15 Things You Didn’t Know About Barbie, The Most Famous Doll Of All Time

Barbie, the quintessential doll since it went on sale in the 1950s, was a big game changer in the toy world, being the first adult doll that little girls could have fun with. Barbie is also famous in other formats, such as movies or fashion, and ended up becoming one of the most important pop icons in history.

we, from awesome.club, we bring some curiosities about Barbie so you can learn a little more about the life of this famous creation.

Her real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Her creator Ruth Handler, president of Mattel at the time, placed it in honor of her daughter. It was she who gave him the idea, and Ruth began to realize that her daughter was bored playing with the dolls that existed at that time.

Barbie went on sale on February 13, 1959 and cost just $3.

She is the doll with the most professions, and has even been ahead of history with some of them. She got to the moon before Neil Armstrong, ever since astronaut Barbie appeared on the market in 1960. And she also did that in the 1990s, becoming the first president of the United States.

the protagonist of Frozen was the only doll in history to surpass her in popularity. Elsa became the best selling doll during Christmas 2014/15.

Its origin was the German Bild Lilli, which was a doll for adults. This was discovered by Ruth Handler on a trip to Germany. She thought it could work as a toy for girls, since she realized that her daughter was bored with traditional dolls and preferred to play with adult-featured ones.

Her estimated measurements would actually be 91 centimeters at the bust, 46 at the waist and 84 at the hip, which would make Barbie below the recommended body mass index.

In 2004, Barbie ended her relationship with Ken and started dating Blaine, an Australian surfer.

Totally Hair Barbie is the best-selling doll to date. Her long blonde hair, down to her ankles, has been a girl’s delight since she entered the market 26 years ago.

In 2003, the sale of Barbie in Saudi Arabia was banned. There it was thought that she did not conform to the norms dictated by Islam. For this reason, a Barbie known as Fulla was invented, which is accessorized with a hijab and a prayer rug.

The most expensive Barbie ever sold in 2010 for $302,500. She wore a one-carat pink diamond on her necklace, made by Australian jeweler Stefano Cantur.

It is estimated that, every second, 3 Barbies are sold in the world. This makes her the best-selling doll on the planet.

Dr. Agnes Nairn, from the University of Bath in England, published a study in 2005 that found that girls go through a stage, between the ages of 7 and 11, of hatred towards Barbie. It is at this moment that they dedicate themselves to destroying some of their dolls, and they do this to show that they are something childish that they no longer want to use.

One of them is Stanley Colorite, known as “Barbie Man”. Stanley owns about 2,000 Barbies, and spends about $30,000 a year on dolls and accessories.

In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week.

Andy Warhol created, in the 1980s, a beautiful pop portrait of the doll. Several years later, in 2015, Mattel brought to market a collection based on this artist’s pop work, as well as a doll that personifies her. Only 900 pieces were produced, each priced at $150. The money raised went to the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Are you a Barbie fan? Did you know these curiosities about the doll? Know others you’d like to share with us in the comments?