One of the more fascinating toys of all-time would have to be the Barbie doll. And with little wonder since she has been with us for over 45 years. Barbie is the biggest selling doll in toy history, and has given countless hours of fun to many girls from around the world. That brings a good question to mind; How did the Barbie doll come about?
The Barbie doll history is a good story. You really have to go all the way back to the start of Mattel in order to completely understand her beginnings. In 1938, Mattel was formed by two life long friends, Harold Matson (Mat), and Elliot Handler (El). Did you know that when Mattel was originally formed, they were not a toy maker? In fact, Mattel began as a picture frame manufacturer. Later, they began to make doll furniture.
Elliot Handler was married and had a daughter, Barbara, that enjoyed playing with dolls, just like all little girls. Instead of baby dolls, Barbara liked playing with adult dolls, but there were really no dolls like that on the market. On an impromptu visit to Europe one day, Mrs. Handler found a German doll named 'Lilli' in a store. The funny thing was, this wasn't even marketed as a doll. It was more of a joke type gift for men.
When Mrs. Handler returned back home, Lilli was a hit with Barbara. That gave Mattel an idea. They bought the marketing rights to Lilli and changed her name to Barbie, named after their daughter Barbara of course. As they say, the rest is history. Barbie was introduced to the world at the New York International Toy Fair in March, 1959. Actually, March 9, 1959 is Barbie's official birthdate.
Barbie was an instant hit, and spread throughout the U.S. during that year. It seemed that Barbie was a bit lonely though, so the next year, Ken was introduced. Did you know that Ken was named after the Handler's son, Kenneth?
Barbie was originally dressed in a black and white striped swimsuit. You even had the option of buying her with brown hair or blonde hair. Of course, Barbies dress was later made available in many different styles and selections. Every conceivable outfit was offered. Barbies dress was patterned after the Paris designer fashion shows.
Barbie has been made into everything from a college student to a president over the years. Every type of accessory has been brought out including, cars, houses, and pets. Barbie has also been an Olympian and even a mermaid. The Barbie doll history is an amazing story. How long can she continue to be popular? That's anyones guess, but Barbie is still going strong nearly 50 years later, so I wouldn't doubt she still has many more years to come.
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