Why Barbie’s Bestie Midge Was Once Pulled From Shelves

The couple quite literally doesn’t have the same worth as their more popular best friends. Verderame said a clothed Midge doll in good condition from the ’60s would usually be worth $500 to $600 today, while an Allan would be worth between $300 and $500. But a vintage Barbie doll could be worth several thousand.

However, Midge had her ardent fans, and they’re excited she’s finally getting her due in the movie. This includes Keres Cottrell from Oregon. When he was a child, he stole his older sister’s Christmas gift, a pregnant Midge doll, and cherished it until he turned 12. 

“I was totally one of those kids that tore apart my Barbies,” Cottrell said. “I’d cut their hair off and draw on their faces and stuff. And she is one of the only ones who never got the chop. She never got drawn on. She was almost pristine, like, the whole time because we just loved her little magnet belly.” 

Like Cottrell, Yvette Williams, from Rowland Heights, California, immediately recognized Midge when the character posters debuted. She quickly sent the poster to her mom, who’d given her a Midge doll when she was 4.

Williams credits the doll with teaching her about pregnancy but doesn’t believe Midge promoted teen pregnancy, as she saw motherhood as an adult aspiration, just like the astronaut and doctor Barbies. “As a 4-year-old, I didn’t know what causes pregnancy, but I knew that the babies come from mommy’s tummy,” she said. “I don’t know how else I would have learned.”

Midge’s return is imminent both onscreen and off. In March, Mattel brought back Barbie’s freckled friend for her 60th anniversary. They’re selling a vintage doll wearing a two-piece yellow-and-orange swimsuit reminiscent of her original beach look for $55. This Midge is not pregnant.