It's incredible how Ruth Handler's trip to Germany forever changed the toy industry for the better. There, she saw how children preferred playing with adult-looking dolls.
Ruth wanted to do the same in the US and tried to relay the idea to her husband, the co-founder of Mattel Toy Company. But it wasn't always smooth sailing for Ruth Handler. She didn't only have to convince her husband; she also had to persuade other members of the board to make Barbie a reality.
As a show of determination, Handler bought three dolls from Germany. She specifically chose the Bild Lili brand because it was the best representation of the direction she envisioned for Mattel.
The Bild Lili doll was produced and sold in 1995 by Build, a respected German magazine of the time. The toy was based on a popular comic book character illustrated by Reinhard Beuthin. Here’s a photo of Lilli:
Ruth gave one of the dolls to her daughter and used the remaining two to convince Mattel to produce a similar model. Handler supervised the redesigning process herself with the help of Jack Ryan, an engineer. She used her daughter Barbara's nickname for the doll, and with that, Barbie was born.
The first Barbie doll had her debut on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in NYC. She wore a trendy striped swimsuit, and a signature topknot ponytail do. Barbie was branded as a “Teenage Fashion Model.” Production made a 3:1 ration of Blonde Barbie versions over brunettes.
The first Barbie’s heels were non-removable, but her sunglasses were. Kids could place them on her eyes, head, and even let her hands hold them. She stood 11 1/2 inches tall, which was the exact 1/6 scale of a typical adult human body. Barbie's clothes were designed by Charlotte Johnson, Mattel's in-house fashion designer. Barbie's clothes were hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers.
The immediate success of the Barbie doll proved Ruth's idea was brilliant after all. The toy managed to sell 350,000 dolls in its first year. One Barbie was priced at $3 and her clothes between $1 to $5.
In 1960 Mattel was sued by Louis Marx and Company for the alleged infringement of the Bild Lilli doll. It took three years before things were settled. Four years after, Mattel purchased the copyright and patents of the Bild-Lilli Doll.
Today, the Barbie Doll #1 or 1959 Barbie Doll, as she is referred to by collectors, is an expensive item. Barbies that retained mint condition are said to be worth $27,000.