In 1959, Mattel introduced a new doll they called 'Barbie.' Since then, she's been a marketing juggernaut and a mainstay in the toy aisle. She's also morphed through a variety of careers, gained and lost friends, and acquired an amazing number of possessions.
Barbie's Introduction
Barbie was the suggestion of Ruth Handler, wife of one of Mattel's co-founders, Elliot. Handler had noticed that her own daughter enjoyed playing with adult dolls as much as she did baby dolls. At that time, though, most adult dolls were paper or cardboard.
Sensing an empty niche, Handler suggested an adult fashion doll to her husband. The all-male directors at Mattel were unreceptive, and felt there was no market. Undeterred, during a trip to Europe in 1956, she found a German doll named Bild Lilli was popular with adults and children alike. On her return to the States, Handler found a willing engineer and began to work on a new doll.
This time, Mattel agreed to give the idea a try. Named for Handler's daughter, Barbie made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. For $3.00, buyers had their choice of Barbie as a blonde or a brunette, with the signature ponytail and a black-and-white striped swimsuit. Despite Mattel's reservations, approximately 350,000 dolls were sold in the first year.
Barbie's Biography
Over the years, Barbie acquired an extensive biography. In the 1960s, Random House published a series of books, giving her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, the daughter of George and Margaret Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin. A later series, Generation Girls, transplanted Barbie to Manhattan International High School in New York City.
In 1961, Barbie acquired a boyfriend, Ken Carson, named for Handler's son. In 2004, Mattel announced that the couple had split and introduced a new boyfriend for Barbie. Her new man, Blaine, was an Australian with a passion for boogie boarding. The split from Ken made international news, but the couple 'reconciled' in 2006.
Maybe Barbie didn't have time for a boyfriend. She has a large circle of family and friends including her parents, a cousin named LuluBelle, and an aunt, Lillian, although these characters were never issued as dolls. Among the dolls are Barbie's siblings Skipper, Todd and his twin Tutti (later identified as Stacie), Kelly, and Krissy, and cousins Francie (Lillian's daughter), Jazzie and P.J. She also had dozens of friends, including Midge, Teresa, and Christie and her boyfriend, Steven.
Barbie is also taking care of over 40 pets, and her careers would certainly be time-consuming. She has a pilot's license and flies airliners in addition to being a flight attendant. She's both a fashion model and a designer, a registered nurse and a surgeon, an Olympic gold medalist, and an astronaut. She even found time to be crowned Miss America.
Related reading:
- Barbie the Paper Doll - Barbie is not only a fashion doll, but has a life as a paper doll as well.
- Barbie Celebrates 50 Years - Happy birthday, Barbie! A look at 50 years of doll history.
- Safe and Fun Barbie Games to Play Online - Little girls have adopted the internet as enthusiastically as earlier generations adopted dolls.
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