The big news in toys back in 1968 was the release of a talking Barbie! This had been on the drawing board for several years — Mattel’s 20-inch Chatty Cathy from the early ’60s could say several different phrases. But it was hard to adapt the talking mechanism — a miniature record player, complete with speaker — to fit inside Barbie’s 11.5-inch body.
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Q: I am a retired nurse and I remember the original Barbie registered nurse outfit. I learned that a Barbie doll and the outfit had been reissued, but I didn’t know it at the time. Fortunately I found one on eBay. I was very pleased with it. There were a few listed, and prices varied considerably. I was wondering if you could comment on this?
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Over a million Barbie dolls had been sold by 1962, according to a Mattel press release. This is just three years after Barbie was introduced at the 1959 Toy Fair. In an interview with Elliot Handler, one of the founders of Mattel, in 1986, he told me even he was unconvinced that Barbie would be a success.
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. I have a beautiful Barbie from FAO Schwarz still in the box in a blue dress that looks very familiar to me. I’m sure you know more to the story about this beautiful doll. Can you perhaps estimate a current value?
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For 2021, Mattel’s Barbie designers are more committed than ever to creating dolls that mirror real-world collectors and their icons.
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Q: I could not resist buying this adorable Barbie doll from 1994, still in her original box. She was available at Hallmark, according to the box. Can you tell me more about her?
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Q: This version of Mattel’s Barbie doll really spoke to me on eBay. I had not heard of this doll and was very happy to have won her. I took her out of the box eventually, because the hair play factor was too hard to resist! I am sure as usual you have more information to tell me.
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Q: I just loved the television show “Julia” when it debuted in 1968 with the lovely Diahann Carroll. I found this doll at a show, and of course I bought it. I see from the tag that it is a reissue. What can you tell me about this wonderful doll?
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