Antiques Column: Barbie's enduring appeal for girls

One of my granddaughters wants a Barbie car for her birthday.

I was thrilled for two reasons. Firstly it is on offer at the moment and secondly that Barbie - who is nearly 60 years old - is still loved by the young.

Barbie was developed by the toy company Mattel, run by Harold Mattson and Elliot Handler. Elliot’s wife Ruth 
created the idea and made Barbie a success.

By the 1950s Mattel was enjoying great success.

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Ruth’s idea to produce a plastic doll which would aid imaginary play, having watched her daughter playing make-believe with paper dolls, did not go down well with her male colleagues. The costs and scepticism at producing a doll with explicit adult features also met with resistance, despite that Ruth had observed her daughter recreating adult like situations with her paper dolls.

It was in Switzerland on holiday that Ruth noticed in a shop window a doll similar to her own idea. However this doll was targeting a purely adult market.

Eventually Mattel acquired the patent for this doll and after an analysis of every technical detail of the body design, the doll we know today was born, named after Ruth’s daughter Barbara, finally arriving on the American toy market in 1959.

The first Barbie ever produced measured 11.5” and was available in both blonde and brunette. She wore a black and white swim suit, black 
high heeled shoes, white 
sunglasses and gold ear-
rings.

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Barbie’s initial success and prevailing popularity is not in her adult features, but in her wardrobe, her ability to be transformed simply with a change of outfit.

There are endless accessories on sale today and Barbie still has the ability to inspire children’s imagination, the essence of Ruth’s initial vision.

Barbie still retains its place on the list of most popular toys today.