Platinum jubilee Queen Barbie sells out in three seconds

theguardian.com:

The Queen and Barbie are both icons, so the combination was sure to be hot property – now a special platinum jubilee doll has sold out and become the subject of fierce bidding on eBay.

John Lewis said its stock of the £95 doll sold out in three seconds, and most eBay sellers are now hoping to sell the sought-after collectible for at least double that.

The toy is the latest product of a lucrative royal memorabilia industry that spans everything from fine china to teddy bears, tea towels to fridge magnets, and cranks into action around big royal events like jubilees and weddings.

In recent years, Barbie, who has also had a long reign and is now in her early 60s, has sought to prove she is more than a fashion plate, with a side hustle in inspiring women such as Florence Nightingale, Helen Keller and Maya Angelou.

The doll’s face has been sculpted to look like the Queen’s, and Barbie’s famous blond hair has been replaced with a severe grey coiffure topped with a tiara based on the one she wore on her wedding day.

The outfit is also a nod to the look favoured by the Queen in royal portraits – an ivory gown with a blue riband pinned with miniature medallions inspired by the royal family orders. The effect is completed by a “premium” box that depicts the doll set against a background of a throne and red carpet inspired by the throne room at Buckingham Palace.

Mattel, which manufactures Barbie dolls, confirmed that the limited-edition doll had sold out in the UK, but hinted that more could be released before next month’s celebrations.