Barbie fights for her life

Published 2:28 pm Thursday, July 18, 2013

By Staff Reports

In this Thursday, June 27, 2013, photo,Tegan, 9, poses with Monster High Dolls as part of a Christmas toy preview at the toy store Hamleys in London. Mattel’s Monster High Dolls, with neon hair and punk clothing, have grown to an estimated $500 million in annual sales since debuting in 2010. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — As far as catfights go, this is a doozy.

Barbie, long the reigning queen in the doll world, has suddenly been thrust into the battle of her life.

But Barbie’s competitors look nothing like the blue-eyed, blonde-haired, long-legged fashion icon. And they don’t come with the same old standards of beauty either.

Monster High dolls are vampy teens that are patterned off the offspring of monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein. They wear mini-skirts with skulls on them and go by names like Draculaura.



Although it’s still the No. 1 doll, sales of Barbie have slipped for four straight quarters, even while the overall doll category is up 6 percent, according to the NPD Group. Meanwhile, the No. 2 doll brand in just three years.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

 

 

 

You Might Like