The Barbie movie is a live-action film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. It premiered on July 21, 2023, and has already grossed over a billion dollars in global ticket sales.
Between July 1 and August 9, the number of Barbie-related advertisements on Blocket increased by 112 percent compared to the weeks before, and people are now seizing on the opportunity to sell everything from Barbie houses to vintage Barbies.
– What is bought and sold on Blocket is always a true gauge of what's happening in society at large. When electricity is expensive, firewood sells like hotcakes, and when a Barbie movie is in cinemas, people take the opportunity to sell their old Barbie items, says Ebba Rosencrantz, press officer at Blocket, in a press statement.
Loved, hated, world-famous and debated. Regardless of what the world's opinions are about this long-legged grown-up girl, she is today a sought-after collector's item.
Since the first Barbie doll was sold in American toy stores in 1959, the brand has expanded exponentially. The initial image of Barbie, dressed in a zebra-striped swimsuit with curly bangs and white sunglasses, has evolved into a character with thousands of outfits, cars, dogs, houses, and fans. She is now portrayed as an astronaut, a doctor, and a president, embodying ambition and possibility. The brand builders around Barbie have strived to make her more than just a pretty doll, though it's still the traditional Barbies that command the highest prices.
On February 20, 2018, dozens of Barbie dolls were displayed in Mattel's showroom at Toy Fair in New York. The dolls are now available with four body types, 11 skin tones, 22 hair colors, 24 hairstyles and 23 eye colors.
The most expensive Barbie in history was designed by jeweler Stefano Canturi and is valued at over 3.3 million Swedish kronor. This luxurious Barbie wears a sparkling necklace with a diamond collar, and it's said that she sports a genuine diamond ring on her finger. Her attire consists of a discreet black evening dress, allowing the jewels to shine.
She's an astronaut, doctor, and president. The brand builders around Barbie have tried to make her more than just a pretty doll.
Beloved, reviled, world-famous, and often debated, Barbie remains a highly sought-after collector's item today.
– Barbie dolls, especially vintage ones, can be genuine collector's pieces, and right now there's actually a Barbie from the 60s listed for almost 5,000 kronor. If you have an old Barbie in good condition, you might be sitting on a goldmine, believes Rosencrantz, press officer at Blocket.
Fact box
The Barbie movie is a live-action film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. It premiered on July 21, 2023, and has already grossed over one billion dollars in global ticket sales.
Behind the first Barbie doll was the business executive Ruth Handler, who named the doll after her daughter Barbara. The toy manufacturer Mattel, which her husband had helped found, developed Handler's proposal into the doll that has been sold to over 150 countries since 1959.