Barbie is the most widely known and best-selling doll of the 20th century. It was invented by Ruth Handler and first exposed at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. Barbie dolls are owned and produced by Mattel. Barbie dolls and other related accessories are made at a ratio of one to six, which is the largest size of dollhouse models, also known as playscale.

Barbie was first exposed at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959, which became Barbie’s official birthday. After Mattel obtained the copyright of the Bild Lilli doll in 1964, the Bild Lilli doll was officially discontinued. The first Barbie doll had a ponytail, a black and white zebra print swimsuit, and came in blonde or brunette hair. In the early days, Barbie was nicknamed "Youth Fashion Model" and her clothes were designed by Mattel's fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. About 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold in the first year after its launch.

Rose believes that Barbie’s adult appearance is very important. Initial market research shows that some parents do not like the doll's obvious breasts. Barbie's appearance changed many times. The most obvious one was that in 1971, Barbie's eyes were adjusted to look forward instead of looking sideways like they originally did.