Mattel goes Quirky

...I mean goes to Quirky for help. They probably are looking for the next big thing in toys and I guess it can have nothing to do with the Barbie toy line.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/17/smallbusiness/mattel-toy-inventions/

As for me, I'll pass.

Store Math OR Predicting some toy store will rightfully close down soon

If a toy kiosk owner pays 10,000+pesos per month for the store space that has 200 boxed dolls in their inventory, a monthly cost of 50+pesos per month is added to cost of the doll. The store owner pays 600+pesos a year just for keeping a doll on display.

A Holiday Barbie from 2011 could be had for 1,500+pesos. The small toy store is still trying so hard to sell it for 3,000pesos since 2012. Three years have passed so that means the owner has already spent about 1,800+pesos just by displaying the doll for that long. The total cost so far is 3,300+pesos and is still increasing as long as it doesn't sell.

If some misinformed collector buys it for 3,000pesos, the seller still has a net loss of 300+pesos.

The figures above are just rough estimates. The loss in one toy can be covered by a profit from another toy. That explains the high markup in the prices. But it doesn't explain why they can't cut their losses early on by offering discounts after a year of not being sold like what normal toy stores do.

This old thing

The doll is old and so is the dress. My mom made it.

The Death of Barbie

Barbie's popularity is waning even if her price is increasing. If I were to think of a gimmick to promote Barbie, I would kill her first. Superman, the Lion from Narnia and Jean Grey all did it. I guess that is why Barbie is entering the superhero business, to die.

Imagine 5 years without Barbie. Trap her soul in the Cloud, no tangible toy, just some android game, like "Clash with the Clones" where she fights clone Barbie dolls who have taken over the world because they are more reasonably priced.

Barbie collectors will cherish all their dolls because they probably are going to be their last. The demand may build up. The dolls prices might increase in the secondary market knowing that there is no more supply. The amount people are willing to pay for a doll will increase.

And then she does a grand resurrection! Immaculate. Better than ever in all aspect--high fashion, better articulation, more durable with a god-like status.

OK, fine. Maybe it's no big deal if she remains dead.

Going Through Something

For three straight years, Barbie is still on a losing streak. On the 1st quarter of 2015, sales were up in the US but international sales pulled it down.

I wish they don't have a sole distributor locally. Richwell, the local sole distributor marks up the Barbie dolls way too high. If they only had a competition, the prices will be more reasonable and maybe, the dolls will sell more (unless the new distributor agrees with Richwell's price scheme, then let them suffer the same fate).

I wonder how it is in other international market.