History of Mattel Dolls

Barbie

• Ruth Handler, later the president of Mattel, created an alternative to the baby dolls that dominated 1950s toy shelves: an adult woman doll with a wide selection of wardrobe accessories. The marketing potential of the Barbie turned Mattel into a multinational giant in the next decade. Although some have taken issue with Barbie̵7;s unrealistic figure and its influence on girls, the doll has become a worldwide cultural icon.

Action Figures

• In the 1970s, Mattel marketed its fondly remembered Big Jim action figures to compete with the G.I. Joe products of rival Hasbro. The series failed to make a lasting impact, but the Masters of the Universe dominated action-figure sales in the 1980s on the strength of a popular animated cartoon. In the 1990s and 2000s, Mattel produced figures based on Batman, the Justice League and other DC Comics superheroes.

American Girls

• In 1998, Mattel purchased the American Girls line of historical dolls. The dolls were designed to foster girls̵7; interest in American history and fill the age gap between baby dolls and teen or women dolls. Mattel merchandises American Girls with books, movies and mall boutiques.