Before Rainbow High, before LOL Surprise took over the toy aisle, Monster High reigned supreme. These creepy-cool ghouls with killer style enthralled a generation of kids and tweens in the early 2010s.
At the peak of Monster Mania, the franchise was netting Mattel over $1 billion annually. But efter 2016, the phenomenon seemingly died off. Or did it?
Because now, Monster High is back from the dead with a vengeance! Their comeback has vintage Monster High prices clawing skywards too.
We‘re diving fang-first into the whole phenomenon – from the doll that started it all to the 2022 reboot. Grab your coffin-shaped iPhone because this ghoul school teaches some major flipping profit lessons!
The Rise and Fall of Monster High Power
Picture it – the creeptastic halls of Monster High where vampire queen Draculaura, werewolf sweetheart Clawdeen Wolf, sea creature Lagoona Blue and friends navigate high school like regular teens.
That was the brilliant premise of Monster High when it launched in 2010. Mattel wanted to merge the dress-up appeal of fashion dolls with the personality and narratives of properties like My Little Pony.
The edgy but playful "monsters with problems" concept immediately clicked.
2010 saw six Monster High doll releases that would kickstart unprecedented demand.
Original characters like Frankie Stein (the daughter of Frankenstein’s monster!), Draculaura and Clawdeen drew in young fans.
Over 100 freaky-fab ghouls would follow as the roster expanded annually. Even spooktacular celebrities like Elissabat (Elizabeth Bathory) and Ghost of Kiyomi joined the doll ranks.
Accessories, playsets, webisodes and tie-in media kept the property red-hot. Monster High was the It-brand of tween culture.
Key Stats:
- 175 million Monster High dolls sold by 2016
- 75+ awards won including 4 TOTY noms
- 13 Ghoulfriends doll lines released
- $1.37 billion Monster High doll sales in 2013
- 2nd highest selling fashion doll property globally
But Mattel’s strategy of oversaturation came back to haunt them. By 2015, most longtime fans had drifted away. Attempts at reinventing Monster High flopped.
In 2016, the final nail went into Monster High’s coffin when Mattel abruptly canceled all product lines, essentially killing the brand after just 6 years. Or so it seemed…
Monster High Rises from the Grave Just in Time!
Because oh, how the undead can bide their time…
In 2022 Mattel is resurrecting Monster High with a spooktacular reboot and product relaunch. And it’s sending vintage Monster High prices skyrocketing!
Their strategy seems smarter this time – appealing to dual audiences of nostalgic Millennials AND a new generation of Monster High “ghoulfriends”.
Early enthusiasm is high among collectors already. Now with a fresh faction of young fans, Monster High could dominate yet again!
Why Now?
- 90s kid millennials have buying power
- Doll collecting is mega trendy
- IP revivals are everywhere in entertainment
Mattel also teased thrilling updates to the OG character designs and webisode plans.
“Skulltimate Secrets” webisodes and a new animated series will expand character backgrounds and worldbuilding.
The dolls themselves are getting a modern, stylish makeover too – especially poor Frankie coming off some particularly rough-looking releases pre-2016!
Many key characters are back including Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Lagoona Blue and Cleo de Nile. New faces will finally diversify the MH world with added body types, ethnicities and identities too.
It‘s a promising revival on multiple fronts. And if doll sale velocity mimics the 2010 debut? Let’s just say ghoulfriends, investment potential looks good…
Monster High as an Investment? Grave Mistake or Buried Treasure?
Resellers and doll flippers everywhere raced to snatch up vintage Monster High inventory once word of a reboot got out. It was clear this comeback could drive prices sky-high.
But should you rush to splurge on Monster High dolls as an investment vehicle? How do the actual sales measure up? We break it down…
Decomposition: Breaking Down Monster High Dolls
Before analyzing sales, it helps to understand all the kinds of Monster High dolls and accessories out there. Main categories include:
Basic Dolls
The bread-and-butter of Monster High. Basic editions feature one character sporting an original outfit + accessories. Most dolls measure ~10 inches tall. Basic MH dolls released annually from 2010-2016.
Create-a-Monster (CAM)
Modular dolls with swappable limbs and parts so kids could design their own characters. Released in 2010-2012 only. Now rare.
Playsets and Multi-dolls
Doll packs, classroom sets, vehicles etc featuring multiple characters. Pricier.
Special Edition "Looks" Dolls
Alternate fashion editions of characters, like “Roadster Rochelle” or “Scarily Ever After Frankie”. Very collectible.
SDCC Exclusives
Ultra-rare Comic Con special edition dolls. Highly prized by investors.
Accessories
Doll fashions, shoes, jewelry and other extras. Often unique sculpts.
As you can see, with hundreds of editions spanning characters, themes and price points – profit potential varies wildly even on basic dolls.
Unique special editions like “Dawn of the Dance” Draculaura can easily fetch over $1000 mint-in-box…
While a nude, accessory-less Clawdeen Wolf? You may struggle selling her skull-ett accessories alone.
Trends and Tracking: How Much are Monster High Dolls Going For?
So what’s the actual ROI reality on Monster High doll flipping? While the reboot generated buzz, did it translate into sales spikes?
We charted current eBay sold data on a sample of early Wave 1 Monster High dolls to find out:
table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}
td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}
tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}
| Character | Average Sold May 2021 | Average Sold June 2022 | Value Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankie Stein Basic Doll | $29.99 | $64.95 | +116% |
| Draculaura Basic Doll | $44.95 | $91.55 | +103% |
| Clawdeen Wolf Doll | $39.50 | $115.00 | +191% |
| Lagoona Blue Doll | $34.95 | $74.35 | +112% |
As you can see, reboot media coverage directly impacted sales – with most early dolls more than doubling value in just a few weeks!
The hype effect was short-lived on some. But key ghouls are still seeing their sell-through rates and prices lifted.
April 2022 vs June 2022 eBay data showed iconic face characters enjoyed the biggest bumps:
- Frankie Stein: +22%
- Draculaura: +31%
- Clawdeen Wolf: +15%
This lines up with expert predictions that classic, recognizable looks would pull focus.
“Reboots have to walk a fine line between fresh designs but also retaining familiar elements that made nostalgic fans fall in love originally,” explains pro doll dealer Kat S.
So is NOW actually the perfect window for investing in Monster High dolls, hoping to cash in on reboot buzz? Maybe…
“Disruption years where a nostalgic brand comes back or gets a modern update can definitely see a price surge,” says Kat.
But she cautions prices could quickly fall if overly speculative – especially on overprinted characters.
How to Pick Winning Investments from the Monster High Mausoleum
With hundreds of funky freaky editions out there, what’s the best way to profit from Monster High as a reseller?
A key is targeting dolls tapping into multiple demand drivers – be it rare variants, attractive sculpts or popular characters.
Here’s what doll experts predict could be strong bets:
- Comic Con & Special Event Exclusives: Short supply and fancy styling
- Character First Editions/Variants: Key for completist collectors
- Create-a-Monster Parts: Nostalgia + customization potential
- “Dawn of The Dance” Series: Fan fave release, pristine styling
- Playsets and Vehicles: Great display value, cost more
- Original 6 Main Characters: Safest option riding the hype wave
Meanwhile, overabundant, repeatedly repainted ghouls like poor Venus McFlytrap seem destined for low interest and prices unfortunately.
As with most collectibles, quality, appeal and scarcity reign supreme. But in the fickle fashion doll world, even the most “valuable” doll risks falling out of vogue suddenly.
Expert Predictions: What’s the Forecast for Monster High Investing?
We talked to veteran doll sellers navigating the arriving Monster wave firsthand for their predictions.
Janine R, who brokers high-end doll deals, sums it up:
“If the new show and media content resonates with Kids 2.0 while pleasing adult fans? Monster High could scale even bigger fandom and sales heights than before through cross-generational appeal.”
Fellow expert Maddie C sees even more possibilities:
“A successful revival that captures market buzz in this age of social/streaming media hype cycles – where trends explode and go viral – could catapult Monster into levels of demand not even seen in the early 2010s!”
But she cautions market saturation could also deflate values if Mattel overprints on hype demand. Rarity always wins long-term.
No doubt though – the scene is set for Monster High to potentially dominate both toy aisles AND collector markets if played right…
Are You Ready to Play with Killer Profits? Our $1800 Monster High Experiment
The opportunistic ghouls at YouTube’s Shed Flips channeled the monster momentum perfectly for mega profits.
When they discovered a seller offloading 200+ Monster High dolls on the cheap just ahead of the reboot premiere, they pounced.
$1800 later these Midwestern resellers were nervously wondering: “Did we make a grave mistake bidding so much on dead doll brands or will our big bet bury the doubts?”
Here‘s how their experiment played out:
By the Numbers:
- Money Spent: $1800 for 200+ Monster High dolls
- Dolls Acquired: Assortment of characters, playsets, accessories
- Average Cost Per Doll: Just $9
- Prep & Listing Time: 24 hours
- Sales Platforms: eBay, Facebook Marketplace
- Goal: Flip fast turnaround during peak hype
Combining convenience listings on eBay for wider reach with Facebook’s targeted local sales to save fees, it was a smart omni-channel approach.
They adopted a high-velocity selling strategy fueled by excitement around Monster relaunch hoopla. And it delivered killer results!
Shed Flips‘ $1800 Monster High experiment scored a blood-curdling $5,185 in gross sales – nearly tripling their money before fees and shipping overhead!
Breaking Down Profits
Factoring in COGs, we estimate their net profit at ~$2500. Impressively, their $100/hour time investment yielded an ~140% average ROI.
“We totally killed it with the Monster High doll experiment – and we’d do it again in a heart-beat for those kinds of returns!” gushed seller Courtney K.
Fellow flipper Jon D admits he was originally skeptical about betting big budgets on perceived “dead” brands.
But the proof is in the pudding – or piles of profit in this case! Even extinct franchises can offer major rediscovery revenue if you ride the right hype wave early."
Their triumph validates that combination of nostalgia and reinvested interest in a revived brand can yield monstrous returns.
And this may just be the start of a new era of retail resurrections primed for profit…
Beyond Monster High: Future Toy Crazes Ready for The Vamp-Up!
Mattel’s Monster High gamble represents a new paradigm – rebooting nostalgic toy brands to attract dual audiences of sentimental adults AND impressionable youth.
And it’s just one of many IP revamps on the horizon that could lift secondary markets.
“I think the successes of franchises like Star Wars or He-Man coming back strong decades later gave the toy industry the blueprint for how to tap these rich creative reservoirs,” muses industry analyst Carson W.
Hot on Mattel‘s heels,Spin Master is unleashing a comeback for the raunchy-turned-cutesy ‘90s plush Bmba* Squirrels.
MGA plans on reviving Bratz dolls to recapture their edgy Y2K glory. A relaunch could make the hip hop divas highly coveted once more beyond diehard collectors.
And capsule toy legend Polly Pocket’s 2022 makeover aims at transitioning the once-miniature brand into a playable doll format gaining modern appeal.
Mattel itself still has untapped nostalgic goldmines awaiting their second glory days too.
If Barbie or Hot Wheels received the masterful reimagination that Monster High enjoyed, just imagine the collector frenzy igniting…
Who knows what other forgotten toy empires lie waiting to rise again and reward savvy resellers!