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Mattel has produced “I Am Kenough” hoodies for the Barbie movie
They’re based on a hoodie Ryan Gosling wears in the film
After retailing for $60, resellers are listing them for upwards of $150
Finally, we have a piece of Barbie merchandise for all the Kens out there. In addition to the dolls, makeup lines, sunglasses, shoes, and pretty much every other mass-produced plastic product out there, we can also shine a spotlight on a Barbie-branded product that skews a bit more masculine. These officially licensed “I Am Kenough” Hoodies from the Barbie movie are proving quite popular. Not only did the first wave of preorders sell out, but many have gone on to resell on eBay before restocking through Mattel’s site.
Yes, there’s another piece of Barbie merch that resells. We’ve talked about Barbie popcorn buckets, Barbie hand mirrors, Barbie handbags, Barbie Barbies; but what about the Kens? It may be a Barbie world, but surely there’s a place in it for the boys.
Sure enough, Mattel has graciously thrown a bone to the Kens of the world, and made a bunch of money doing it. Now you have the chance to buy an “I Am Kenough” tie-dye hoodie, which is the same design that Ryan Gosling wears in the film.
In what has become this month’s latest overused and astroturfed catchphrase, “I Am Kenough” is now a common hashtag on social media. Mattel has produced a few products with the slogan, including a coffee mug and baseball cap, but the hoodies are by far the most popular offering.
For one, they look pretty comfy. They’re made from 100% polyester, but the material has kind of a fuzzy, fleece-like appearance. Second, the design is pretty slick. Tie-dye has been coming back in a big way lately, and everybody needs at least one article of clothing stained red, green, and blue.
But the most obvious reason for their popularity is because the hoodies are actually featured in the movie, on Ryan Gosling’s Ken himself. Who could turn down an opportunity to look like The Goose? Let’s face it, these hoodies are a lot easier to pull off than the scorpion jacket from Drive.
So now these hoodies are real, they’re in the world, and they’re for sale. Mattel sells “I Am Kenough” hoodies through their Mattel Creations website for $60. Sizes range from Small to the frequently sold-out XXXL.
In fact, their popularity has led to them selling out. They were first made available as a preorder in July, shortly after the film’s premiere. For a moment, it seemed like they were nothing special. After the “I Am Kenough” meme caught on, Mattel quickly sold out all of their available preorders.
Now, people who were too slow to catch the first preorder window are in a quandary. While “I Am Kenough” hoodies are available for sale on Mattel’s site, they aren’t expected to ship until October. So it’s either buy one from the retailer and risk missing out on the meme, or find someone willing to sell you theirs.
Many people chose the resellers. Right now, an “I Am Kenough” Barbie hoodie is reselling for around $150. That comes out to about $90 in profit for the intrepid reseller that loaded up on tie-dye hoodies.
While many people were doubtful about whether these would be worth reselling, real fans could see that Ken was the real star of the film, and anything with his name on it would surge in value. Now it’s just a matter of making listings and mopping up sales.
Don’t expect for these to hold their value in the long run. Mattel is producing plenty of these hoodies, and they are available to preorder right now. This opportunity was borne out of a sudden spike in demand, and every reseller’s best friend: FOMO. Once more hoodies start shipping in the next few weeks, the aftermarket will disintegrate.
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