Curious Collector: 2012 Happy Holiday Barbie
Q: I collect Mattel’s Happy Holiday Barbie series but was surprised to find this 2012 doll in a discount store marked down to $19.99!
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Category: Barbie Dolls & Mattel
A Designer’s Dream: Barbie Models Outfits From Top Names in Fashion
When Barbie was introduced at Toy Fair in 1959, Ruth and Elliot Handler, the creators of Barbie, already knew the di¬rection they wanted to go with the doll.
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Ken: He’s a Doll!
There was never any question in Ruth Handler’s mind that little girls would want a Barbie doll to project their dreams for the future upon.
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Curious Collector: 1967 Mattel Tutti Play Set
I just love the sets made for Barbie’s tiny little sister, Tutti. I thought I had them all, but my husband surprised me with this set. I thought all the sets were from 1966. What can you tell me about this set?
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Curious Collector: FAO Schwarz Madison Avenue Barbie
I have always enjoyed the FAO Schwarz Barbie dolls that you have featured in the past and the stories behind them.
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Everybody’s Talkin’ Barbie!
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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Curious Collector: Mattel Barbie RN Repro
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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All Dressed Up: Barbie Dressed Box Dolls Are Rare Finds Today
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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