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Barbie Trivia: Facts and Blunders
Barbie’s Birthday: March 9, 1959
Barbie’s Name: After Ruth’s Daughter, Barbara.
Barbie's Full Fictional Name: Barbara Millicent Roberts (found in Random House Story Books in the 1960's).
Barbie’s Boyfriend Ken: Named after Ruth’s Son Kenneth.
Barbie's height: 11 1/2 Inches
A Barbie Magazine was published from 1961-1972
Barbie’s were introduced in Europe in 1961
The first Barbie doll sold for $3.00 (which is equivalent to $23.82 in 2013).
Barbie's were first manufactured in Japan.
The early dolls (#1 Ponytails) had hand painted faces and the later ones were painted with a stencil.
Barbie's first clothes were handmade in Japan.
3500 of the first Barbie dolls made, sold out in only 3 months.
1961 was the first year Mattel added redheads to the line (for every 100 blonds there was 1 redhead)
Barbie’s first career was a fashion model and she has had over 100 careers.
The first celebrity doll introduced was Twiggy in 1967.
Barbie went to Willows High School and grew up in Willows Wisconsin (Fictional)
Barbie's first car was the 1962 Austin Healy Roadster.
The best selling Barbie of all time was the 1992 Totally Hair Barbie which sold over 10 million worldwide between 1992-1995.
Interesting Facts
Barbie Blunders
The 1970-1971 version of the #1190 Standard Barbie had painted eyelashes. The box shows her with real eyelashes, and it also reads real eyelashes. It's also the same in her 1969 fashion booklet.
In the 1969 fashion booklets, Mattel printed bendable Skipper with stock number #1120 and Skooter with stock #1030. Someone forgot to proof read! They had reversed the stock numbers.
The early booklets show Ken and Allan as being 12 1/2 inches tall, when in fact, they were only 12 inches tall.
The #4035 Color 'n Curl set that was advertised in the little fashion booklets show a Miss Barbie head and a Barbie head. It was advertised with a Barbie and a Midge head.
The 1967 fashion booklet shows Casey with a blue headband and without her single earring. She was never sold that way.
In the 1965 fashion booklet is pictured the Color Magic Barbie wearing a floral swim suit. She was never sold wearing that suit, nor did she have curly hair which is also shown in the photo.
The #1115 Talking Barbie is shown in the 1967 fashion booklet with a two piece swim suit with see-through cover up. She was sold with a knit top and pink swim bottoms.
The 1967 fashion booklet shows Tutti #3556 Sundae Treat with pigtails. She never came in this set that way.
In the 1969 fashion booklet, it shows Stacey wearing a two piece swim suit. She was released for sale in a one piece suit.
On the 2000 Silkstone Lingerie Box, the word "Genuine" is misspelled.
#1190 Box shows real eyelashes. She had painted ones.
Notice the picture of the two heads: One is a Miss Barbie head!
Color Magic doll never sold in this floral swim suit and her hair was straight, not with curls.
Casey pictured with a blue headband and without her earring.
Trivia is always an interest to a collector. Here are some fun facts as well as some blunders that were made during the vintage years.
Oops! The stock numbers on the bend leg Skipper and Skooters got reversed in the 1969 booklet!
The #1115 Talking Barbie never came with this see through top!
#3556 Sundae Treat shows Tutti with a different hairstyle than what she came with.
Stacey never came in a two piece swim suit
The 1969 booklet shows real eyelashes. She had painted ones.
1992 Totally Hair Barbie - Best selling Barbie of all time
The 2000 Silkstone Lingerie Box with the word "Genuine" misspelled.
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