Mattel Inc. has expanded its Mattel Creations Collectibles platform, which now allows owners of Mattel virtual collectibles to display, trade and sell their assets.

The El Segundo-based toy manufacturer is also partnering with Gap Inc., beginning with the Gap x Barbie collection – an offering of T-shirts, skirts, logo hoodies, denim, button-downs and accessories.

Mattel’s peer-to-peer marketplace is powered by Rarible, a New York City-based virtual collectibles company. In addition to Rarible, Mattel has partnered with other technology providers to bring its virtual collectibles platform to life. Those include Magic, a leading wallet-as-a-service provider, in San Francisco, and the company’s long-term partner Flow, a blockchain provider based in Vancouver, British Columbia that supports consumer-scale applications serving mainstream audiences.

To coincide with the update of the collectibles platform, Mattel will simultaneously launch Series 5 of the Hot Wheels NFT Garage. 

Developed by the team behind Hot Wheels die-cast cars, Series 5 of the Hot Wheels NFT Garage lets fans collect digital artwork featuring Mattel’s IP and features some of Hot Wheels’ most popular car designs in digital format, according to the company.

Series 5 is comprised of 40 cars from McLaren, Pagani, Aston Martin, Chevrolet and Porsche, as well as many Hot Wheels originals, and is sold in packs priced at $25 each. Each pack includes seven Hot Wheels NFTs: four common, two uncommon, and one guaranteed rare car.
Mattel was the first toy company to launch NFTs and continues to expand in digital collectibles and experiences.

Ron Friedman, vice president at Mattel Future Lab, said that when the company first set out to launch the collectibles platform it did so with the intention of creating an experience for the fans of its brands.

“In adding a marketplace feature to our platform that enables users to sell and trade their virtual collectibles, we’ve taken another step toward realizing that vision,” Friedman said in statement.  “We can’t wait for fans and collectors of all ages to experience the updated platform.”

Other Mattel virtual initiatives include Cryptoys x Masters of the Universe and Barbie x Boss Beauties, the second drop of which will launch on the Mattel Creations Virtual Collectibles Platform in May.

Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel, said the company was excited to partner with Gap to combine its brands with Gap’s products. 

“We look forward to working together to offer our fans fun, quality clothing for the entire family, plus a new way to embrace their favorite Mattel brands, franchises, characters and stories,” Silverman said in a statement. 

In addition to Barbie and Hot Wheels, other Mattel brands include Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas and Friends and Uno. 

Christopher Goble, head of merchandising at Gap, said his company’s partnership with Mattel represents two brands collaborating on products that customers can wear as a family and have fun.

“Each launch will celebrate our optimistic spirit of individuality and connection through creative expression and play,” Goble said. “I can’t wait for people around the world to create memories with Gap x Mattel.”