Barbie Dolls: A Collector’s Item

The highly sought after Barbie dolls have made a splash with little girls from 1959 until today. These dolls have developed into collector’s items, and at times, are hard to come by. For example, the Holiday Barbie each year sells out with many people wanting more.

The Barbie doll was released at a toy show on March 9, 1959. This has become her birthday. She has since been nicknamed Barbie. The wife of one of the co-founders of the Mattel toy company thought of the idea. She then named the doll after her daughter Barbara. It was because of Barbara that Ruth got the idea. She watched her daughter play many times with her paper dolls that assumed the rolls of adults. During that time, dolls that were produced was only manufactured as infants.

A biography has even been published about Barbie. Random House published the biography that gave Barbie a background. Barbara Millicent Roberts was born on March 9, 1959. Her parents were Margaret and George Roberts who lived in the fictional town of Willows. As Barbie grew up, she attended school in New York and gained a boyfriend by the Ken Carson. She has had many friends over the decade.

Barbie has experienced many careers in her lifetime, and they are usually reflective of the current times. In 2010, Barbie will be a registered nurse and an astronaut. We can expect to see many more careers in the future.

Barbie Dolls have also been a center of several controversial issues since its release. It has been criticized for portraying unrealistic body measurements, resulting in many girls having poor self image issues. Mattel has since widened the waist of the Barbie doll.

Another controversial issue was developed after the release of the “Totally Tattoos” Barbie. The Barbie dolls featured a variety of tattoos that could be applied, including the infamous “tramp stamp” tattoo.

One thing is for sure: Barbie dolls have been around for decades, and they will continue to be produced for years to come. It has become a rite of passage for young girls everywhere. The grandparents played with Barbie’s. The parents played with Barbie’s. Now, we are looking at the third and fourth generation of little girls who love their Barbie dolls. The dolls have become major collector’s items and even Mattel has recognized this. They have produced a website devoted to Barbie collectibles.