Barbie Dolls–History of the Most Popular Doll Ever

Holiday™ Barbie® Doll Holiday™ Barbie® Doll
Sale Price: $29.95
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The 2008 Holiday Barbie shimmers in a silvery creation designed to resemble a snowflake. Her chandelier earrings add the perfect elegant yet festive touch to the 20th anniversary Holiday Barbie. Barbie collectors and girls ages 6 and up alike will appreciate the beauty of this doll, with her thick lashes, painted red lips, extravagantly curled blonde hair, and a stand so she can be displayed and admired by all...

Barbie Collector Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice Doll Barbie Collector Twilight Saga Eclipse Alice Doll
Sale Price: $24.95

Barbie Collector Twilight Saga Eclipse Victoria Doll Barbie Collector Twilight Saga Eclipse Victoria Doll
Sale Price: $23.49

Barbie In a Mermaid Tale Merliah Doll Barbie In a Mermaid Tale Merliah Doll
Sale Price: $11.99
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BARBIE® IN A MERMAID TALETM MERLIAHTM Doll From the movie, Barbie in A Mermaid TaleTM, MerliahTM has a beautiful and unique transformation. She is a cool teenager from Malibu, but when you pull her hood down-surprise-she is secretly a mermaid! Just detach from velcro and pull down for transformation...

Barbie Twilight Bella Doll Barbie Twilight Bella Doll
Sale Price: $13.99
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She's a vampire's girl. This Pink Label Barbie Doll presents Bella Swan, an 11 1/2-inch tall doll inspired by the blockbuster movie Twilight. Bella is all dressed up to meet her beau, come what may. Add her and the Edward Cullen Barbie Doll to your collection! Edward Cullen Doll sold separately...

Barbie  Doll & Denim Fashion Set Barbie Doll & Denim Fashion Set
Sale Price: $13.73
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Girls and Barbie doll love beautiful boutique fashions to mix and match, head to toe, for oh so many occasions! Outfits include: Denim dress accented with a pink ribbon around the waist, sleeveless plaid designed top with matching jeans, short sleeve top decorated with flower prints with a matching pink skirt...

Barbie Twilight Edward Doll Barbie Twilight Edward Doll
Sale Price: $14.99
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Part of the Pink Labels Collection, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight tells the tale of teenage romance between mortal Bella Swan, and the intriguing and dazzlingly beautiful vampire, Edward Cullen. The #1 New York Times Best seller and hugely popular movie has left its mark!

Barbie Doll & Vehicle Barbie Doll & Vehicle
Sale Price: $17.99
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BARBIE® Doll and Glam Convertible Vehicle: Get ready for life in the pink lane with Barbie® and her superstylish Glam Convertible! Includes Barbie® doll and Glam Convertible featuring shiny metallic wheels, signature zebra-print Barbie® seats, Barbie® logo license plate and holofoil lights.

Barbie Collector Generations of Dreams Doll Barbie Collector Generations of Dreams Doll
Sale Price: $17.95
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50 years of trends and fashion, couture and dreams for the girl in all of us, and for the woman we grow up to be! Barbie doll remains always stylish, always evolving, always reflecting the beauty that is within every one of us, radiating for all to see! Generations of Dreams Barbie doll captures our favorite doll, dressed in an exquisite gown embellished with illustrations of the Barbie heritage...

Barbie Twilight New Moon Jacob Doll Barbie Twilight New Moon Jacob Doll
Sale Price: $3.25
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Doll is inspired by the Jacob Black character from the New Moon movie, which is based on Stephenie Meyer's New York Times Best Selling book series Twilight. The stunning doll is created in the image of Taylor Lautner, who portrays the handsome and protective Jacob werewolf character...

In 1959 the first Barbie doll was shown at the New York toy fair. Billed as "New For '59,The Barbie Doll:A Shapely Teenage Fashion Model Price $3.00." Thus was born the Barbie doll phenomenon which is certainly one of the greatest success stories in toy manufacturing. Prior to Barbie nearly all children's dolls were child dolls rather than adult figures. Barbie changed all this.

In 1945 Elliot and Ruth Handler formed a partnership with Harold Matson to manufacture picture frames. The two names Matson and Elliot were combined to form the company name Mattel. Elliot used the picture frame wood scrap to make doll house furniture. This was the start of the Handler furniture business.

About this time Ruth noticed that her daughter Barbara and friends preferred to play with adult paper dolls rather than child or baby dolls. The girls preferred a doll which could be their role model when they grew up. Ruth realised that there could be big commercial possibilities in the adult doll market. She discussed the idea with her husband but he felt that it would be too expensive to start making the dolls.

Soon after this Ruth made a trip to Germany and purchased a doll called Lilli. This adult type doll was based on a German comic strip. On returning to the USA she began work to redesign the doll working with a doll clothes designer. The barbie doll was the result and it was named after Ruth's daughter Barbara. The doll was patented by Mattel in 1958 and introduced in 1959. She was to become one of the most well known and well loved toys ever made.

Barbie soon became a collectors doll and was avidly sought after by adult collectors. From 1959 to 1972 the Barbie doll had seven distinct changes in her appearance and design. These Barbies made up to 1972 are recognised as vintage collectible dolls by their fans and are eagerly sought after. The 1959 Barbie doll in mint condition will sell for thousands of dollars. Some have sold for as much as $8000 to $10,000 but you can buy them for much less and $2000 to $3000 is quite common. Later editions fetch proportionately less. Dolls made in the 1969 to 1972 period can often be bought for a few dollars. Garage sales and flea markets are still the source of a few early dolls. About 300,000 of the 1959 Barbie were made and there are undoubtedly many out there still undiscovered.

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