Barbie Doll Collector Definition
Source:- Google.com.pk
The Barbie doll was created by Ruth Handler for the Mattel company in 1959. Handler and her husband, Elliot, founded the company with partner Harold "Matt" Matson in 1942. Ruth, inspired by dolls she'd seen on a trip to Europe, and from watching her own daughter, Barbara, created an adult doll for children. Twelve inches high and plastic, the new "Barbie" doll and her fashionable and separately-sold clothing were such a hit that Mattel became a publicly-owned company in 1960. New versions of the toy mirrored fashion trends over the years, and Barbie was the center of a universe that included a benign boyfriend (Ken), occasional siblings (Skipper, Todd, Stacie, et al), pets (too many to name, including dogs, horses, cats and a parrot), cars, boats, planes and houses. Special versions of Barbie included scientists, disco dancers, fashion models, astronauts, rock stars and lifeguards. By the 1980s the doll's force as a collectible was such that Mattel began making versions of Barbie specifically for the collectors' market. Critics of the doll say it presents an unrealistic body image for girls, pointing to Barbie's large bosom, slim waist, long legs, white skin and blonde tresses. Fans say Barbie encourages young girls -- and boys -- by giving them aspirations to be scientists, disco dancers, fashion models, astronauts, rock stars or lifeguards. Despite the ongoing debate over Barbie's impact on American culture, the doll remains one of the best-known and best-selling dolls on the market.
Extra credit: The Ken doll is named after Ruth and Elliot Handler's other child: a son, Ken... Ruth Handler was born on 4 November 1916 in Denver, Colorado. She was president of Mattel until 1973, and died on 27 April 2002... According to Mattel lore, Barbie's full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts. A press release from 2009 said, in part, "Barbie doll -- Barbie Millicent Roberts -- was 'born' on March 9, 1959, in (fictional) Willows, Wisconsin." March 9th of 1959 was the date that the doll was first introduced at the annual New York Toy Fair.
Beginning in 2001, Mattel began to differentiate Barbies into different classifications using Label Colors. The current classifications are:
Pink Label (which had always been called "pink box" for obvious reasons) is used to designate play line or inexpensive dolls that available where ever Barbie Dolls are sold.
Silver Label is used for collectible dolls with no more than 50,000 produced worldwide.
Gold Label designates numbered editions of 25,000 worldwide or less, available at select retailers.
Platinum Label is an exclusive designation used when the dolls are sequentially numbered editions with less than 1,000 available worldwide. They are only available from certain Barbie dealers.
Black Label is a newer designation that indicates it is a doll designer for the adult collector.
Barbie has undergone many changes and a lot of diversity over the last ten years. Now a variety of different skin tones, hair colors and face sculpts are used. Mattel released a series of twelve Black Label Basic Barbie Dolls, the next step in Barbie Doll History, each featuring different types of Barbie face sculpt.
Here are the twelve 2009 Basic Barbie Dolls and their face sculpts. The dolls pictured below are all Barbies, the name underneath them is the name their face style is called.
Pink Label (which had always been called "pink box" for obvious reasons) is used to designate play line or inexpensive dolls that available where ever Barbie Dolls are sold.
Silver Label is used for collectible dolls with no more than 50,000 produced worldwide.
Gold Label designates numbered editions of 25,000 worldwide or less, available at select retailers.
Platinum Label is an exclusive designation used when the dolls are sequentially numbered editions with less than 1,000 available worldwide. They are only available from certain Barbie dealers.
Black Label is a newer designation that indicates it is a doll designer for the adult collector.
Barbie has undergone many changes and a lot of diversity over the last ten years. Now a variety of different skin tones, hair colors and face sculpts are used. Mattel released a series of twelve Black Label Basic Barbie Dolls, the next step in Barbie Doll History, each featuring different types of Barbie face sculpt.
Here are the twelve 2009 Basic Barbie Dolls and their face sculpts. The dolls pictured below are all Barbies, the name underneath them is the name their face style is called.
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