Fascinating Toy History: Barbie

The National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention has arrived here in Kansas City.  Now if you’ve read my previous article about Barbie and Bratz, you know that I am not a big fan.  However, in light of the convention being in town, I thought it would be fitting to talk about Barbie doll history (it’s quite interesting). 

Although I still believe she gives girls the wrong idea about how they should look, I also believe that Barbie has come quite a long way.  From instructing girls to lose weight by not eating (1965 Slumber Party Barbie) to undergoing physical changes to be more realistic (1997) to portraying independent, professional women, Barbie is far from the girl she used to be. 

On a side note, before we launch into Barbie facts, do you have some ideas for alternatives to Barbie dolls?  If so, please leave your thoughts at the bottom of this post.

Bits of Barbie History

• Barbie’s Full Name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, named after the daughter of Barbie creator Ruth Handler.
• The original Barbie doll sold for $3 in 1959.  The same doll in mint condition is now sold for about $10,000.
• Barbie was introduced to Europe in 1961.
• Barbie Goes to College hits shelves in 1964.
• In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a book, How to Lose Weight, which advised: Don’t eat.  The doll also came with pink bathroom scales reading 110lb, which would be around 35lbs underweight for a woman 5 feet 9 inches tall.  Critics long complained that if Barbie were a real woman, she would have the improbable measurements of a 36-inch chest, 18-inch waist and 33-inch hips. In 1997, Barbie was finally given a thicker waist and a smaller chest. 
•  The first doll with a dark complexion, “Francie”, was added to the collection in 1967.  But she was made with the same head molds as the Caucasian Francie doll.  Many consider Christie, a doll issued in 1968, to be the first true African-American Barbie doll. 
• Barbie has undergone plastic surgery many times, including in 1971 when her eyes were adjusted to look straight ahead, no longer glancing coyly sideways.
• In 1980, the first black and hispanic Barbie dolls hit the shelves.
• In 1997, Share A Smile Becky was the first Mattel, Inc. fashion doll introduced with a wheelchair.
• The Barbie Sport collection, including a clothing line and sport-related dolls, was introduced by Mattel in 1998 to allow girls to play out their athletic aspirations every day.
• The Barbie Sport collection (a clothing line and line of dolls) came out in 1998, to let girls play out their athletic aspirations.
• Barbie got a belly button for the first time in 2000.
• In September 2003, Saudi Arabia outlawed Barbie, saying that her skimpy clothing was offensive to Islam.  “Let us beware of her dangers and be careful,” the government warned.
• Givenchy, Gucci, Versace, Dolce&Gabbana, Vera Wang, Donna Karan, Badgley Mischka, Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui, Monique Lhuillier, and Zac Posen have all designed for Barbie.
• Barbie has had more than 80 careers: from a rock star to a presidential candidate.

For more Barbie facts, visit About.com’s Barbie Fun Facts or The Kansas City Star.