2016 articulated Barbie

[Faydreams]

You know if this is true it is a logical step and a smart one for Mattel. DC Comics has announced a line of action figures geared toward girls and it looks like Mattel might just be their toy company of choice for it.

In a business sense stance this is probably one of the few ways Mattel might be able to save the Barbie Lines. Since Disney announced they will be fading out the Mattel made Character dolls for Jakk Pacific versions over the next two years it left Mattel in a kind of hole. They needed that connection to keep their Fashion line of dolls going. That was a huge blow to loose that.

I think Disney has carved themselves into a rut when it comes to their market for girls and one girls are starting to turn away from. These days more and more girls are looking for role models who are not Princesses or Fashion Models. A line of Super Hero role models for them has become something they are demanding. They've proven they are looking for it more and more since the comic book based movies have started. Many have started buying comics more and more. That was a consumer line that Comic Book Industries didn't count on very much until recently.

DC Comics is looking for a way to tap into a money market previously locked down from them. Modern thinking and independence for girls and women globally takes that was thought to be lock away.

Now if they work smartly on the partnering they might just be able to bring that lost market to DC and revive the failing market for Barbie. The truth is both industries needs this sort of change to keep the markets. It's a rule that companies this big must evolve and change to stay relevant.

I hope they learn.

[Anderson'sAllPurpose]

Someone found a photo of a boxed doll: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29866841@N08/22712168115/

For me it's always been a mystery why Mattel hasn't done more with articulation and sooner, but that's just because I assume everybody is as obsessed with articulation as me. I know some collectors prefer click knees for esthetic reasons, and it's possible that Barbie's main target audience of girls aged 3-6 don't care. Or maybe it's their parents that prefer the cheaper, unarticulated dolls? So I don't really know what factors into this decision, but I really hope articulation is here to stay.

[DollyKim]

It's production cost. More part molds=more production cost=less profit. The cheap Barbie kids will just ruin and those who leave her in the box factor in too.

[Arkinlae]

I will definitely be on the look out for these!

[Anderson'sAllPurpose]

Papusilemele just posted links to the dolls on Amazon, which I guess means it's definitely happening!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015EB2BLK

It's production cost. More part molds=more production cost=less profit. The cheap Barbie kids will just ruin and those who leave her in the box factor in too.

You mean collectors who don't debox? That makes sense, but it makes you wonder how Jack Sparrow ended up on the Harley body, for example. Or maybe they just had a surplus.

[DollyKim]

Yup, I mean the people who don't debox. Surplus is a good theory for Jack.

It makes me wonder how in the world Spinmaster made great jointed dolls with their Liv and Jakks Pacific with their Juku but Mattel keeps screwing it up. When the first gymnasts and ballerinas came out I was excited just to get one. The gymnast Stacy and friends are great. My favorite guy was skate date Ken until the 1999 body came out. When there was a huge sale on the 100 Poses I went crazy and rebodied most of my old TnTs because it was the best body I felt they'd ever make. Guys who can get the 1999.

[quidam]

I am pretty excited about this. Hopefully she is well made and people like her. If she's a good enough seller hopefully they will start making more lines with jointing.

My mom called me last night because she saw that Oprah was promoting a Barbie line due to the variation in skin/hair types. Mom was excited because she thought they had jointing, which she knows I look for. Sadly, they were the normal straight leg,, frozen arm variety. It was kind of a bummer, as I did like a couple of them..

So, I will cross my fingers that these new ones will sell well and they will expand them to include more than the initial four.

[Studio 126]

...So, I will cross my fingers that these new ones will sell well and they will expand them to include more than the initial four.

If their neck posts are compatible, they will get new heads even if not officially. I don't think anybody will wait for that.

[quidam]

...So, I will cross my fingers that these new ones will sell well and they will expand them to include more than the initial four.

If their neck posts are compatible, they will get new heads even if not officially. I don't think anybody will wait for that.

I've never been brave enough to try this. I still have visions of my childhood Barbie whose head came off and was crammed back on her neck. Poor thing looked like she had no neck.
But, maybe this will give me a reason to try to do things the correct way!

[Studio 126]

See my tutorial, Saving Barbie's Neck. Newer necks have a different-looking "grapnel," but they work the same way.

(Hint: practice on resale dolls first.)