Top 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know about Barbie

With thousands of different looks over the years, Barbie’s wardrobe gives Cher Horowitz a run for her money. But back in 1959, the fashionista’s very first look was a black and white striped swimsuit. She also wore her trademark ponytail, available in either blond or brown hair. The first Barbie cost $3, or roughly $25-30 today, with other clothes and accessories sold separately. She made her debut at the 1959 American International Toy Fair in New York, and saw sales skyrocket after her first commercial that same year Since then, she’s only become more valuable. In 2006, an original Barbie was sold at an auction for over $27,000! Almost sixty years later, this trailblazer continues to be in style.

Barbie’s svelte figure and curves are unmistakable, but those proportions would be unhealthy and downright impossible for a human woman to achieve. She is a doll, after all. Still, that hasn’t stopped some women from emulating her. Blondie Bennett has spent over $30,000 in plastic surgery to look like Barbie, and even plays the part. There’s also Valeria Lukyanova, who’s been called the Human Barbie for her hourglass figure and big eyes. Both women are happy with their looks, but this isn’t always the case. The term “Barbie Doll syndrome” refers to girls and women who strive for Barbie’s unrealistic measurements, and shows that plastic isn’t necessarily perfect.



 Long-time viewers of the The Simpsons know that Waylon Smithers is Malibu Stacy’s biggest fan. Meet his real-life counterpart: Bettina Dorfmann. With over 15,000 dolls, the German holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Barbie collection. In 1966, Dorfmann got Barbie’s BFF Midge as her first doll, and started expanding her collection in 1993. More than twenty years later, Dorfmann has Barbies of all eras, styles, and ethnicities, including an original doll from 1959. Besides collecting Barbies, she also repairs them; replacing broken or missing limbs and brushing tangled hair in her doll hospital. Dorfmann’s collection is estimated to be worth about $250,000, and to her, it’s worth every penny.
 

When you think of Barbie’s appearance, chances are you’re thinking of blonde hair, blue eyes, and her unrealistically thin shape. Mattel has sold Barbies of different ethnicities over the years, but they've all basically shared the same body. In 2015, the company introduced 23 new dolls with various skin tones and hairstyles. A year later, they went one step further, introducing three new body types: curvy, tall, and petite. Women like Misty Copeland and Ashley Graham also have Barbies in their likenesses, as part of the brand’s inspirational Sheroes line. Of course, no doll is 100% realistic, but these new Barbies reflect more of the real life ethnic and physical diversity that we see all around us.
 

 Although she’s normally associated with Malibu, Barbie is actually from the Midwest! According to Mattel, Barbie was born in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin – not to be confused with the real town of Willow, Wisconsin. In her first ever vlog on YouTube, she explains that her parents are writers, and that they moved to Malibu to raise their girls by the beach. Barbie says that they visit Willows every year, and that she loves snowboarding in Wisconsin and surfing in Malibu. She also went to high school in Willows, and returns to her hometown in one of her movies. Sunshine or snow, Barbie is a born and bred cheesehead.



 From Legos to Hatchimals, some toys just fly off the shelves. For Barbie, the all-time bestseller was the Totally Hair™ Barbie. Released in 1992, her blonde or brunette crimped hair measured 10½ inches long - that is, down to her feet. She also came with combs, hair accessories, and a bottle of gel. Curl it, crimp it, or braid it, the possibilities were endless. Mattel even launched Totally Hair™ Ken, Totally Hair™ Skipper and Totally Hair™ Courtney, but the original reigned supreme. Between 1992 and 1995, more than ten million Totally Hair™ Barbies were sold globally. Today, she can sell for up to $200on eBay, and remains a Barbie legend.
 

 Barbie’s origins are both child-friendly and racy. Her creator, Ruth Handler, noticed her daughter playing with paper dolls. Dolls were usually babies or infants at the time, but Handler saw the chance to introduce womanly figures into the market. On a trip to Europe in 1956, she came across the Bild Lilli doll. Bild Lilli was based on a German comic strip character of the same name, known for her suggestive quips and was actually initially geared towards adults.  Handler was so impressed with Lilli that she bought three dolls. And after two years of redesigning Lilli, Handler finally introduced Barbie on March 9, 1959 – Barbie’s official birthday.



These two are the epitome of the term “power couple,” but did you know that they once broke up? In February 2004, Barbie and Ken split after 43 years together. Mattel vice-president of marketing Russell Arons said that they needed time apart, but also hinted that Ken didn’t want to get married. While Barbie moved on to Australian surfer Blaine, Ken got a makeover in 2006 and was determined to win her back. Sure enough, after a huge online campaign, Barbie and Ken reunited on Valentine’s Day in 2011. And like many other couples, they made their relationship Facebook official. How’s that for modern romance?

 We’ve already seen Barbie’s roots, but what about her name? Well, Barbie's full name is actually Barbara Millicent Roberts and she was named after Ruth and Elliot Handler’s daughter, Barbara. Ken, meanwhile, was named after the couple's son, Kenneth. Unlike their namesakes, the Handler siblings stayed out of the spotlight and gave few interviews, but Barbara did make one notable public appearance: an interview with Oprah in 2006.
 
Before we get to our #1 surprising Barbie fact, here are some honorable mentions:
 
Barbie’s First Pet
 
Barbie Is (Reportedly) Banned in Saudi Arabia

 
Wheelchair Becky or Share a Smile Becky [aka Barbie in a Wheelchair]

 

Many people change career paths, but none as much as Barbie. As of 2016, she’s had over 180 different occupations - a job count rivalled only by Homer Simpson. She’s been a teacher, a surgeon, a chef, a firefighter, and everything in between. Barbie’s also quite the trailblazer. She was an astronaut four years before the moon landing, and has run for president multiple times. Since 2011, many of her career choices have been traditionally under-represented by women, such as an architect, film director, and game developer. Barbie’s “Imagine the Possibilities” ad showed girls that they could do whatever they set their minds to, and was chosen as one of YouTube’s most iconic ads of 2015. Barbie’s not just a pretty face; she’s also an inspiration to millions of young minds.

 Do you agree with our list? What’s your favourite little-known Barbie fact? For more stylish Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.