Matthew Keith bought his first Barbie doll in the 1970s out of his own pocket and hid it from his parents, fearing that it was not a male doll.

But today, the shelves in her Los Angeles home are filled with nearly $20,000 worth of Barbie dolls.

Mind Toys has more than 70,000 middle school teacher accounts on Instagram, including about 15,000 who started following her in the past few weeks.

Barbie doll treasures

The hobby has gained popularity recently due to the publicity campaign surrounding the movie Barbie, which started showing on Friday with high expectations from the audience.

At used stores, vintage Barbie dolls have become treasured finds, prices have skyrocketed on the collectibles market, and antique appraisers have been inundated with calls from new collectors.

Keith, 55, welcomed the excitement. She said in an interview: “I feel happy and looking forward to moving the stagnant water and embracing the idea that Barbie is for everyone, and many boys are still under pressure not to play with dolls.”

Barbie Movie Earnings

Barbie is expected to gross $100 million in US theaters in its first weekend of release.

Retailers around the world are looking to capitalize on the promotion by offering Barbie-inspired offers and products, including hotel rooms and items such as toothbrushes and clothing.

But not all longtime collectors of the iconic doll are as happy as Keith about the newfound interest in collecting Barbie dolls. On an entertainment forum on Reddit, some complained that the price of the toy had skyrocketed due to interest in the new rich before the movie even came out.

One user wrote on the forum: I mostly stopped collecting toys and then invested in clothes and accessories.

He added: What started as an affordable hobby became too expensive to sustain.

The price went up by 25%

Marl Davidson, a Florida-based seller of Barbie dolls, said prices have risen about 25 percent in recent months.

Its website is visited by about 3,000 people a day, three times the usual rate, many of whom are starting their own groups.

He added: “I have never seen such passion before.” This brings many new adults into the world of Barbie collecting.

Toys for acquisition purposes usually cost around a hundred dollars, while normal toys cost between 10 and 30 dollars. The first Barbie model released in 1959 sold for thousands of dollars.

Barbie is in high demand

Laurie Verderami, an art historian and journalist with 25 years of appraisal experience, said demand for Barbie doll appraisals has increased 60 percent in the past month, which is generally higher than other popular dolls.

And, “I watched it to appreciate some very rare and wonderful toys that we wouldn’t have seen if it weren’t for the movie.”

Most of the dolls come from people with little or no experience in the hobby of collecting toys, such as someone who bought a Barbie doll valued at more than $10,000 from a second-hand store.

Another woman found a doll that had been in her mother’s house for years and was found to be worth $8,500,000.

Keith, a toy collector from Los Angeles, said: “Even though I’ve spent a lot of money since 1991, I feel like Barbie has improved my financial situation.