How Collectors Are Reimagining the Anna May Wong Barbie Doll
I squealed like any other fangirl when I heard the news that Mattel was releasing a Barbie doll inspired by Anna May Wong. It was another welcome sign, along with the quarter release and biopic, that Anna May is being restored to her rightful place in Hollywood history and popular culture at large.
As a little girl, I loved Barbies. I loved dressing them, brushing their hair, and sending them out on imagined adventures. Maybe I loved them a little too much. I once declared to a childhood playmate with a flick of my ponytail: “I’m a Barbie and you’re not.” I don’t know where I got off making that assertion! I’m not even blonde.
Of course, I placed my order for the Anna May Wong Barbie as soon as I heard the announcement. (Plus, as AMW’s biographer, I knew I could claim it as a legit expense.) And good thing I did because the dolls sold out at Target, Walmart, and on the Mattel website within a week. The only place to get an AMW Barbie now is through resellers on eBay and Amazon, where the going rate ranges from $40 up to $100; the original MSRP was $35. I’ve heard rumors that Mattel might produce a second run of the dolls in the future, but there’s no telling when that will happen.
