Cashing in on the Platinum Jubilee! Greedy eBay sellers are flogging £94 Barbie’s Queen for up to £800 as they take advantage of high demand
- Mattel launched Barbie doll inspired by Queen to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee
- Doll sold out in seconds after going on sale for £94.99 back in April
- The Barbie has become subject of fierce bidding on eBay selling for up to £800
Mattel’s sell-out £94.99 Platinum Jubilee Queen Barbie are being flogged on eBay for as much as £800 – weeks after the toys were launched in stores across the UK.
US toy manufacturer Mattel unveiled the limited edition figure of Her Majesty to celebrate the monarch’s impressive 70-year reign last month, with the toy predicted to become a lucrative piece of royal memorabilia.
After going on sale for £94.99 with John Lewis, the Barbie reportedly sold out in seconds and the sought-after collectible has since become subject of fierce bidding on eBay.
Some sellers are tripling the price of the doll as desperate shoppers clamour to get their hands on the piece – with one listing valuing the Barbie at £800.
Shoppers have gone wild for a Platinum Jubilee Queen Barbie – with the doll selling out in three seconds after hitting shelves
While many are offering one of Mattel’s special platinum jubilee dolls for around £200, other adverts show price tags in excess of £700.
Meanwhile John Lewis reported this week that its stock of the doll sold out in just three seconds.
The Barbie is based off a portrait commissioned to mark her 60th year on the throne in 2012 and depicts Her Majesty in an elegant ivory gown and blue riband adorned with decorations of order.
Her tiara is based on Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara – famously worn by the monarch on her wedding day – while the miniature medallions on her ribbons are inspired by the Royal Family Orders.
US toy manufacturer Mattel unveiled the limited edition figure of Her Majesty to celebrate the monarch’s impressive 70-year reign last month
The pink ribbon was given to The Queen by her father George VI, and the pale blue by her grandfather George V.
The silver brooch pinned underneath the sash represents the Garter Star Brooch, the insignia of the highest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, the Order of the Garter.
The doll is part of Barbie’s Tribute Collection, which launched last year to celebrate visionaries for their incredible contributions, impact and legacy as trailblazers.
The Barbie is presented in a box inspired by the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace and printed with a badge commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne.
Some sellers are tripling the price of the doll as desperate shoppers clamour to get their hands on the piece – with one listing valuing the Barbie at nearly £800
Historian and Professor Kate Williams, author of ‘Our Queen Elizabeth’ said: ‘Queen Elizabeth II’s reign has been one of extraordinary impact, holding a position that few women have.
‘The longest reigning British monarch, and the first to reach a Platinum Jubilee, The Queen has dedicated herself to service and duty and seen the world change immeasurably.
‘In 1952, when she came to the throne, women were not encouraged to work and politicians expressed doubts about a young female monarch – but she showed them wrong, proved herself an adept leader and diplomat.
The Barbie is based off a portrait commissioned to mark her 60th year on the throne in 2012 and depicts Her Majesty in an elegant ivory gown and blue riband adorned with decorations of order
‘As Her Majesty celebrates this milestone jubilee it is wonderful to see an iconic brand like Barbie share important historical female figures impact as leaders, creators and pioneers to new generations’.
Throughout the year, Her Majesty and members of the royal family will travel around the country attending a range of events to mark the milestone, culminating with the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
The four-day weekend will begin on the Thursday 2 June with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic, and a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Saturday.