This will be the 15th "Best of" countdown for me. I started them in 2011. With my collecting interests migrating more and more away from Integrity Toys and fewer IT products being sold at retail, it's becoming quite difficult to do these countdowns. If I wasn't a member of the W Club, there wouldn't be a countdown at all because I never add enough dolls from other brands to fill all the spaces.
I have sworn off purchasing dolls on secondary market from scalpers. I refuse to give someone else my hard-earned money for a doll I missed. If I can't get the doll for original price or close to it, I don't need the doll in my collection. This is a very difficult rule to follow, but I have definitely made peace with it.
Which leads me to one doll that is an obvious omission in my countdown. All Poppy Parker versions this year were sold through W Club as either right-to-buy offers or lottery opportunities. The only exclusion to this was the live Anniversary party, but collectors had to enter a lottery for the chance to attend the Anniversary celebration. I didn't win any of the Poppy lotteries, and I only have one W Club Poppy Parker, Pink in Perfection, that made its way into my collection. It pains me that one of the most prolific characters in my countdown (having won the Number 1 spot twice in the last 10 years) will not be mentioned in my 2025 countdown. There may have been some lovely versions, but I only include dolls that I have actually added to my collection.
There is one honorable mention this year. After 10 years of selling the Made-To-Move dolls, Mattel has FINALLY realized there is a very serious adult collector market for these bodies. I can't believe it took so long!!!
In 2025, Mattel introduced the "You Create" Basics line, using made-to-move bodies in different skin tones and shapes. The bodies were created with a head-switch peg so collectors could change heads as they wished. There were three skintones in this first series, each with three different head molds and three different body shapes. There were three mix n match black ensembles with shoes. In addition, they made the dolls bald, so they could trade the wigs that were included. Talk about A LOT of playtime! Unfortunately, the cost of these collections was $99 each. If a collector waited until the holidays (starting in November), many of these sets were available for as much as 50% off. Here is the photo used when Time Magazine awarded them a Best of 2025 honor.
Here is a photo I took of the tan skintone box that I purchased from the sale:
In addition to these three giftsets, the 2025 Barbie Basics Series 1 were five other dolls that came with the same head switch systems.
This is a promising advancement in the Mattel Made To Move line and I hope it continues. Honorable Mention definitely goes to the You Create Barbie Basics line.
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