Notes on buying 2025 Barbie Basics

1. The selling point for me are the head molds, not the fashion, not the body. I prefer the pivotal, the old articulated Fashionista body or the recent iteration called the Gigi body.

2. I didn't want to have to buy from Amazon since Bezos has ties with Israeli military. I also sympathize with the Teamsters. If I opt to buy from someone locally, I'm sure they will source it from Amazon. Mattel doesn't ship to my country. This is my first time ordering a newly released doll from Amazon and I just learned how high the mark ups are. To be clear, I have no problem with their marked up prices. It's how they earn to be able to continue to provide reselling services. I'm just glad I have the privilege of not needing their services, for now.

3. Related to the Barbie Basics are the You Create Kits currently on pre-order at Mattel Creations. They not shipping to my country means that they don't think of me as the potential buyer, so why should I bother buying? If they will be sold locally via the authorized dealer, I might consider.

4. Barbie Basics model number 3 is a good-enough match to the second to the darkest Mizi clone body. She is rebodied in one below. She's wearing a Xianxian Fashion and so is model number 1, above.

5. I prefer the eye design on the original Barbie Basics. I have repainted a couple of the Looks dolls and I might repaint model 3 as well. I have a different eyes-thetic, that's all. 

6. I hope the next series of the Barbie Basics will all include bald heads and wigs. They can make them wear hair towels and bath robes if the wigs will drastically increase the price. They can sell the wigs as fashion packs.

 

How far will your US$35 go?

I got everything from the above photo for a total of less than US$35 -- one doll and 2 fashion sets. Mattel is selling the 45th Anniversary Black Barbie for the same price. That's one doll with less articulation and a fashion set. 

With high inflation rates all over the world, I wonder how Mattel will survive with Chinese brands as competition. Not by short-changing their customers, I hope. Wait until you learn how much the executives and  the CEO from Mattel get.

_________

Please note that while I patronize the Chinese brand, because it's a more economical option, I am against the Chinese government in invading our territories.

I'm not really a fan of the Xianxian doll heads. All, but one, of my Xianxian dolls have been body donors. Even if I am liking them so far, I have enough of the current skin tones. If there will be new skin tones available, a tan or a darker one, I'd buy those in an instant. I'm not gonna rebody all of my dolls. I still like some body diversity. 

 

The Budget Sabrina Dress

I've been wanting a dress similar to the black and white gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Sabrina".  I made this around 2011, while this was done around 2015. There were dolls released wearing the dress I wanted but the prices and the ease of purchasing prohibited me. Ten years later, I saw these dresses being sold in an online Chinese shop.

I bought two of the white and gently reaped the seams apart and made the dress below.  I got each dress for a little over a US dollar! It's been a while since I made a dress. Life of a working class got in the way and aging doesn't help either. To be able to create this dress was really satisfying for me and I missed that satisfaction.

I have to add... I love this clone doll (I call Aubrey), more than the 1998 Audrey Hepburn doll. She was the stand in for Audrey before I got the Mattel doll, but after having the 1998 head, I realized that the aesthetic of that head doesn't appeal to me.  I love the Silkstone version but then as a working class doll collector on a budget, I'll rather think of creative ways to get the look but not pay the price.

No shade to those who prefer to pay, of course.

Replacement Body

I guess, we can call it an upgrade if we now have two options for the feet. The body upgrade was brought from an online Chinese shop through Shopee (a shopping app). It is described as "Replacement 12 Jointed DIY Movable Doll Body for Fashion Royalty FR 11.5" Dollhouse DIY Body 1/6 Dolls" on the app. There are just two color options and the one above is the "nude" one. I also bought the "pink" option but it doesn't match with any of my current dolls. It has wider bust and waist measurements than the Xianxian Princess doll body but is about the same height.