want doll with Nichelle 1990 sculpt and Model Muse body (what no one knows at this forum 😄 ), when Mattel makes her, I can move to another wish. 😄 I hope you get your wish Lubo, I would like that doll too! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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