Monday, May 28, 2012

Are People Wising Up?

Mattel Income Slides on Drop in Barbie Sales

Mattel’s profit down 53% on drop in sales for Barbie, Hot Wheels

From now on...  

I will no longer advertise Barbie products for free. 
(Yes, that's what blogs are, free ads.)


I will only talk about Barbie products which satisfy any of the following criteria...
1. OOAK or modified dolls
2. Vintage
3. ONLY available from secondary market (at least the profit doesn't go directly to Mattel)
4. Doll items on sale (with at least 40% discount) from the primary market.
...until Mattel decides to produce good quality and fair-priced dolls.

The rule will be broken only if I'm paid to talk about the dolls currently available in the market.

We have been (consciously or not) telling our fellow hobbyists to buy and buy more dolls but recently, Mattel has been producing dolls not even worthy to mention.

5 comments:

D7ana said...

This isn't a delusion ... it is what we do. At least I do. And neither Mattel nor any of the other producers I push drops a penny my way. I get no subsidy for the free promotion or sales. Nada.

Moreover, if I were to use Barbie's name in my blog title or elsewhere, I could be sued. That I am relatively "small potatoes" is the one thing that keeps me legally "safe." Very sad that, isn't it?

I need to think this over. I do. Thanks for presenting this trigger response in this light.

Niel said...

Blogging in a way is an extension of our play time and play time means going into a make believe place, a temporary delusion, in a way. So blogging about dolls is a delusion, in some sense! :D

There are others who blog because it is their passion but there are others who blogs to promote the sale of dolls. Some mix both so it won't be too obvious.

I'm not against making people buy. I would just like to encourage smart buying! That is why I added a new item to the topics I can blog about -- discounted items.

D7ana said...

Yes, I see your point now. About blogging about dolls being part of a delusion, a playacting as opposed to more concrete, reality-based topics.

I'm going to think more about this idea and expand it on a post about my 4th anniversary. Thanks for stimulating this idea ;-D

Andrea said...

Good points. I stopped buying new dolls for retail price since the invasion of too much pink and glitter on the Barbie shelves. The quality has just hit rock bottom. And just imagine, they even show up almost untouched on yardsales, so the target group is not so impressed with them too, lol.

And with high priced collectors dolls I would at least expect som snaps to the dresses, so I can play with them. Who needs a sewed in doll? I don't.

Actually I do not like these "You have to buy this or that doll"-blogs at all. I'm a big girl and I can decide for myself, if I want something or not.If I do buy a doll, it is because I fall in love with her face and not because it is recommended by some in the know collector that this doll is a must have.

I really wish there would be more independent minded collectors instead of this group pressure.

Keep it up.

Niel said...

I look forward to your ideas, Dana. Thanks!

Thanks Andrea. I think a lot of collectors are feeling that way. That is why the sales dropped in the 1st quarter.

In fairness to Mattel, I think they have devised some ways to getting feedback from buyers and hopefully learn. I think their sales went up a little during the second quarter but I'm not monitoring that seriously.