Dad angry over price difference for African-American Barbie Dolls at Target
African American version of the “Barbie Fashion Maker” doll was twice the price.
Like many little girls, Warren Johnson’s daughter wants a Barbie for Christmas.
Specifically, she wants a Barbie Fashion Maker African American doll, one of the hot new toys this holiday season.
“So, we went to the Target website and looked for her Barbie,” Johnson said.
His search for the Barbie doll produced two versions of the doll at strikingly different prices.
The light-skin doll was on sale for $23.49, a 53 percent discount over its retail price, according to the site. The African-American version cost $49.99 at the time.
WCPO confirmed the pricing difference Sunday.
“When my daughter asked the question, ‘Why is the black doll more expensive than the white doll?’ I really didn’t have an answer for her,” Johnson said.
Both dolls come with accessories that allow girls to design and create clothing for Barbie through a computer and printer — a modern take on the old paper doll.
During a time of racial tension across the country, Johnson wondered why Target would have such different prices between the two dolls.
“It kind of rubbed me the wrong way in light of all the things going on in our society right now,” he said.
He called Target customer service in Minnesota. A manager told Johnson that the price discrepancy was an error and offered him the doll at the lower price.
Full story at WCPO: