Come On, Barbie, Let’s Go Party!

of the Universe action figure line marketed to boys who were growing tired of “Star Wars” in the mid-1980s.

By Shawn Surmick

Someone wise once said, “What is old is new again.” This quote serves the antiques and collectibles trade quite well and was enlivened again on July 21, 2023, when the highly anticipated movie adaption of Barbie was released in theaters. The movie featured an all-star cast and massive budget, with the lead role of Barbie being played by Margot Robbie. The movie scored a box office hit and is still going strong. Its success is in stark contrast, however, to public perception of the toy line on which the movie is based over the past few years. Barbie was launched in 1959 and quickly became one of the hottest selling dolls ever created. Mattel, the company who owns the iconic toy line, would become a successful toy conglomerate on the success of this one product alone. Mattel would then find success with Hot Wheels cars and score a huge win in the 1980s with their Masters

It should be noted that Mattel was not immune to making mistakes. The Mattel Intellivision video game system that was released to compete against the Atari 2600 VCS video game system was initially a success, but the company kept pouring money into it and attempted to turn it into a full-fledged computer called the Aquarius, which failed miserably. Still, by the 1990s and the turn of the new century, Mattel was comfortably positioned as one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Unfortunately, this would be about the same time that the entire toy market would start to change.

The new millennium would bring about massive advancements in electronic entertainment, and it was around this same time that most major traditional toy companies started to struggle. Children no longer just wanted action figures and traditional toys. They wanted Nintendo and Playstation, which were expensive. Action figures could be had by most parents on a budget, but video games and systems typically cost hundreds of dollars, and parents had to choose wisely as to what to put under the Christmas tree. Even Lego was racking up record losses around this time and would only be saved by signing a lucrative licensing deal to create sets based on the popular “Star Wars” franchise. Lego “Star Wars” would turn the struggling plastic block maker around and create a blueprint to create licensed sets going forward. The plan worked, and Lego is right now the number one toy company in the world, beating out both Mattel and Hasbro.

In 2001, the Barbie toy line would be challenged for dominance by a new up and coming rival called Bratz that was created by a former Mattel employee and released by MGA Entertainment. The Bratz dolls were edgy and full of attitude, something that Barbie was not, and parents groups noticed. Mattel quickly took costly legal action against their creator, which led to the Bratz brand being relaunched several different times over the following few years. It was clear to see that Barbie was no longer the cool doll that everyone had to have.

In the collecting world, Barbie has had its ups and downs. The first Barbie doll ever released commands a hefty price to this day. Thanks to the success of the movie, prices for this doll are expected to rise. That said, Mattel succumbed to mass-produced scarcity tactics in the 1980s and ’90s by producing limited-edition holiday Barbies and the like. Today, most of these products have very little collectability on the secondary market, with few exceptions. There are some sought-after Barbie dolls from the 1980s, and these particular pieces are seeing renewed interest on the secondary market due to the success of the Barbie movie. This all begs the question as to how long can this last? Just ask any comic book collector how the massive success of the Marvel comic book movies affects prices for back issue key vintage comic books, and your answer lies there. But how many more Barbie movies can Mattel possibly make before audiences tire of the trend? Marvel comic book movies have suffered a serious slowdown these past several years as audiences tire of all the new overdone movies and plot tropes, and, let’s be honest, the Barbie universe is nowhere near as diverse and complex as the Marvel Universe. Still, it is nice to see a lot of these iconic franchises come to life on the silver screen, and make no mistake, Mattel already has plans to inject new life into its aging Hot Wheels franchise and even its dying Masters of the Universe with new live action movies of their own. That is assuming fans can forget the horrible live action Masters of the Universe film that was released in the 1980s. Who knows? Maybe the future holds that Barbie and He-Man

August Camping Sales Display At Haddon Heights

The special sales display at the Haddon Heights Antiques Center will move from the beach to the woods with an August theme of “At the Camp.”

Camping can take many forms, from family camping to scout troop camping to hunting and fishing camping. And the vintage collectibles associated with camping can take many forms, too.

In the sales display, shoppers will find vintage insulated coolers and jugs, wicker picnic baskets and canteens. There will be Boy and Girl Scout memorabilia related to camping and ephemera such as books, booklets, postcards, and photos. Vintage fishing reels and lures will be of interest to collectors, as well.

Anyone with memories of the fun and relaxing days spent at camp will enjoy this nostalgic display, and anyone

Continued on page 7 were destined to be together in box office glory?

In conclusion, it would be wise for Barbie collectors to consider selling into this market if they can turn a profit on some of these collectibles. It is also advised that collectors resist wanting to buy these items while demand for them is at all-time highs. Once the movie leaves the box office and the next big thing is in the forefront of collectors’ hearts and minds, most of these increased prices will return to normal. Until that time, I always remember my favorite quote about investing in antiques and collectibles: “The trend is your friend, until the end, when it bends.”

Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.

19711 Newark 302-454-8007

AUNT MARGARET’S ANTIQUE MALL, 294 E. Main St. Mon- Sat. 10-5, Sun 12-5. 2 floors. Antiques, collectibles, vintage, primitives, much more! www.auntmargaretsantiquemall.com

19711 Newark 302-733-7677

MAIN STREET ANTIQUES, 23 Possum Park Mall. Summer Hrs.: Mon.-Sat. 128, Sun. 12 - 5. Over 45 Showcase/ Room Dealers selling quality antiques & collectibles. mainstreetantiques.com

20758 Friendship410-286-5932

FRIENDSHIP ANTIQUES 3 W. Friendship Rd. In an 1806 Parsonage offering a wide range of Antiques, Art, Jewelry, Glassware, Collectibles, Fossils and Minerals. Thurs.-Sun. 11-5.

21901 North East410-287-8318 5 & 10 ANTIQUE MARKET, 115 S. Main St. Daily 10am-6pm. Cecil County’s largest! Approx. 65 dealers, variety & nostalgia. Buying/ selling antiques & collectibles. Local honey available.

07052 West Orange973-323-1711

VALLEY VINTAGE, 168 South Valley Rd. Open Mon-Sat. 11-6, Sun. 12-5. 2100 sq.ft., 25+ dealers. Antiques,

08005 Barnegat609-698-3020 BAY AVENUE ANTIQUES, 349 S. Main. Open Thurs.- Sun., 1-5 PM or by appt. Book Seller, Pottery, Glass, Furniture, Holiday, Decoys, Antiques & UniquesPLUS Chalkpaint & Iron Orchid Design.

08525 Hopewell609-466-9833 TOMATO FACTORY ANTIQUE & DESIGN CENTER, 2 Somerset St. We Have It All! Open Mon. thru Sat. 10-5, Sun. 11-5. We have 38 Dealers. www.tomatofactoryantiques.com

16686 Tyrone 814-684-5088 I-99 ANTIQUES, conveniently located off the Tyrone Exit of Interstate 99, 1222 Pennsylvania Ave. Quality antiques & collectibles. 40 Dlrs. Open Th., Fri., & Sat., 10:30am - 4:30pm, Dlrs. welcome.

16801 State College 814-238-2980 APPLE HILL ANTIQUES, 2221 East College Ave. Distinctive antiques in a gallery setting. Over 60 dealers. Open daily 10 to 6. Wide variety.

17062 Millerstown717-589-7810 STITCH IN TIME ANTIQUE & GIFT MALL, 43 N. Market St. Antiques, Collectibles, Furniture, Quality Handmade Crafts & Gifts. Open 7 days 10-5, Fri. til 8. Millerstown exit off RT 322.

17350 NewOxford717-624-3800

08081 Sicklerville 856-545-3187 CARNIVAL OF COLLECTABLES, 368 Cross Keys Rd. Open Wed.- Sat. 10am6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm. 12,000 sq.ft Antique & Arts Mall, over 100 dlrs. www.carnivalofcollectables.com

08096 Woodbury 856-205-3075 EVERGREEN ANTIQUES & MORE, 429 S. Evergreen Ave. Multi-dealer, 60+ dealers. 20,000 sq. ft., 1 floor ADA Compliant. Qty. antiques & collectibles. Huge, free parking. Mon.-Sat. 11 am-6 pm; Sun. 11am-5pm have miniatures & dollhouses!

ZELMA’S EMPORIUM (Formerly Golden Lane) 11 N. Water Street. Antiques, Americana, Art, Asian, Primitives, etc. Closed Mon., Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-5 or by appt. ZelmasAntiques.com

18944 Perkasie215-257-3564

TREASURE TROVE, 6 S. 7th Street. Estate jewelry, furniture, linens, vintage clothing, glass, china, books, toys, kitchenware, advertising, postcards. Primitives to Deco. Dealers Welcome. Mon.-Sat. 10-5. In business 42 years.