Barbie celebrated her big "5-0" on March 9, which Tuvalu marked with issue of a .999 fine silver dollar struck by the Perth Mint.Barbie may have made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959, but it was not until May that year that her international career was launched.
Up to this point dolls with adult bodies were few and far between in America. Most were modeled on babies. Ruth Handler, wife of the co-founder of the Mattel toy company, believed a niche existed in the market for an adult-bodied doll after she had watched her daughter, Barbara, dress paper dolls.
During a trip to Europe in 1956, Ruth came across such an adult doll called Bild Lilli, originally made for adults. However, the doll proved popular with German children who enjoyed dressing Lilli in different outfits.
Ruth took several Lillis home, reworked their design and christened her new creation Barbie, after he own daughter. Despite reservations on the part of Mattel's executives, "Teen-age Fashion Model" Barbie went forth to meet her public, dressed in a simple black and white zebra striped swimsuit number and flaunting her trademark ponytail. She came either as a blonde or brunette with a range of clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson.
She was an instant star. In her first year, 350,000 Barbie dolls went to good homes around the world. Today more than a billion Barbies have been sold worldwide in more than 150 countries. Mattel claims three dolls are purchased every second.
Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance despite early market research showing some parents were unhappy about Barbie's celebrated bust. Ruth ignored the market research.
Nonetheless, Barbie has had numerous makeovers over the years. The most famous was her 1971 eye job. She no longer glanced sideways demurely but now had a direct, in-yer-face, look. And her waistline appears to have thickened somewhat in middle age.
Trivia buffs will want to know that Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Her parents are George and Margaret Roberts from Willows, Wis. She attended Willows High School and Manhattan International High School in New York.
She has owned more than 40 pets including a panda, a lion cub and a zebra. She has a pink Corvette convertible, holds a pilot's license and is rated for flying commercial airliners. She has a medical degree and served briefly as an astronaut.
Her on-off relationship with Ken Carson, who first stopped by in 1961, is on again as of February 2006, following a two-year stint in Splitsville.
Barbie's status was recognized in 1974 when a section of Times Square was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. And in 1985 she sat to have her portrait painted by Andy Warhol.
If any numismatist is tempted to splurge on a new collecting area, vintage Barbie dolls now command top dollar. Top price realized at auction was back in 2006 when £9,000 was paid for Midnight Red Barbie from 1965 at Christie's in London.
Source:numismaster.com
