Mattel’s “Infamous” BTS Dolls Are Back On Sale — And Confusing The Heck Out of K-ARMYs
Back in 2019, Mattel—the American toy company best known for giving the world Barbie—announced the beginnings of BTS dolls.
And while the group’s fandom loved the amount of love and attention that BTS members received from around the world, ARMYs ended up feeling… well, “not the most satisfied“ about the Mattel collection.
Over the years, it became a running joke among Korean ARMYs that “the only way to get rid of the Mattel BTS collection is to buy them out.” And, in a sense, the fandom’s playful take—to drive the dolls out of stock—seemed to work.
다 사서 없애버리자ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/c8fsYPggiM
— 쏘햅삐 풀러브 딜리셔스냐미 슈퍼지니어스 러블리 큐트 김파사 (@my_lover_v_) April 16, 2019
Let’s get rid of them by buying them out. LMAO.
— @my_lover_v_/Twitter
Except… Fast forward four whole years since the release, the dolls resurfaced out of nowhere in Korea: And K-ARMYs have the funniest reactions to this unending saga.
Seeing that NAVER‘s official Mattel storefront has the seven-pack listed for the discounted price of ₩17,900 KRW (about $13.50 USD)…
[MATTEL] Official BTS Fashion Doll Pack of 7
Original Price ₩19,900 KRW (about $15.00 USD)
Discounted Price ₩17,900 KRW (about $13.50 USD)Get Coupon
— MATTEL Storefront
…K-ARMYs are “feeling a lot of feelings,” it seems. In response to the unexpected May 2023 sale, some believe the stock is enchanted, and so it simply cannot run dry…
- “Wow… This makes me uncomfortable indeed.”
- “WHO PAID FULL PRICE FOR THIS? Hi, it’s me. LMAO.”
- “I actually want to buy these but I’ve never been able to find any. Which DAISO carries the actual dolls?”
- “I think MATTEL thinks the demand is still high because of the fans who keep selling them out to get rid of them.”
- “These ever so slightly resemble the actual members which pisses me off even more… LOL.”
- “HAHA! I’ve seen this before. I heard that BTS fans are trying to get rid of these by buying them out.”
- “I see some similarities. I wonder if repainting them would do the trick.”
- “These are terrifying… I’m so scared.”
- “There are some really talented people on the internet who repaints these dolls. I think these will serve as a great foundation for re-creating BTS your way.”
- “Oh, hmm. I can actually recognize J-Hope, RM, and Jimin. Haha.”
…while others believe the “sell’em out” tactic is backfiring and Mattel is producing more to “meet the (nonexistent) demand.”
- “How come there are seven Jimins…?”
- “Gosh dang it, LMAO.”
- “I bought these. And I’m kind of satisfied with them. HAHA. It does make me sad that the dolls are now on sale.”
- “STOP COMING BACK LMFAO.”
- “Is that… 90% OFF? Lolol.”
- “AYE… I have these, too. HAHA.”
- “I wonder if some fans have repainted versions of these. I’d love to see them.”
- “WHAT THE F*CK HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”
- “Can these STOP getting restocked? T_T”
- “Cut it out, man… I can’t believe there’s still stock left. LMFAO. Sigh…”
Whichever is the case, K-ARMYs are having a blast making fun of themselves, the dolls, and themselves for spending ₩17,900 KRW (about $13.50 USD) on the dolls… AGAIN.
- “For f*ck’s sake… I couldn’t help it. I’ve placed the order. T-T”
- “I guess the fans have not been able to buy out every single one, huh? How do these keep coming back from the abyss?”
- “It’s a vicious cycle. You buy them out. They see it as sales. They make more.”
- “I saw these on sale for ₩5,000 KRW (about $3.78 USD) at DAISO… which fans have bought out. Seeing how they’re on sale for ₩17,900 KRW (about $13.50 USD), it’s almost over.”
- “It’s hilarious how ARMYs have been desperate to sell these out but they keep coming back. LMAO.”
- “I think it’s time that ARMYs question if the buying out tactic is working. LOLOL. It feels like they’re making more every once a while.”
- “This is f*cking hilarious. LOOOL.”
- “What a steal, though? That’s a good price for all seven.”
- “I wonder if I, too, have to buy a pack for these to finally go out of stock.”
- “HAHAHAHAHA. I’m not a BTS fan at all. But this is all too funny that I just might buy a pack for sh*ts and giggles. LOL.”
What did BTS’s Jin think about his plastic counterpart? Read more here.
