On March 9, 1959, in the Flatiron district of New York, co-founder of Mattel Ruth Handler launched her latest—and perhaps most daring—creation: Barbie.
Standing at 11.5 inches tall, the sultry-eyed doll with red lips, gold hoops, and petite heels in a black-and-white bathing suit was the first of her kind amidst a sea of innocent, wide-eyed baby and chubby-cheeked toddler dolls.
She was instantly met with scepticism.
But whether critics simply did not understand the target audience, or the feminist movement that declared girls really could be anything—Barbie’s impressive resume now boasts over 250 careers—they were quickly proved wrong, with the doll amassing over 300,000 sales in her first year alone.
But it wasn’t just children that the doll appealed to. As her popularity grew, so did the demographics of her buyers, with many adults embracing the doll as a collector’s item, citing nostalgia, and her luxurious fashions—some of which include designs by Christian Dior and Ralph Lauren—as reason for their love affair.
In 1964, Barbie was introduced to the Australian market, and in 1991, 32 years after her debut, the Australian Barbie Club (ABC) was born.
Now with over 200 members nationwide and subgroups in almost every state, the Victorian leg of the club meets every six weeks at the Kew Library to showcase their dolls and displays, buy, swap, and sell new and vintage goods, and socialise with fellow collectors.
ABC President Debbie Beams stated that the growth of the club, particularly during the buzz of Barbie The Movie’s release in 2023, was a far cry from its humble beginnings.
“The ABC was born in the early 1990s from several groups of dedicated collectors around the country, who had gotten to know each other at doll shows and through magazine ads. Here in Melbourne, the first Barbie Convention had just 10 members,” she said.
“Barbie is something that almost everyone on the planet recognises. She’s … been around for [almost] seven decades with many interpretations. No matter what your interest, there’s bound to be an aspect of Barbie culture for you. The club gives people an opportunity to share these in a non-judgemental space and learn from others.
“Time and again we hear people are grateful to have found a community where they are accepted. Prior to the ‘Barbiecore’ movement that has proliferated since the movie, it wasn’t as common for adults to be forthright about collecting dolls.
“We have male members who were never allowed to play with dolls as children. We have older members who never had a Barbie in childhood as they were deemed too expensive. Now they can come and share their stories, buy and sell dolls, get excited about tiny shoes! There is always something more to learn and people love sharing their knowledge and dolls at our themed meetings.”
Though not directly affiliated with Mattel, Ms Beams noted that the company was aware of the club’s existence and over the years had invited members behind the scenes for sneak peaks and access to exclusive sales.
The company also regularly donates gifts such as convention-exclusive dolls, with ABC’s next convention to be held in Sydney next year.
“We have a national convention every second year,” Ms Beams said.
“This is always a fantastic weekend with members … getting to spend [a few] days together immersed in doll culture.
“Barbie speaks to everyone differently because she has such a varied history. For me, I love being surprised by all the gorgeous dolls I have never seen before—and the gorgeous people that own them. The best thing about Barbie is she gave me a community of friends to play with.”
For more information or to join the club, email info@abcdoll.org, visit www.abcdoll.org, or join the Facebook group at
www.facebook.com/groups/abcdoll.
