Great Gifts Barbie Dolls - Celebrities

Barbie had a lasting impression upon America and the world beyond.

What Ruth Handler created was a new culture of play for little girls from around the world.

Originally the idea for Barbie was given a strict no by the male purchasing managers. It was because of Ruth Handler's belief in her creation that she pursued this dream. And her dream became our dream.

What female babyboomer in the United States did not own a Barbie Doll? Here's a look at some of the celebrities that inspired Barbie Dolls.

Barbie^®Celebrity Dolls:

Twiggy

Twiggy – first celebrity doll introduced 1967, Twiggy (Lesley Hornby), who was from London and became iconic here in the United States for her skinny as a twig looks and her fabulous fashion outfits.

Diahann Carrol

Diahann Carroll, the first black women to have her own television show, she played a nurse in the show with the same name as the doll - the “Julie” doll was modeled after her Diahann Carrol had her own televisions show called “Julia. P. 40 , it has been stated that Ms. Carrol didn’t feel the

Barbie doll named Julia” ”looked much like her….

Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas, the star of “That Girl”, while no direct Barbie, in 1967, both Barbie and Francie got new hairsytles, a shoulder-length “lip” style.p. 37

Naomi Sime

Naomi Sime – the first famous black model, Christie had a short “Afro” hairsystle”, essentially a new term for a bubble cut. 1968-1985. Sadly, Naomi Sime left us in 2009 at the age of 61.

Empress Sissy

Empress Sissy – the Habsburg Barbie® modeled after the wife fo the emperor of the Austria, Emperor Franz Josef. In 1995, 10 dolls were sold for $4,500 each to help restore the Habsburg summer home in Bad Ischl.

Free Willy

Free Willy – Ocean Friends Barbie® doll and Keiko gift Set (1996) “Keiko can swim, splash, squirt water and make whale sounds.” P. 76

Kitty O’Neil

Kitty O’Neil, was the model for the Kitty O’Neil Barbie doll, Kitty was “a deaf, dare-devil, stunt woman for movies and TV shows.” P. 57 (1978) wore a yellow knee-length jumpsuit with front zipper closing to mimic the race car driver.

Laurie Lea Schaefer – Miss America 1972

Laurie Lea Schaefer, Miss America 1972, “Walk Lively Miss America was based on a real life Miss America.” P. 55)

Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy is one of my personal favorites. Perhaps no other US President's wife has had the notoriety as Jackie and perhaps Jackie takes the lead in the most number of replica dolls - from the barbie doll to the Franklin Mint. The porcelain doll by the Franklin Mint details in precise miniature the beautiful wedding dress that Jackie wore on her wedding day to a man who was at an US Senator at the time of their betrothal who would go on to become the President of the United States of America.

Lack of Athletic Celebrities

From my reading material, I noted no great female athletes – iceskating, tennis, golf. Specifically, I tried to find:

Dorothy Hamil

Peggy Flemming

Chris Everett

Nadia

Nancy Lopez

Mattel was known for its marketing. The packaging, the fashions were as important as the slogans. Mattel created a create product complete with memorable slogans.

Barbie® Doll Slogans:

We girls can do anything, right Barbie?

Ken, he’s a doll!

Theme song, “We Girls Can Do Anything?”

You can tell its Mattel, it is swell!

Summary - We Girls Can Do Anything!

Barbie gave little girls around the world the ability to imagine, to create, to dream. The slogan of We Girls Can Do Anything is true. Amazingly the inventor Ruth Handler proved the experts in the toy industry wrong - millions upon millions of times over. No other doll or toy in history has had such a strong following.

At one point the membership for Barbie Dolls was estimated in the same realm as the Girl Scouts - amazing! A toy, a simple doll. But oh, it was the dream that doll represented to little girls throughout the world.

Barbie, Ruth Handler's dream, lives on. The story behind the inventor, an American female who created a dream for the little girl in all of us, is a story that proves - We Girls Can Do Anything!

While not the most expensive barbie, but perhaps the most expensive barbie for a celebrity barbie doll was reported as Dream Halloween depicted to the right - Elizabeth Taylor - at auction $25,000!

The 2010 Cleopatra Barbie Doll is one of the most popular and representative of the world's most expensive movie production ever.  Elizabeth Taylor was stated to have received $1,000,000 for her role.  The acting is superb, the scenery outstanding and the clothing is luxurious.  Cleopatra the movie remain a delight decades later.

Niv Sikand hand paints dolls.  "Most of the dolls used for my repaints are 16" Robert Tonner or Franklin Mint. However I have also begun to use Gene Marshall, Madra Lord and Barbie sized 12" dolls. All repaints and reroots are done using top quality products only."  As you can see, he can replicate any celebrity.    His dolls include vintage Hollywood - such as the 1930's beauties shown above to modern day celebrities such as Madonna and Nicole Kidman

Recently released for under $40 is the Frank Sinatra Tribute Barbie Doll - a Barbie with a Frank Sinatra-like outfit and vivacious pose. Yet many years ago, a Barbie Doll with Frank's likeness was released and prices on the Internet show this forerunner selling in excess of $2000.

So who is missing in the world celebrities? Princess Diana and my personal favorite Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco - the grand daughter of Princess Grace, daughter of Princess Stephanie. An equestrine Barbie with Princess Charlotte's likeness I believe would be timeless.

Barbie has an entire line of royals but royality in how one carries oneself not just beauty. Princess Diana, Princess Grace all showed great personal stamina. The public eye is challenging and we as viewers must remember it is not all the glitz and glamor. The hunger the public has for the celebrities sometimes denies the celebrity a normal life or in the case of Princess Diana, a life period. Respectfulness must be the mantra of all professions.

Enjoy this website? Not a member yet?

JOIN HUB PAGES TODAY!