Life in plastic has proved fantastic, at least for Barbie. From her iconic debut at the 1959 International American Toy Fair in New York City to her upcoming 2023 Warner Bros. feature-length film, Barbie remains a hot collectible for young and old.
The first Barbie doll was launched in 1959 by Mattel. Elliot Hander and Harold Mattson formed Mattel in 1945, combining the “Matt” for Mattson and “El” for Elliot for the company name. Elliot Handler's wife, Ruth, pitched the Barbie idea after seeing how much her daughter, Barbara, enjoyed playing with paper dolls and also discovering the German Bild Lilli dolls on a 1956 European tour. Mattel started designing Barbie that year with the
