Barbie’s Siblings, Her Birthday, and More

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If you search the Internet and ask about Barbie’s sisters, and brother for that matter, you would likely get diverse answers on their names and how many they are. Even Barbie’s animated movies and her line of toys and playsets throughout history do not have definite depictions on who they are. It’s probably because some of the characters (or dolls) have been discontinued, returned, or renamed – and new ones have been added as well.

However, three of these names remain stable and their respective dolls are available in the market to this day. They are Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea.

Barbie and Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure

Skipper

Skipper is Barbie’s first sister who debuted in 1964. She was Barbie’s little sister back then and was 10 years old when she was first introduced. Nowadays, she comes as a teenage girl doll with dark brown hair, sometimes brunette, and pink/purple highlights. When it comes to tech and gadgets, she’s the one Barbie can count on.

Stacie

Anastasia Roberts or Stacie (her nickname) is the sporty sister of Barbie who loves adventure and mystery. Being the most athletic among the sisters, she has a bucket list of crazy sports she wants to do. She appears as a preteen doll with light brown or honey blonde hair and green eyes. Her favourite sports are basketball and football.

Chelsea

Barbie’s youngest sister, Chelsea, was introduced to us in 2010. Coincidentally, the youngest is also the latest Barbie sister doll released in the market. She appears as a little girl with blue eyes and light blonde hair. She is the friendliest among Barbie’s sisters, and it shows on her playsets and accessories such as the Chelsea and Friends series.

The “Discontinued” Ones

Well, we really can’t be sure if the following characters will remain discontinued in the next few years. Mattel, the company who owns the Barbie toy line, may have something up their sleeves. So who knows? They may return these characters or may add other ones down the line.

Todd

Who said Barbie didn’t have a brother? Before Stacie and Chelsea were introduced, Barbie and Skipper had a younger brother – and his name was Todd. His character doll was available in the market from 1965 to 1971. The name Todd would appear again along the Barbie toy line but not anymore as her brother. Guess what? He also had a twin sister!

Tutti

Tutti is Todd’s twin sister. Together with Todd, she appeared in 1965 and got discontinued in 1971. After being ceased, some people confused her for Stacie – probably because Tutti was replaced by Kelly, who in turn got replaced by Stacie.

Kelly

Known as Shelly in Europe, Kelly was brought to life as Barbie’s sister along with Skipper in the1990s. She was discontinued in 2010 and would be replaced by Stacie the following year.

Krissy

Prior to Chelsea’s existence as the youngest sister among the siblings, Barbie had a baby sister. Krissy was a baby doll released in 1999 along the Barbie line of toys but was ceased in 2001. She re-appeared in the browser game called “Let's Baby-Sit Baby Krissy” and in the 2015 playset Barbie Fashionistas with Millie.

Keeping Up with the Times

It’s easy to see why children of all ages, especially little girls, are engrossed with Barbie and her series of toys. The characters and their respective accessories keep on evolving. We can expect Mattel to keep releasing new concepts that go with the times for Barbie, her sisters, and her friends; so her fans will continue to enjoy collecting her toy line for many years to come.

Is Barbie Based on a Real Person?

Barbies isn't based on a real person, bu there is a Ukrainian model who is famous for her resemblance to Barbie. Her name is Valeria Lukyanova. Of course, there are many folks who participate in cosplays and are made-up and dressed-up to look like Barbie, but Ms Lukyanova is said to be a “natural.”

Valeria Lukyanova | Photo c/o CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

When Is Barbie’s Birthday?

The Barbie Doll was conceptualised by Ruth Handler, one of the owners of the popular toy company Mattel, in 1959. Since then, Barbie has become a name that has marked the childhood memories of millions of people, especially girls, worldwide. So how did Ms Handler come up with the idea of a doll that is now known to be a historic yet time-tested icon in the toy industry, providing happiness to little girls among many generations?

At that time, Ruth was watching her little daughter making paper dolls and pretend-playing them with grown-up roles. She saw an opportunity to fill a void in the toy market. During those days, there weren't any dolls that look like grown-ups – most (if not all) of the dolls back then were baby dolls and stuff dolls. Ruth flew to Germany where she got some help in making her doll idea into a fully playable doll suitable for children.

On 9 March 1959, the first ever Barbie Doll was showcased at the American International Toy Fair held in New York. Majority of toy historians consider this date as Barbie’s birthday.

Little Girls Love Barbie

Just about every little girl loves Barbie, and this is the reason why Mattel keeps on producing and releasing new models of Barbie dolls and playsets. If you are a fan of Barbie, you won’t get enough of her cars, houses, barns, pets, and fashion accessories. There are also Barbie clothing lines for girls who want to dress up like Barbie.

What makes Barbie interesting to many little girls is that she can be anything – she can be a vet, pilot, cowgirl, mermaid, fairy, princess, and president. It is Mattel’s way of saying to children that they can be anything they choose to be when they grow up. Barbie is not just a doll but a persona that little girls can look up to.

If you are intending to buy a gift for a little girl and you don’t know what to give as of this moment, then maybe you should go for a Barbie doll or playset. There are so many options you can choose from – you won’t go wrong with Barbie.

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