Barbie collection goes under hammer

Barbie

She is better known worldwide than Madonna or the Virgin Mary.

She has been, in her 47-year career, an astronaut, a vet, a soldier, a firefighter and a presidential candidate.

The playmate of a billion girls from Cardiff to Calcutta, she has incurred the wrath of feminists for embodying an image few girls could hope to achieve.

Actually, no-one could achieve it. Scaled to human dimensions, she'd stand about 7ft2in in her tiny, stockinged feet and would measure 39-21-33.

She was created in 1959 by Elliott and Ruth Handler, the founders of the Mattel toy company, and named after their daughter. Ken, Barbie's wet on-off boyfriend, was named after their son.

Ruth's intention was to create "a teenage doll for little girls to play and think about the future with".

Barbie was modelled on the Bild Lilli doll, itself based on a German comic-strip society tart. When launched at the American International Toy Fair in New York, her reception was less than ecstatic.

But as she took on successive roles - Fashion Luncheon Barbie (ie Jackie Kennedy), Twiggy Barbie - and adopted changing trends, her appeal grew.

Now the largest collection of Barbie dolls in the world is to be auctioned at Christie's next month.

Ietje Raebel, a Dutch-born fashion designer, bought the dolls for her daughter Marina in the early 1960s. Marina then started collecting on her own account, and their 4,000-strong army goes under the hammer on 26 September.

The whole sale should realise £100,000 ($298,760).

Over the years there has been a Barbie for everyone: Diwali Barbie, Peruvian Barbie, even an overweight "Happy to Be Me" Barbie.

But it's ironic that, no matter how many serious careers she's been given, she's still seen as a more plastic version of Paris Hilton.

It didn't help when Mattel produced "Teen Talk Barbie" in 1992.

Her first words to her admiring fans were, "I love shopping!"

* Barbie: 1959 - 2002 The Ietje Raebel and Marina Collection goes on sale at Christie's on 26 September.

- INDEPENDENT