Bought the wrong Barbie Dreamhouse

[EJ72]

This is actually about a birthday present, but posted here for traffic.

Ok, this is going to sound mad but please be gentle with me.

DD turned 9 today. She’s a young 9, and we bought her the Barbie Dreamhouse, which she is delighted with. Never thought I’d buy such a big load of plastic, but I’ve realised she absolutely loves it and will definitely play with it so all good…

Except I’ve realised we’ve bought the wrong one. I’ve been horrendously busy with my teaching job all term (crazy stress), DH bought this a good couple of months ago on Amazon. I thought, ok that’s fine, job done, though why TF did I not do my own research, as tbh, can never trust DH to buy anything… and now I realise he has bought the 2020 model (only available on Amazon, nowhere else) and my DD has been showing me pics for a few weeks of the one she really wanted. It’s much MUCH nicer (not that I’ve admitted that to her). Just annoyed at myself for letting DH deal with this. He’s irritatingly only interested in getting a bargain and I failed to realise why this one was cheaper 😞

utterly first world problem

Please tell me a) to get over myself b) flog it (beautifully built today) on eBay / local forum and buy the other one (Smyths at £179.99 right now - pretty much what we paid for the old one). PS we don’t buy many things for my DD so it’s not like she’s used to being ‘spoiled’ with loads of stuff…this is the first time she’s been given something she was v keen on. I just feel I’ve messed up and feel sad for her. As she knows it’s not quite the nice one.

The one that comes up at £180 on Amazon for me is the same one as in smyths.

If you can afford it and, as the child that got the wrong doll for Christmas one year and still remembers the disappointment, get her the new one!

Get her the one she actually wanted for Christmas. Let her keep this one too, though! Best of both worlds - then when she has friends over they can play Barbie with a house each, just like in real life!

Also if she’s a young 9, is it possible Santa could bring her the right one?

fell down this rabbit hole…. www.redbookmag.com/life/friends-family/g13149021/barbie-dreamhouse-evolution/

@BungleandGeorge I know that was probably a rhetorical question 😂but taking it literally, day to night setting, I.e. better lighting, built in bunk beds, swimming pool on ground floor not middle floor 😂😂😂 hanging chair, L shape not flat shape….😆😆 But it looks more modern /cooler but honestly, it’s really not that different…. I just might have to live with it…as you say it was a lot of money. Just checked… we spent £160 on it.

Definitely get it for Christmas! I was the kid that always asked for a gift to get the cheaper version and whilst I was grateful to get what I did, there was always a twinge of me not being good enough to get the best one. She's only young for such a short time, you'll be buying hair straighteners and make up before you know it

Are the 85 people viewing it on the John Lewis website all mumsnetters?

Oh this breaks my heart to read this. DD has asked for a particular gift for last Christmas, her birthday and now again this Christmas. I haven't got it for her because (in my eyes) it isn't worth the money and the reviews aren't very good, but this is the third time she's asked for it now and it would break my heart to imagine her thinking this way.

@naemates laughing at that!

@JessicaPeach thank you for your nice message. I understood. Am also soft too.

Ah yes the bunk beds and hanging chair have sold
it for me 😆 I might think about upgrading too as it could well be your last toy purchase

This is the new one:

www.amazon.co.uk/Barbie-GRG93-Dreamhouse/dp/B08V1R73H9/ref=asc_df_B08V1R73H9/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=500781941260&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8919661443619795692&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045890&hvtargid=pla-1266853761985&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

This is the old (one we've bought):

www.amazon.co.uk/Barbie-GNH53-Dreamhouse-Playset/dp/B07Y9C848Y/ref=sr_1_5?crid=DCO4C0VTFCAK&keywords=barbie+dream+house&qid=1669590147&s=kids&sprefix=barbie+dream+house%2Ctoys%2C95&sr=1-5

Well I think you should get the new one.
You can afford it and you don't need to try and justify it. It will make you and you DD really happy.
Sell the other one on Facebook for a nice big discount so someone else who can't afford full price gets some benefit from it.

I am always doing what your DH does, always looking for cheaper or want to buy things that have a dual purpose so I feel I am getting a bargain but in reality they do neither job well. It's such a false economy and I need to stop it. It comes (in my case) from never having had any spare money but now I have, so I need to train myself to use it to make me and those around me happy.

@mynameischloe so much tat around isn't there? 😬 I've bought things for mine that indeed turned out to be a waste of money but the looks on their faces was worth it! My eldest asked for a reborn doll 2 years ago when she was 12, she is obsessed with dolls, always has been. My husband said no, I explained we only had a tiny window of childhood left so he relented but we didn't tell her, £150 of plastic later, her face on Christmas morning made me cry, that baby goes everywhere even now and she still soends all her money on clothes for her and her other dolls. Definitely buy the present if you can, it will be worth it

@BadgerLovesMash 😂😂it was the hanging chair for me too…

@Fizzadora i like your positive thinking re selling it on…

@Tessabelle74 bless your DD

I'd give her the choice, replace the barbie house or an extra £30 to spend on accessories - might show how much having the other one means to her. It sounds to me that she's showing remarkable resilience and the ability to make the best of it, which is the biggest life skill there is. There is so much around the fact that we shouldn't protect our kids from disappointment and bad things, we should teach them to deal with it when it happens. As an alternative view, i remember being disappointed at Xmas, but I knew my parents didn't have a lot of money. I think it's made me into a resilient adult, and material things really aren't important to me.

@EJ72 dolls on tour! I even get asked where they are if they're not in a family photo 🤣

Your dd sounds like a really lovely child, trying hard to be positive whilst feeling a bit disappointed . I'd buy her the new one for Christmas, and let her keep both. She will never be this young again. Xxxx

I think if it sells its fine but looking at the 2 houses online the 2020 looks really really lovely!! Honestly - you havent let her down or anything!

Sure you have but just in case, have you checked that you're not in the returns period? Amazon can have a very generous returns window on some orders.

There is quite a difference between the 2 houses. Honestly, you've already made up your mind. But I do think that asking your DD is a good idea. If the old house would have to go before she got a new one anyway then it's not going to be a surprise so she may as well have a say. You wouldn't want to get rid of the old house then find she's grown attached to it. If you do decide to get her the newer one then at least it's a great time to sell on the original house, it shouldn't take long to sell. Plus you might also make it a wonderful Christmas for another child.

She’s 9, so she’s old enough to start understanding the trade-off of money and value of things. So, I think I’d have an honest chat with her.

DD, I can tell you are a little bit disappointed not to have the exact Dreamhouse you’ve seen with the hanging chair and the built-in bunkhouses. If you want, Daddy and I can buy you the new Dreamhouse for Christmas. Now, because that one is a bit more expensive than this version, and because we’d need to sell this one that you’ve already got, we probably then can’t afford to spend much more on Christmas presents.
What do you think?

If you can do it, I’d say do it.

when I was a teenager my dad was left in charge of my birthday present ( my mum was in hospital) and he got me a grey weird hairdryer from the 70s found in a local hardware store rather than the bright shiny black one with a diffuser.

i never said anything but 30 years old I still feel the pain of it.

I remember my mum’s face when she saw it - she thought the same as me.

Can you get her the other one for Christmas?

That would be a great surprise for her if she thinks she's 'stuck' with this one.

You probably don't have room for both but would be cool if you did!

Can you not return it? Amazon are mainly pretty generous with there return period. Or if too late and go on live chat and explain you brought the wrong version and if your a good customer there most likely to won't to keep you happy