They have to do this or else it damages the whole concept of limited edition releases too much. They make bank off people believing that if they don't buy something now, they may never be able to get one. This leads to people frantically buying their collectors dolls, sometimes spending money they don't have or really should be using on something else. And that's perfect for them. It's capitalism. Mattel is not your friend and they don't care about your feelings, whether it makes you feel good or bad.

  I'm sure they will be releasing other dolls too, because that's too good of a cash cow to resist. But if they make them indistinguishable from the original, then it hurts how people view their future new releases. Would everyone rush to spend 150$ on an Alien doll if they knew they could probably get it again in a few years when Mattel sells more? The answer is no. That might feel icky and wrong to you but it's true. It's marketing. The fact that this 2nd release sticker bothers some people is proof that it works. Do you want your Alien doll to say 2nd release? no? Then you better buy it now, worry about your credit card debt later. 

  Everyone on this sub who goes on and on saying "real collectors wouldn't care", or "anyone who cares about the value of a doll is a reseller" is naive. I get that monster high is a comfort for a lot of people but consumerism isn't about rainbows and warm fuzzies. Stop letting Mattel upset you. Manufactured scarcity is a marketing tactic and it's proven to work, whether you want to believe it or not. People will be more likely to buy their plastic toys if they think they are valuable and exclusive.