Barbie Arrives

Barbie - the name inspired by that of the Handlers' daughter, Barbara Joyce - officially debuted on the American market in March 1959 at New York City's American Toy Fair.

Unaware of the future that awaited her, Barbie was buttressed by the commercial aptitude and insights of Ruth Handler, a shrewd believe in her innovatory potential.

Presented as a "teenage fashion model", she was widely touted in the Mattel catalogs as "a new kind of doll from real life", with the serial number 850, measuring 11½ inches tall, and available in blond or brunette. Boxed in a pretty white carton illustrated on the outside with dress designs from the collection, she wore a black-&-white-striped jersey bathing suit and was accessorized with her celebrated white sunglasses with blue lenses, high-heeled black shoes, gold-hoop earrings, a pedestal on which to support her, and the ubiquitous little catalog illustrating a variety of models that could be purchased at prices ranging from US$1 - US$5 per package (today such vintage doll is worth at least US$1500 & up.. per piece)

The Mattel logo and the name "Barbie", written in its distinctive script and printed on all point-of-purchase packaging, guaranteed the product and protected it from imitation. The doll carried an imprint at the small of her back that was stamped directly onto the vinyl during the molding process.

This patent was submitted in 1958 and maintained the same trademark, sometimes using Arabic numbers for the date in place of the Roman numerals, until it was modified in 1966. Buyers met the doll with only moderate enthusiasm at first, perhaps troubled by the doll's adult features that were so alien to those of the usual innocuous baby dolls and little girls; she invited a certain caution. But these hesitations could not get the better of what already portended to be an unprecedented commercial phenomenon.

During 1959, more than 351,000 Barbie dolls were sold a the price of US$3 a piece, a victory largely due to the ingenious idea of promoting the doll on tv during the popular "Mickey Mouse Club" show. However, Ruth Handler's instinct to market the doll with a big wardrobe full of clothes and accessories sold separately was clearly the real trump card.