Ava DuVernay Barbie Isn't On Sale Yet, You Can Stop Refreshing The Page Now

You can stop refreshing your page on the Barbie Collection, the Ava DuVernay Shero Barbie doesn’t go on sale until tomorrow… we think. Two customer service reps confirmed a December 8 release date, but Barbie herself is sending some mixed messages. I can’t be the only one who’s wasted an hour trying to buy this, can I?

Yesterday, Ava tweeted an announcement that the release was today:

Barbie herself said the release was today:

CNN confirmed the story. But still… no Ava Barbie. After spending an hour relentlessly refreshing the Barbie Collection homepage, certain Ava would be popping up eventually — I decided to get on the phone. Two different customer service representatives confirmed that the doll will actually be going on sale tomorrow, December 8. Neither representative was sure about the exact time of the release, but one offered the information that special collections are “usually” released at 11 a.m. Central time. The other said to get online at 12:01 a.m. Then this happened:

Both reps confirmed that the doll is being released in “minimal quantities.”

I’m going for it anyway. I always make fun of my partner who puts things that are special to him away for our children to enjoy when they are older. It’s the first time I wanted to buy something for my daughter to give to her as sort of a “time capsule” in the future. My hope is that it will be so common to recognize black women for their accomplishments by the time my mixed-race daughter is old enough to appreciate this gift, that she will only be shocked that the move to honor the first black female director to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards was such a big deal.

DuVernay is donating her proceeds from the doll to benefit civil rights advocacy group ColorOfChange.org and human rights non-profit Witness.

“Barbie has always represented that girls have choices,” Barbie general manager Evelyn Mazzocco told The Huffington Post. “Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honor and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass ceiling breakers.”