Ruth Handler’s every “girl’s best friend”

Who is known to the world as the ultimate fashionista, and is seen to play roles from ballerina to princess, to doctor and cheerleader? This is none other than the famous Barbie doll, who celebrates her fiftieth birthday this year.

Made in 1959, Barbie was created by Ruth Handler as the doll that would become every “girl’s best friend”. Debuting at the American Toy Fair in New York City, Barbie was an instant hit.

Barbie’s male counterpart, Ken, was invented in 1961, and since then the two has been joined by a full cast of various friends and family members.

Barbie has also been seen modeling various outfits and themes. She has even been re-created as famous celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, while her boyfriend, Ken, has been modeled after the likes of none other than Elvis.

If she were to be present in real life, Barbie would be about five foot six, weighing in at 110 pounds.
From the vintage pre-1972 dolls to the more modern versions, Barbie has been adored by collectors worldwide. In fact, a mint condition 1959 Barbie doll was auctioned last year at a worth of over twenty-five thousand dollars in United States currency.

Barbie’s current production company, Mattel, offers the doll with various themes for a range of occasions. In 2004, the company also introduced a four-tier system for collectors, each level ranging in rarity.
At the bottom tier is the Pink level dolls, which are known as “keepsake dolls.” The Barbie “Dolls of the World” is an example of a line of dolls in this tier, and they are normally sold at many retailers.

Next in line are the Silver dolls, which offer less than 50,000 of its kind worldwide. Ranking second on the tier are the Gold level dolls, which are distinct with 25,000 or less produced worldwide; at the top, the Platinum Barbie dolls are prized rarest with production ranging from 1,000 to one of its kind made.
Mattel has also invented a grading system, which varies from C-1 to C-10, marking dolls from the poorest condition to a never-been-removed-from-the-box state.

This year, for her fiftieth birthday, designer Roger Best was appointed to create a fiftieth anniversary version of the Barbie doll. For this event, she models a beautiful gold sequined evening gown, with a bracelet that is embellished with the number “50” to mark the special edition.

To mark her anniversary, Barbie has also been dressed by fifty famed designers, such as Versace, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Baby Phat, to name a few. These dolls were modeled at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. In addition, Volkswagen has produced a special version of the Beetle in Barbie’s favourite colour, pink, to display a life-sized version of the doll’s automobile.