I am interested in creating sites on topics related primarily to young children. My first venture, is a site dedicated to dolls and doll houses. Whilst carrying out reaseach for this site, I was blown away by the amount of information there was to be gained by studying Barbie and other dolls. The whole world over, Barbie is the doll that every girls just got to have. Why? Well, over the years, Barbie has managed to stay in tune with her owners, in dress, physical appearance and at the same time maintain her unique sweetness that has captured the hearts of generations of young girls. The picture to the left is of the first every Barbie (notice the distinctive outfit). If you are lucky to own one of these original dolls, you are setting on a potential fortune! Today, there are many different type of Barbie dolls available and there are collectors clubs all over the world. This is a far cry from the relatively humble beginnings at the 1956 toy fair. Would Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator every thought her creation would one day be part of American day to day life as it is today? Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler in 1950. At the time, most of the dolls available were targeted at the adult market and were generally made of cloth or paper. For a full history of Barbie, please click here. Barbie was named after Barbara Handler, the daughter of the creators Ruth and Elliot Handler. They also had a son called Ken - sound familiar! Did you know, Barbie dolls sell at a rate of 2 every second! The most successful Barbie doll ever created was Totally Hair Barbie, introduced in 1992. With hair from the top of her head to her toes, Totally Hair Barbie sold more than 10 million. Barbie actually ran for the Presidency. The issues Barbie campaigned on included equality, world peace, animal kindness, education, and the environment- things which all leaders openly support. Please take a look at my collection of beautiful Barbie pictures. Some of these dolls are over 30 years old! I have also added loads of links at the bottom of my page, for further info and pictures. |
