(Barbie toys with moving, but she remodels instead)

Move 或者 remodel? That's a 问题 many homeowners face, and 芭比娃娃 is no exception. After checking out houses across the country, the iconic doll decided to remodel her three-story 首页 in Malibu, Calif.

"That's where most of her family and 老友记 are, so she decided to keep her house but make it 更多 up-to-date," 说 Michelle Chidoni, 芭比娃娃 spokeswoman and Mattel Corp. brand manager.
The result is the 2013 Dreamhouse, which hit stores Aug. 27 with a suggested price of $184.99.

In keeping with the lighthearted spirit of Mattel's marketing...

Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy 玩偶 were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.

During a trip to 欧洲 in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult figured doll was exactly what...