Who is she? She's had more than 80 jobs and 43 pets, and today she is a $1.5 billion per year industry. Who is she?.

Welcome

BARBIE’S BEGINNING The Year: 1959 The place: The New York Toy Show.

Barbie's History Barbie, at the age of 41, is one of the longest living toys in America. Her creators, Ruth and Elliot Handler (co-founders of Mattel) got the idea for her after watching their daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls. Ruth wanted a 3-D rendition of an adult doll that was affordable and came with her own clothes and accessories.

Figure A Bearing the full name, Barbie Millicent Roberts, she came onto the market in 1959 as a teenage model wearing a zebra-striped bathing suit (figure A), sunglasses, high-heeled shoes, and gold hoop earrings. She had movable head, arms and legs. She gave young girls an opportunity to play grownup for a while--choosing from clothing selections and accessories and styling her hair.

Figure B Figure C She originally came as either a blond or brunette and with either a ponytail (figure B) or a "bubble" cut (figure C). Redheads came along later, and an African-American version debuted in 1980.

Her face is handpainted, and her hair is stitched on, row by row. Her clothes are created just like a fashion model. Designers draw out sketches, choose one, then the fabric is cut and custom made to fit each doll.

Figure D Figure E Figure F Barbie's boyfriend, Ken (figure D), named after the Handlers' son, was introduced in Her freckle-faced friend, Midge, debuted in Next came her little sister, Skipper (figure E), and her friend Scooter. Then there was the pets, furniture, cars and even a Dream House (figure F). It came in a flat cardboard form, and each piece had to be punched out and put together individually.

Wedding

If you want to start your own Barbie collection, here are a few things to keep in mind: The older dolls from the 1960s are generally the most valuable. Older Barbie dolls have a solid vinyl body, while later models are hollow. Restoring dolls usually decreases the resale value. Know the terminology. Vintage Barbies are those made before 1972, while modern Barbies are those made afterward.