The Barbie-Bratz War Goes to Court

Carter Bryant, designer and former employee of Mattel, is at the heart of the Barbie-Bratz lawsuit you may have heard about in recent weeks. In dispute is whether he was a Mattel employee when he came up with the Bratz concept and shopped it to MGA Entertainment, Inc. If that is the case, Mattel would claim ownership of Bratz and the gazillion dollars they rake in.

Lo and behold, Mattel has dropped its lawsuit against Bryant but will continue litigation against MGA. So this mess isn’t cleaned up yet. Stay tuned.

Judge paves way for Mattel to sue Bratz inventor

Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:32pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has cleared the way for Barbie doll maker Mattel Inc (MAT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to go forward with its lawsuit against ex-employee and Bratz dolls inventor Carter Bryant.

Mattel, the world's largest toy maker, had claimed it owns MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls because Bryant conceived the big-headed, pouty-lipped toys while he worked as a Barbie designer.

In a ruling issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson said "the undisputed facts establish that Bryant breached his fiduciary duty to communicate his inventions to Mattel when, rather than doing so, he secretly entered into a contract with Mattel's competitor, while still employed by Mattel."

Sales of Barbie dolls have waned in recent years amid fierce competition from Bratz dolls, which burst onto the market in 2001. Mattel said this month the Bratz litigation was a factor in its $46.6 million first-quarter loss.

"The facts are on our side and we are confident we will prevail at trial," MGA Chief Executive Isaac Larian said in a statement. " MGA ... built Bratz -- and no one else."

(Reporting by Justin Grant, with additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; editing by Carol Bishopric and Braden Reddall)

Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie Arrived Today!

Today was fabulous!!! My Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie finally arrived and, well, all the stress I've been dealing with at the office just went out the window. I must say she is fabulosity personified. I spent much of the afternoon showing her off to people in the office --- even complete strangers --- that probably think I'm certifiably crazy. Kimora was a Christmas gift from my boss and I'm just so appreciative that I could cry. My boss is so…there's no better word…fabulous.

Let me just say that the doll looks much better in person than she does in the Barbie Collector catalog. Quite frankly, I thought the photo made her look a tad hoochiefied.

Anyhoo, the floor-length faux fur chinchilla coat is to die for and the signature 'Kimora Lee Simmons' leopard print lining was not lost on me. I really wasn't feeling the thigh-high boots when I'd seen them in photos but the gold heels on the boots are just too fabulous with the fishnet hose. The gold 'KLS' appointments on the handbag and chiffon top are so Kimora. Let me not forget that she's wearing my favorite color --- pink!

I was a bit surprised that so many people at my job didn't know who she is; but they do now.

If there was one thing I'd change about her, it would be the sunglasses. They are positioned fabulously on the top of her head but there's not enough contrast between the color of her hair and the color of her sunglasses so they get lost until examining the doll closely.

If you like pink and fashion, you must add Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie to your collection. Now, it would be too fab of Mattel to make dolls in the likeness of her daughters Ming and Aoki. Think about it. It's fabulous!

How many different Barbies have been made?

Let's think about this. Barbie has been around since 1959. Since then she has changed in hair color and ethnicity. She's been pregnant, a paraplegic, several celebrities and almost every occupation known to mankind. She's even been president.

So what's your guess? 500? 750? 1,000? I'll save you the trouble ---I still don't know. According to doll enthusiast, Mary Wernke, there were 2,386 made between Barbie's beginning in 1959 through 1999. That's a lot of dolls and 9 years are remaining to make Wernke's list current. I must keep that in mind when my familly complains about the number of dolls I've collected.

Check Mary's site for her exhaustive lists! Happy collecting!

Happy Birthday! Barbie is 49 and she looks fabulous!

This Day in History

March 9, 1959

Ruth Mosko Handler Unveils Barbie Doll

At the International American Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959, inventor Ruth Mosko Handler unveiled one of the most loved, emulated, and criticized toys of the 20^th century. The Barbie Doll, named after Handler's 15-year-old daughter, rocketed the Mattel company to nearly overnight success and became an icon of American culture.

Although Barbie has been roundly condemned by feminists as promoting an unrealistic body shape to young girls, Handler originally conceived the doll as a way for girls to imagine their futures as adult women. "I believed it was important to a little girl's self-esteem," she later said, "to play with a doll that has breasts." The development of the doll was also influenced by Handler's daughter's preference for adult paper dolls over the baby dolls that then dominated the toy market.

Although it was Mattel's first big success, the Barbie Doll was not the beginning of Handler's career as an inventor. While working at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Handler first went into business with her husband producing picture frames. Mattel, named for Handler's husband and a business partner, was incorporated in 1945. In its early years, the company produced a toy ukulele and toy guns; it was among the first to market toys directly to children, sponsoring a year's run of the Mickey Mouse Club television show. After the runaway success of Barbie, the company added Ken, named after Handler's son, and later additional dolls named for Handler's grandchildren.

After losing a breast to cancer in 1970, and leaving Mattel in 1975, Handler turned her attention to helping other breast cancer survivors. Unhappy with the available breast prostheses, she invented her own, which she sold through a new company called Nearly Me.

Handler received numerous awards for her accomplishments. The Los Angeles Times named her Woman of the Year in Business in 1967, the United Jewish Appeal named her its first "Woman of Distinction," and the Toy Industry Hall of Fame inducted her in 1985.

Ruth Mosko Handler died in 2002. Although often a subject of satire and social criticism, Barbie lives on, with more than 100 million sold annually. Professional outfits and ethnic Barbies have updated the original, but the grown-up doll continues to entrance both young girls and older collectors.

Sources: Ruth Mosko Handler, Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story (Stamford, CT, 1994); http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/handler.htm; Jewish Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia, pp. 591-592; M.G. Lord, Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll (New York, 1994); Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1967, December 15, 1967; New York Times, April 29, 2002.

Jewish Women's Archive. "JWA Presents 'This Day in History' - March 9, 1959, Ruth Mosko Handler Unveils Barbie Doll." <http://www.jwa.org/this_week/03/09/Ruth_Mosko_Handler/index.html> (March 9, 2008).

Note to Mattel: Where's my KLS Barbie?

OK, it's February. I've been waiting patiently for the official release of the Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie and now I find that she won't be released until mid-March? Oh, no! What's up with that Mattel?

Do whatever has to be done to make her fabulous. If that means I'm forced to wait another month, oh well. I'll just go back into Barbie rehab. I want my KLS Barbie and I want it now! LOL

Have a great weekend!

Smooches...

History of the Barbie Doll

As I've gotten back into my Barbie collecting mode, I've been afforded opportunities to share the Barbie message with many people who were not aware of the depth of the Barbie phenomenon.

I'll start with a little Barbie history. Now at the outset let me make it clear that I am not an expert. I do know a lot about Barbie but I've not enjoyed attending a Barbie Convention or meeting in of the Barbie designers. I'll get to that in future posts.

Let's begin with an abbreviated history of Barbie.

Barbie: History of a Living Doll

Author: Sherril Steele-Carlin

Did you know the original Barbie was named for a real young lady from California named Barbara Handler? It's true! Barbie, the teen fashion doll that debuted in 1959 was created by Barbara's mom, Ruth Handler, who named the doll after her daughter and the rest is doll history.

It all started in the late 1950s, when Ruth Handler noticed that her young daughter, Barbara, and her friends really liked to play with adult dolls rather than the common baby dolls that were common at the time. These adult dolls weren't three-dimensional, they were all made out of cardboard or paper, so Ruth began to design a three-dimensional adult doll that would make her daughter and her friends happy.

Handler and her husband Elliot had created the Mattel Toy Company in their garage, but by the late 50s it had grown to include a group of ad executives who quickly vetoed Ruth's initial idea and design. They thought the doll would be too expensive to produce and had little long-term appeal. Now we know how wrong they were!

Undaunted, Ruth continued with her idea. She traveled to Europe and when she returned she brought a German doll named "Lilli" with her. Redesigned, Lilli became Barbie, and Ruth continued to pester the Mattel executives until they agreed to produce the doll. The original patent date is 1958. Ruth even hired a fashion designer, Charlotte Johnson, to create a fashionable wardrobe for the doll.

Barbie, with her distinctive blonde ponytail and black and white striped stretch bathing suit made her debut at the 1959 American Toy Fair in New York City, and took the toy world by storm. The dolls literally flew off the shelves. Mattel set a toy selling record the first year Barbie debuted, selling 351, 000 dolls the first year. In ten short years, parents would spend $500 million on Barbie products for their clamoring youngsters.

Barbie was the first fashion doll, and she spawned many spin-offs, but she and her "family" of dolls are simply the most popular in history. Barbie gets at least 100 new clothing designs every year, and because they produce so many Barbie outfits each year, Mattel has become the biggest garment manufacturer in the world.

Today, Barbie has come a long way from that fashion doll who debuted in 1959. She has sisters, a boyfriend, and represents nearly 100 different nationalities. However, collectors prize the original Barbie and her 50s wardrobe above all else. Barbie and her clothing are one of the most popular collectibles in the world today, and a mint-condition original Barbie can sell as high as $10,000. So, check the attic, the basement, and the storage boxes for your old Barbie treasures. They could be more valuable than you think, and even if they aren't, they'll bring back lots of fond fashion memories!

Downsizing my Barbie collection

I received the Hollywood Hostess Barbie in the mail last week. Because of the packaging of the Silkstone dolls, I was able to remove the top of the display box to get a better look at it. I like the doll's hairstyle and much of the outfit. I'm not feeling the white sandals but I guess Mattel's options were limited. I would have preferred a similar style sandal but perhaps in a bronze color.

I want to keep the doll in the box but I'd love to redress the Lingerie No. 5 Barbie or the Sunday Best Barbie in these outfits. I popped online to the Barbie collector site and voila', it's sold out. I did find the doll on the My Favourite Doll site. I'd love to buy it now but I don't want to pay the $100 plus shipping.

I'm going to try to resist the urge. There was a time I'd have purchased it without a thought but I'm trying to be a better steward of my finances. As a matter of fact, I'm going to start selling some of my collection again.

I'm focusing my collection on Silkstone and Byron Lars dolls. I may keep a few of the Bob Mackies but for the most part, they must go. Be sure to visit this site again or e-mail me if you're interested in a particular Barbie.

Mattell adds Black Silkstone Barbie for 2008 --- Toujours Couture

I must add at least two dolls to my collection over the next six months. One is the Hollywood Hostess Barbie that I already have on order and the other is the Toujours Couture Barbie.

The Toujors Couture is a Black Silkstone Barbie --- one of the very few black Silkstones. I'm going to reserve my final opinion when it's released in February 2008. Right now, I'm not feeling the color of the outfit or those boots. She would have looked so much better in the La Vie Rose wardrobe.

I'll likely sacrifice and buy more than one of her. For sure I'm going to opt for black pumps or slingbacks. Look for the photos in February.

Real-Life Barbie: Kimora Lee Simmons

Remember how I posted that I wouldn't pay full retail for the KLS Barbie? OK, I am so taking that back. I have become such a fan of Kimora Lee Simmons from watching her television show, Life in the Fab Lane.

What I'd perceived as kind of rude and crude is just her way of making sure that she and her daughters live a fabulous life.

Kimora is such an entrepreneur; I enjoy watching her mind work. She also feels entitled to all of the fabulosity she's attained and you know what? There's nothing wrong with that.

Kimora has worked hard to become a fashion, jewelry and entertainment mogul. I really became a fan when she visited Mattel for an update on her Barbie doll. Miss Kimora made sure that the Mattel folks made no mistake that she wanted her doll to be known as a Barbie doll --- not Barbie's sidekick.

Barbie comes in all flavors and that's something that Mattel seems to forget from time to time.

Kimora also made it clear that she wanted her doll to have a long coat and the accompanying dog. That may not seem to be a big deal but it is. The Mattel folks tried to convince her that she could only have a short coat with the dog but Miss Kimora wasn't having that, OK.

In a life of fabulosity, the KLS Baby Phat Barbie would only have the most fabulous attire exuding an attitude of ultimate fabulosity. Count me in for the purchase of the Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie at full retail price. It's fabulosity, folks!

Baby Phat Barbie on hold

I don't know why, but the launch of the Kimora Lee Simmons Baby Phat Barbie has been delayed until February 2008. Perhaps the production of the doll was not up to Ms. Simmons' standards. The prototype can be so much better than what hits store shelves.

Anyhoo at an advertised $60, it's not likely I'll buy it any way. I really like that faux fur coat but not enough to pay full price.

Cher Doll

I really want to add the 2007 Cher dolls to my collection. The photos of Cher in that Indian outfit and that black skimpy number are to die for in the photos I've seen.

The problem with photos in the magazines or on the web are that they are frequently of protypes of a doll and do not reflect how a doll actually looks when it hist the shelves. The facial mold may be a tad diffferent and my major pet peeve are cheap-looking materials.

In an affort to keep my collection focused, I really need to skip the purchase the Cher dolls. Since they are less than $40, it's likely I'd be disappointed anyway.

New Dolls for Barbie Collectors; Have you seen them?

Mattel's Barbie Collector website is showing off 40, count 'em 40 new dolls added to the Barbie line-up. Some look very promising and I'll surely add them to my collection. Get a peek for yourself, go to www.barbiecollector.com.

Great for New Barbie Collectors: About.com Barbie Collecting Start Page

For newbies to the world of Barbie collecting, the About.com website is a must see on your list of sites to research. Their Barbie collecting start page is chock full of links that should satisfy your desire to learn all things Barbie. If you’re not a newbie, it’s a great site for you to visit also.

Must Have: Barbie Collector Magazine

With the discontinuation of Barbie Bazaar magazine last year, collectors such as I have been longing for a way to keep up with the news on Barbie as well as receive history lessons on the pink diva herself.

The editions of Haute Doll I received as a Barbie Bazaar subscriber were okay but not enugh to quench my thirst for all things Barbie. Call me a snob if you'd like but I don't particularly care for sharing space with dolls outside of the Barbie family.

Thank God a new magazine is on the horizon, perhaps you've already seen the first edition but I haven't had the honor. It's called Barbie Collector. It appears to start where Barbie Bazaar left off. I'll give you my opinion as soon as I receive my copy in the mail.

Unitl next time...Smooches!

Baby Phat Barbie

Mattel is releasing some great new Barbies in 2007. One of the soon to be released dolls is a "Baby Phat" Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie.

Now, I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. The facial features don't look enough like KLS but the outfit surely does. I am not feeling those boots but I'll likely purchase a few of the dolls for that fabulous faux fur coat. I love re-dressing my dolls and this is just, well, too fabulous.

I must applaude KLS for her business acumen. She is working a clothing line... fragrance... book...acting gigs... whatever. I'm not mad at her. You, go, girlfriend. Smooches.

Barbed Art

Here’s the story of an art show based on “restructured” Barbie dolls. Artists of various ages and walks of life re-created Barbie in various environments. There’s a mature Barbie, a Muslim Barbie in a burka, etc.

I’m not sure how I feel about this but since I haven’t seen it I’ll reserve my opinion. I know one thing, I’m not crazy about the photo at all. Just my opinion.



http://www.vcreporter.com/article.php?id=4434&IssueNum=116

My latest acquisitions: Career Girl Barbie and Coco Barbie

I've definitely slowed my collecting pace. For one, I need to get my display space in order. Secondly, Mattel just hasn't been producing the variety and quality of dolls that I like. For example what happened to more Black Silkstone dolls in the Barbie Fashion Model collection?

My latest acquisitions include the reproduction of Career Girl Barbie and the third installment of Byron Lars' Chapeaux Collection, Coco Barbie.

I haven't opened the box to Career Girl yet. I plan to redress one of my Lingerie Barbie No. 5 dolls with her outfit. Lingerie No. 5 has to be the absolutely perfect doll model. I'll do a blog post just on her soon. I should have purchased more them when I had the chance.

Let me get to Coco Barbie. Now, whoever decided to cheapen this entire Chapeaux collection with those permanent gloves on the dolls gets a big fat 'F'. Generally, I love the Byron Lars dolls but I am not feeling the excitement with this collection. The cheap plastic necklace on Sugar Barbie did it for me. Yuck. That's so un-Byron.

Coco is cute and funky. It's likely that I'll purchase another one of these because I do like this doll's pose. I'll remove the clothing anyway a add one of those fabulous doll wigs. She will be beautiful.

Bratz vs. Barbie showdown

Michelle Osorio

It hit me while I was browsing the toy aisle at Wal-Mart amid hula-hoops and rubber balls. They -- Bratz dolls -- are everywhere, like tiny underdressed and overly made-up plastic children. I couldn't help but wonder which genius had thought up the concept to create a "brat" -- one who looks like she wears too much makeup, not enough clothes and has no real talent to speak of.

I'm sure the meeting at Bratz-maker MGA Entertainment, when it came up with the concept, went something along the lines of: "So, that Barbie has been taking over the world for a while. Why don't we make a trashy version of it, give it smoky eyes and a bad wardrobe and see them fly off the shelves?" [MORE]

Diane VonFurstenberg Barbie

Wow, Diane VonFurstenberg’s Barbie dress comes in human sizes. No need to copy a Barbie outfit, you can have the real thing.

This wrap dress is cute but I’d prefer Robert Best’s designs from his Barbie Fashion Model Collection.

Perhaps that another direction Mattel should consider. Life-size Barbie fashions, I’m feeling it……

Lest I forget, VonFurstenberg’s Barbie dress is available at select boutiques.