Barbie
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The story of Barbie
There are not many toys that are as iconic and world-renowned as Barbie. In the 1950s, the inventor, Ruth Handler, observed her daughter playing with paper dolls. At the time, little girls were encouraged to play with baby dolls to develop their caring skills, but Ruth noticed how the daughter and her friends were more interested in role-playing play with dolls, which mimicked the liv of teenagers and adults.
Ruth's husband, Elliot Handler, had started a toy company called Mattel, Inc. mid 1940s. In 1955, Mattel signed a contract with the Mickey Mouse Club - which was really big for a toy manufacturer at the time.
In 1959 at the International American Toy Fair in New York, the couple presented a thin plastic doll that they called a teenage model doll. The Doll was available with blonde or brown hair and was dressed in a nice striped swimsuit. The Doll was called Barbie - named after the couple's daughter, Barbara.
Some critics and focus groups were skeptical. The Doll was far more developed than traditional baby dolls, with visible female forms. The Doll was actually based on the German Lilli doll, which was a fun gift for adults.
Barbie, who was a model after all, could of course be dressed in the latest fashion (which was sold separately). Mattel began selling the doll using advertisements on TV - at the time a completely new way of advertising to child consumers, which they had originally developed for the Mickey Mouse Club products. Already det første år after production had started, more than 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold.
Who invented and makes Barbie?
The inventor of Barbie, Ruth Handler, was born Ruth Moskowicz in Denver, Colorado in 1916. Her family were Polish Jews who had previously immigrated to the United States. Ruth was the youngest of 10 siblings and could not go to university. She found a job as a secretary. In 1938 she married Elliot Handler. During World War II, she lived in California with her husband and two kids. They were having a hard time financially at the time. Ruth was 30 years old and had large ambitions for her liv and a large vision for the whole Handler family.
She encouraged her husband to use sine skills as a designer to create a company that would produce plastic objects. Mattel was founded in 1945 and quickly became a success. Behind the scenes, Ruth was always at work and her creativity, energy, intelligence and willingness to take a chance led to large success. Although she did not get the title of company president until 1967, she was the real leader behind Mattel all the time.
In her 1994 biography, Ruth explained how the whole philosophy behind Barbie was to create a doll that allowed little girls to believe they could be anything they wanted. Since the beginning, Barbie has represented the fact that women and girls have many choices in life.
How old is Barbie?
Now (in the year 2023) it is 63 years since the Barbie doll first came on the market and she remains more popular than ever. Since her release, Barbie has always been 19 years old, according to Mattel. In sine movies and TV series, Barbie also looks like a young adult. Despite the fact that the doll itself is much older than that, it doesn't look like she's retiring anytime soon. There are still more releases of Barbie dolls, accessories, clothing, films and series featuring Barbie planned in the future.
Where is Barbie from?
Originally, Mattel and thus Barbie was created in California, USA. Subsequently, a fictional background story about the Barbie dolls emerged and Barbie is actually from the fictional town of Willows in Wisconsin, USA. In the first novels of the Barbie franchise, Barbie attended Willows High School. In the slightly later Generation Girl books from 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real Stuyvesant High School).
When did Barbie come to Denmark?
In the 1960s, Barbie came from the USA to Denmark for the first time. At the time, Kristeligt Dagblad wrote an article with the headline??Fashion show of doll clothes??, which referred to an event in Illum in Copenhagen, where models showed off Barbie clothes, sewn to human sizes. The Barbie phenomenon had really taken hold in Denmark and just in the first year and a half that Barbie had been in Denmark, 250,000 Barbie dolls had been sold.
How many siblings does Barbie have?
The Barbie doll has always had a large circle of friends and family, which you could also buy in the form of dolls. This also applies to her siblings. Barbie has a total of 3 sisters. Skipper Roberts was the first character to be added to Barbie's family in 1964. Originally she was approx. 8 years but was later redesigned to a young teenager. Mattel stopped production of the Skipper doll in 2003, but Skipper returned in 2009.
The Stacie Roberts doll was introduced in 1990. Back then she was named Kelly and was first seen in the Wedding Day Midge gift set as a bridesmaid. Her name was already changed in 1992.
Chelsea Roberts is Barbie's youngest sister and was introduced in 1995. She is approx. 6-7 years. Chelsea is sometimes called Shelly in Europe. She loves the color pink and strawberry cake. She has blonde hair and blue eyes.
How tall is a Barbie doll?
As a starting point, the Barbie dolls have a standard height of 29 cm. Barbie doll's height is made to mimic a woman of 175 cm. Nowadays, several versions of Barbie have appeared, such as Curvy Barbie, Tall Barbie and Petite Barbie - all these dolls have different sizes and heights. Fortunately, there are plenty of clothing sets that fit all Barbie dolls.
Large selection of fantastic Barbie dolls
The universe of Barbie dolls from Mattel is huge and constantly expanding. Nowadays, Barbie is available with different skin, eye and hair colors and diversity is a large set of Mattel's vision. As you know, Barbie is a woman who can do anything and this is really also expressed in the products. You can find fantastic Barbie dolls with different themes and accessories. You can find Barbie dolls as princesses, doctors, sleepovers, pop stars, mermaid and much more. The imagination really knows no bounds when it comes to Barbie and her universe!
See also the adventurous Barbie mermaid
Barbie's fairy tale know no bounds and she can often be found in magical mermaid models. The Barbie mermaids have a magical look with extra long hair and beautiful, sparkling tails. Accessories are often included and sometimes the tail can even be changed to a tail with a different colour.
Kids get the opportunity to create incredible fairy tale with their new Barbie mermaid doll. They can teach the doll to swim in the sea and watch it sparkle in the sun! With their stunning looks and details, Barbie mermaid dolls make a great gift for kids ages 3 and up.
Let your imagination run wild with a Barbie house
When kids open the doors to a magical Barbie dollhouse, they will discover endless possibilities for fairy tale and new stories! Your child can let Barbie move in right away and make the Barbie house their very own. With the included accessories, unique features and details, your child can live out any story - from everyday items to ultimate parties with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, pool, etc., depending on which Barbie house you choose. As I said, lots of accessories are included in the Barbie dollhouses, with realistic details and textures that bring every Barbie fairy tale to life.
Decorate your Barbie house with Barbie furniture
Make dreams and new stories come true with Barbie collections of furniture, things and accessories. They make the Barbie universe even more exciting with popular themes - from living rooms with furniture and accessories for a cozy movie or game night, to outdoor fairy tale and everything in between. Let your child arrange the parts in their own way and create new, exciting fairy tale. Each set includes furniture, items and accessories with a unique style and theme, opening up completely new possibilities for play. With Barbie furniture and accessories for your child's Barbie house, new, exciting possibilities for play and fun are opens. Your child's Barbie house can become more versatile by collecting Barbie furniture, things and accessories. The beautiful colours, trendy designs and well-thought-out parts inspire young children's imaginations to create many new, exciting stories. Also check out the wonderful Barbie wardrobe if your child collects clothes and accessories for their Barbie doll's unique look.
Barbie has lots of clothes and a large wardrobe
From the very beginning, Barbie has been the ultimate fashionista. Since her first swimsuit, thousands of outfits have been added. In the first several years after Barbie came into existence, Mattel's designers found inspiration from legendary French clothing designers such as Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. More than 50 fashion designers have created clothes for Barbie - including Versace, Calvin Klein and Burberry.
In all the years that have passed since Barbie was introduced to the market, she has followed fashion. There are always plenty of trendy clothing sets that you can buy separately for sine Barbie dolls.
With the large collection of clothes for Barbie's wardrobe, your child can be inspired for new outfits every time they play with their Barbie dolls. Your child can get Barbie ready for a pajama party, fashion show, or a trip outside.
Get good driving with a Barbie car
There is nothing better than an fairy tale on the road - it gives your child the opportunity to live it out with a Barbie car. They can go on fairy tale anywhere with their favorite Barbie dolls. There is a large selection of different Barbie cars with many themes, depending on what kind of fairy tale your child wants. The Barbie cars have realistic details, such as seat belts, rear view mirror and wheels that roll.
Let your child have the ultimate camping trip with the Barbie motorhome. It has seven play areas, a water slide and plenty of accessories to inspire countless outdoor fairy tale. The motorhome has rolling wheels and two seats, so kids can drive two dolls to their dream destination. Once they have arrived, the motorhome can be opens and inside you will find a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, bathroom, a pool, waterslide and a little television area.
If your child wants to save the day, the Barbie fire engine with Chelsea included could be the perfect choice. When Chelsea and her puppy arrive at their destination, your child can use the fire escape and water hose to provide quick help. A sticker sheet lets your child decorate the fire truck exactly as they like. Chelsea is wearing a cute uniform with a helmet and boots.
At Kids-world you will also find a MEGA Barbie set with 123 parts - including the Barbie dream camper. The beautiful pink camper is filled with all kinds of accessories and surprises. Your child can let their imagination run wild when they find the perfect place to have a picnic, with accessories such as a table, chairs, croissants and more. When night falls, your child can create a home from home by removing the top of the camper - thus transforming it into a campsite with 2 beds, where the included 2 Barbie micro- dolls can sleep under the stars. This set is designed for beginners and is easy to build.
Lots of Barbie accessories
There are no limits to what accessories you can find for your child's Barbie dolls. At Kids-world, we have everything they need to live in Barbie's large fantasy world. This includes cars, houses, furniture, dolls, cute pets, clothes, wardrobe and many other Barbie accessories. For younger kids, you will also find the popular Chelsea dolls - Barbie's cute little sister aged 7. You will find Barbie dolls with many different themes and accompanying accessories, which make the play even more fun and more realistic for your child.
When choosing which Barbie accessories to buy for your child, there are a pair things to consider as there are many different options. The accessories should add extra possibilities and value to the Barbie universe so that your child can really enjoy playing with it. Also check out the recommended age on the Barbie accessories. Some of the sets may be too complex for small kids and contain small parts that may pose a choking risk.