Monday, March 02, 2009

Over the Hill...


In an article in Sunday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I learned someone very well known to people around the world is celebrating her 50th birthday on March 09, yet she has no wrinkles or shows any signs of aging at all. Who is it you ask? It's Barbie, of course!!!!

That's right; the toy from Mattel known worldwide as Barbie Doll is having her 50th birthday this year. To me, it feels like just yesterday I was playing with my own Barbie dolls, dressing them up to go to parties and on dates with Ken (I had 17 Barbies and only one Ken doll, what a lucky one he was!) So many girls like myself grew up with Barbie and have many great memories playing with her, it's no wonder why she remains on shelves today.

The article itself was really interesting, including 50 facts about her life. Some of the ones I liked included:

#7) In a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960's, Barbie's parents were George and Margaret Roberts who lived in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin.

#24) Barbie has had more than 1 billion pairs of shoes.

#45) Teacher Barbie was recalled in 1995 because she wasn't wearing underwear.

#49) Sales of Barbie were outlawed in Saudi Arabia in 2003.

Among these facts, some of the most interesting figures included that of Barbie's value. The most expensive Barbie ever sold was for $7,999.99, a No.1 1959 Ponytail Barbie. And, the current estimated price of the original 1959 Barbie in mint condition is a whopping $27,450!!! Obviously, Barbie has had a huge impact on not only American culture, but international as well, and to that I say, Happy Birthday, Barbie!!!!

No comments: