Two of the most famous toys in America just went in opposite directions. In Mattel’s latest quarterly report, Hot Wheels kept speeding ahead while Barbie lost ground.

The numbers come from Mattel’s own third quarter 2026 earnings release, also filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, covering the three months that ended September 30. They offer a snapshot of what families are actually buying.

Hot Wheels Jump 7% To $585.5 Million As Barbie Slides 9%

Hot Wheels gross billings came in at $585.5 million for the quarter, up 7% from $547.2 million a year earlier. Measured in constant currency, the gain was 6%.

Barbie went the other way. Her gross billings were $374.6 million, down 9% from $413.9 million, and down 10% when currency swings are removed.

That is a gap of about $39 million in Barbie’s quarter, which is the kind of drop that gets attention in a boardroom.

Barbie Is Down 13% For The Year While Hot Wheels Rolls Up 12%

The nine-month picture is even starker. Hot Wheels billings for the first nine months of the year were about $1.309 billion, up 12% over the same stretch last year.

Barbie billings for those nine months were $689.8 million, down 13% from $788.3 million. Adjusted for currency, the decline is 14%.

In plain terms, the little die-cast cars are carrying a lot of the weight this year. Barbie, the doll that has been a household name since 1959, is having a tougher run.

Put side by side, the two brands tell a clear story. One added tens of millions of dollars over last year, and the other gave back tens of millions.

Together with the profit jump, it shows how a company can have a good quarter even when a flagship brand stumbles.

Fisher-Price Falls 14% While The Company Still Posts A Higher Profit

Barbie was not the only brand to slip. Fisher-Price billings fell 14% to $186.2 million for the quarter, and the nine-month figure is down 12%.

Even so, the company as a whole had a good three months. Net sales were $1.807 billion, up 4%, and net income was $354 million, compared with about $278 million in the same quarter last year.

Roger Lynch is Mattel’s chairman and chief executive officer. Looking ahead, the company expects 2026 net sales to grow between 1% and 4% in constant currency.

Why Hot Wheels Keeps Winning Over Collectors Of All Ages

Hot Wheels has been around since 1968, and it has a trick that few toys can match. A single car costs only a few dollars, which makes it an easy add-on at the checkout line, a stocking stuffer or a reward for a good report card.

It also attracts grown-up fans. Plenty of adults hunt for special editions and rare finds, and the brand has built a whole collector culture around those hunts. That can help sales well beyond the toy aisle’s usual kid audience.

Barbie, by contrast, has been through a famous high point. The 2023 movie turned her into a pop culture sensation, and the toy line enjoyed a surge of attention. Sales numbers from big spikes can be hard to repeat the next year, and that may be part of why the comparison looks tough now.

What The Numbers Mean If You Are Buying Toys This Holiday Season

Quarterly reports can feel like they belong to Wall Street, but they say something useful for ordinary shoppers too. When a toy line sells well, it tends to fill the shelves. When one slows, stores sometimes run promotions to move stock.

If you are shopping for a doll lover this year, it is worth watching for sales, since the retailer may want to clear shelf space. Prices can drop as the holidays approach, especially on older sets and past-season outfits.

If you are buying for a car-crazy grandchild, a pack of Hot Wheels is a safe bet that is hard to wrap badly. Basic cars are inexpensive, and a track set or a few special cars make a bigger gift without breaking the budget.

A few other shopping habits help in any category. Compare prices across a few stores, because toy prices can vary a lot from one place to another. Check the age rating on the box, since small parts matter with young children. And keep gift receipts, since a returned toy is easier to swap when you have the paperwork handy.

It is also smart to remember that a falling sales number does not mean a toy has lost its charm. Barbie remains one of the best-known toys in the world, and many kids and collectors still love her. A decline of 9% in a quarter is a business measurement, not a verdict on a childhood favorite.

For collectors, it can even be good news. When a line is selling a bit less, you may find more of the pieces you want on the shelf at fair prices, without the frantic rush that comes when a toy is the hot item of the season.

As the holiday season approaches, Mattel has full-year guidance to meet and plenty of shopping days left. For families, the choice comes down to what makes a child smile on the morning of the big day.

The full figures are laid out in the company’s third quarter 2026 earnings release.

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