Mar 102010
We interrupt this Jon Hamm Birthday Week photo explosion with this announcement–our comments/emails have been flooded, and it deserves its own post. The New York Times announced that Mattel will is offering MM dolls (suggested retail approximately $75)–Don, Betty, Roger and Joan.
The dolls are part of a premium-price collectors’ series for adults that Mattel calls the Barbie Fashion Model Collection.
A-fricking-mazing.
23 Responses to “Don and Betty and Barbie and Ken”
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They FRIGHTEN me.
Swear to God, if I woke up and found Betty sitting on my bureau late one night? Staring at me with her dead little doll eyes? I'd scream my head off.
There's a reason why you throw the Barbie out the window, y'all …
P.S., from Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) via Twitter: "Mattel is also offering a modernist "dress up" closet. You open it and Sal pops out."
These are FANTASTIC!! I'll be all over them! FYI – several people at Mattel subscribe to FDQ magazine which featured my article -"Madmen in Miniature" this past October during the season finale.
Hmm….I wonder if they used any of the photos for styling?
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cute, but too expensive.
I want Joan so badly!
The Roger doll reminds me of someone other than Roger, and I can't place it. Anyone see it? Also, they can't just do 4. It's an ensemble cast, they need to do all the major characters. My rule, is if the name is opening credits, they get a doll.
"The Roger doll reminds me of someone other than Roger"
Anderson Cooper, perhaps?
Steve Martin!
My dolly dreams come true! These are true collectibles and the fact that some of our favorite characters have been immortalized is one more indication that Mad Men is taking the world by storm! Let's hope for even more characters to add to these four! I would love to see Rachel, Bobby Barrett and Peggy, to name only a few!
Before investing in this Joan, suggest you check out Robert Tonner's doll "Monica Merrill" – incredible likeness.
I agree that Monica Merrill is very Joan-like. I just don't like her inset eyes. I recently purchased Tonner's Peggy Harcourt, who has a wonderful "Joan" figure. The Tonner dolls are in 1/4 scale, however, while these silkstones are 1/6 scale.
They do need a Pete 'n Peggy.
Some other Mad Men Dolls you might like …
The Bert Cooper Doll — You wind it up and it tells you to take your shoes off.
The Duck Phillips Doll — wind it up and it gives you a go ’round like you’ve never had.
The Lois Sadler Doll — the John Deere tractor is sold separately.
There are others, but you get the idea …
I’m a little bummed that they’re in the $75 range, but I get why. I collected Barbies for 10 years between ‘97 and ‘07, and these were when Mattell really started the ‘collectibles’ line that averaged between 30 and 40 dollars a doll. (The hope was that you’d keep them for 20 years or so and see their value skyrocket on eBay–but then Mattel in their greed made too many of some models in the hopes of raking it in(ex: Star Trek Barbie and Ken) and eventually began losing $ on some models. Then several years ago they came out with a special newer model of Barbie– the ’silkstone’ collections. These are dolls that have a very silky quality to their plastic, it almost gives an illusion of porcelain, and they do feel very silky to the touch. These dolls, with their retro makeup and hair averaged $75 a pop depending on how intricate their details were or if a major designer created them (Bob Mackie, etc) Plus ’silkstone’ is more expensive to produce.
What disappointing me about these MM Barbies is that although the designers have taken great care to recreate the face scupts of Don and Roger, they have simply recycled the standard silkstone model faces and bodies for Betty and Joan. Now, we can all agree that Christine is truly a doll face (!) but it would have been better to see a truer face sculpt than reusing the model heads they had before. Mattel has also made many celebrity sculpts (this year, Cyndi Lauper and Barbra Streisand), but they’re in the lower (pink box) price range
Here are some examples of the various styles of dolls:
http://www.barbiecollector.com/showcase/product.aspx?id=1004311&t=modern&t2=current&x=current&y=2010&sort=name
http://www.barbiecollector.com/showcase/product.aspx?id=1004345&t=modern&t2=current&x=current&y=2010&sort=sku
http://www.barbiecollector.com/showcase/product.aspx?t=modern&t2=current&id=1004350&x=current&y=2010&sort=name
I imagine Mattel sees a potential (if small) goldmine here to suck the wallets of MM fans! I admit, I already want Joan and Don!
I want a Freddy Rumsen Doll that wets himself!
$75 each? Sorry, no can do.
And the Joan is too skinny (for Joan).
@ # 6 JS-That's who it was. Thanks!
I’m not the type of person who buys these types of things. In fact, I’m the type of person who openly mocks people who buy these types of things.
But I have GOT TO HAVE THEM!
In fact, I want 2 sets. One to keep unopened and one to open and position them around the house.
I think I need professional help.
AMCTV needs to make dolls that regular people can afford. That way, you could buy your favorite, or the entire set, and they’d have to include accessories, and sets, so you could make up your own stories.
So the men get custom faces and the women get generic Barbie heads…
Boy, glad that sexism stuff is over.
"$75 each? Sorry, no can do."
Buy two of each, and sell one of each five years from now for $150 apiece. That way, you get the complete set for free.
I'll want a complete 3 season set of Joan outfits (like Dyna Moe drew for the Joan paperdoll) with every detail!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nobodyssweetheart/40…
Do they come with little martini glasses?
Barbie is just a doll.