She even bought the rights to the German-made doll Bild Lilli, and modeled her version after the figure.

After observing her daughter play with paper dolls, Handler was inspired to create a three-dimensional version of a career-minded, adult doll. Sold for $6,000 via Julien’s Auctions (April 2020).īarbie dolls were invented by Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, Inc., an American toy manufacturing company founded in 1945. A Brief History of Barbie Dollsĭoris Day signed Barbie Collection Pink Label doll from 2011, related to the film Pillow Talk. Barbie has continued to evolve since its inception, and undoubtedly changed the modern toy industry forever. Today, the price of a mint condition Barbie from this era can run close to $25,000. Often, these Barbies had bendable legs or red hair, and they are considered some of the most rare and valuable. Vintage Barbie dolls on the market from 1959 to the late 1960s are especially prized among collectors. They quickly became some of the best-selling dolls of all time, with over a billion sold to-date. The dolls were designed to allow young girls to dream about their futures as career-driven, posturing women. Prior, only infant doll designs were available on the toy market, but Barbie brought something new and different. Since the first Barbie, named Barbie Millicent Roberts, was introduced to the world in 1959, new editions have been unveiled with each subsequent decade, wrought with added accessories and changes that reflected the times in which the dolls were produced.īefore her late-1950s debut, America hadn’t seen anything quite like the Barbie doll. This doll is highly sought after by collectors, especially well-preserved, vintage Barbie dolls. The Barbie doll is of the most popular and recognizable dolls ever created, and not just among young girls.

1966 barbie doll