Barbie's Peak

Barbie debuted at the 1959 New York Toy Fair. At the time, they were sold for $3 each and became an instant success for Ruth and her family.

First ever digital video advertisement for the barbie doll. Curtesy of MATTEL 1959

Around 300,000 dolls were sold in the first year.

“The industry was just going frantic with demand for Barbie”
~ Ruth Handler

Although Ruth’s husband didn’t expect it to go far, Barbie had a quantifiable success that showed them that Barbie would have an impact in dolls and toys. This quick success turned into a long term American staple for girls. Mattel went on to create many new dolls, houses, and cars.

Curtesy of MATTEL 1959

Curtesy of National Archives.

To the left is a magazine/newspaper from 1960. You can see that Barbie is the only doll that isn't a baby or bride. The photo is blurry but the Barbie is the first in the third row.

Original photo of different Barbies with different careers. Curtesy of New York Times.

Fun Fact: If Barbie were a real person, due to her proportions, she would be 5'9 with a size 3 shoe and would have to crawl around.