Joanna Gaines Barbie Dolls are Already Reselling

Joanna Gaines worked directly with Mattel to design both the doll and townhouse. The doll features her likeness down to hair and facial features, dressed in a graphic tee reading “1978” (her birth year), flare jeans, and retro roller skates. Accessories include her signature flannel and sunglasses.

The townhouse playset has five play areas across three stories: living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, elevator, and sundeck. All the furniture and decor pieces reflect Gaines’ Magnolia aesthetic.

Barbie hasn’t had many profitable releases lately. Most standard Barbies sit on shelves, and even special editions don’t always move well on the secondary market. The last few years saw some wins – the 2024 Dia de Muertos Barbies moved slowly compared to earlier years in that series, and many recent releases just didn’t generate collector interest.

But when Barbie does hit, it hits hard. The Aaliyah Barbie from earlier this year sold out fast and flipped for three times retail. The American Girl x Barbie collaboration doll resold for double its $300 price tag. Disney’s limited edition Giselle doll just flipped for $200 to $250 last month after selling out in minutes.

The pattern with profitable Barbies: limited quantities, celebrity or character tie-ins, and a built-in collector base. The Joanna Gaines doll checks those boxes. Fixer Upper fans overlap with Barbie collectors, Target exclusivity creates scarcity, and the $35 price point is low enough that collectors will buy multiples.

The townhouse playset is listed on the secondary market for around $250, but we’re not seeing confirmed sales yet. Sellers are testing the waters with high asking prices, but actual transaction data won’t be clear until these start shipping.

These are still preorders. The December 7 release date means resellers won’t have dolls in hand for months, and a lot can change. If Mattel produces too many, the secondary market could crater by the time these ship. The townhouse at $150 retail is a tougher flip since the barrier to entry is higher and we’re not seeing confirmed sales yet.

Barbie releases have been inconsistent for resellers over the past year. For every winner like Aaliyah, there are half a dozen releases that barely move. The brand doesn’t carry the same weight it did during the movie hype in 2023.

For now, we’ll be keeping our eyes out for other popular releases from them. Speaking of underperforming brands, check out our coverage of Stanley’s recent Dia de Muertos collection. Many resellers have written Stanley off, but they’ve proved they still have some gas in the tank.