Analysts expected the doll to perform poorly due to her adult appearance and widespread assumptions about consumer preferences at the time. Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, but early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. [11] Anschutz, Doeschka J.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E. (November 1, 2010). "The Effects of Playing with Thin Dolls on Body Image and Food Intake in Young Girls". Sex Roles. 63 (9): 621–630. doi: 10.1007/s11199-010-9871-6. ISSN 1573-2762. PMC 2991547. PMID 21212808. Mattel Sues Nissan Over TV Commercial". The New York Times. September 20, 1997 . Retrieved March 3, 2012.

Once the above factors are assessed, the next quintessential step is determining the doll's year and model. While older dolls tend to be rarer and thus more expensive, plenty of younger collectible models could be worth much more than you might expect. For example, some rare collectible Barbies are the 2014 Karl Lagerfeld Barbie, the 2001 Aqua Queen of the Prom Barbie, the 2003 City Smart Silkstone Barbie, and many more. Valeria Lukyanova: Model Seeks to Be Real-Life Barbie Doll". Inquisitr.com. April 23, 2012. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015 . Retrieved August 22, 2013.Oppenheimer, Jerry (2009). Toy monster: the big, bad world of Mattel. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. pp.33–34. ISBN 978-0071402118. Karniol, Rachel, Tamara Stuemler‐Cohen, and Yael Lahav‐Gur. "Who Likes Bratz? The Impact of Girls’ Age and Gender Role Orientation on Preferences for Barbie Versus Bratz." Psychology & Marketing 29#11 (2012): 897-906. Barbies fame began with the launch of the first doll, named Barbie Millicent Roberts, which was introduced in 1959. Since then, with every new edition of the doll, new accessories and outfits were added, reflecting the times the Barbies were produced. a b Haneline, Amy. "A girl with a gavel! Barbie debuts judge dolls, partners with GoFundMe to close 'dream gap' ". USA Today . Retrieved August 8, 2022. Best, Joel. "Too Much Fun: Toys as Social Problems and the Interpretation of Culture", Symbolic Interaction 21#2 (1998), pp.197–212. DOI: 10.1525/si.1998.21.2.197 in JSTOR

CBS News: Becoming Barbie: Living Dolls, Real Life Couple Are Models Of Plastic Perfection - by Rebecca Leung (Aug. 6, 2004) CBS News

Welcome to Aberdeen 📍 - Aberdeen`s ULTIMATE & ONLY ALL ACCESS Freshers’ Wristband is finally here! 🙌 Midnight Red Barbie Doll sets auction record". London: Yahoo! Australia. September 27, 2006. Archived from the original on October 3, 2006 . Retrieved November 6, 2010. Perez, Emilie Rose Aguilo (2021). "Commodifying Culture: Mattel's and Disney's Marketing Approaches to "Latinx" Toys and Media". The Marketing of Children's Toys. pp.143–163. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-62881-9_8. ISBN 978-3-030-62880-2. S2CID 234253829. Barbie has become a cultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris at the Louvre held a Barbie exhibit in 2016. The exhibit featured 700 Barbie dolls over two floors as well as works by contemporary artists and documents (newspapers, photos, video) that contextualize Barbie. [40]

A celebration of all things freshers as we bring together for one of the highlights of the year with a Barbie night twist this year! Yes, that is completely fine! You do not have to be attending University to come to our events, however please ensure they are of a similar age to yourselves! Playscale per About.com". About.com. March 2, 2011. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011 . Retrieved May 23, 2011. Barbie sold about 350,000 units in her first year, beating market expectations and generating upside risk for investors. Sales of Barbie exceeded Mattel's ability to produce her for the first three years of her run. The market stabilized for the next decade while volume and margin increased by exporting refurbished dolls to Japan. Barbie was manufactured in Japan during this time, with her clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers. [12]First Barbie-themed restaurant opens in Taiwan". Daily Times. January 31, 2013 . Retrieved February 1, 2013. [ permanent dead link] Mary G. Lord, Forever Barbie: The unauthorized biography of a real doll ( Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2004).