Hello everyone! With the hype behind the Barbie Movie and our last Toy and Comic auction, it’s only fair that we talk Barbie, right? As a young girl who wanted to be Barbie, the movie and range of contemporary dolls of varying shapes and sizes has warmed my heart, but there have also been too many changes that grind my gears! So, you guessed it, I’m diving into the world of Barbie, the drama, and the hidden siblings!

Barbara Millicent Roberts was created by Ruth Handler, a prominent businesswoman who sold doll furniture made by her husband Elliot Handler and their business partner Harold Matson. You may also know them as the founders of Mattel Toys. The dolls themselves were inspired during a trip to France with her two children, Barbara and Ken, when she saw a doll resembling an adult woman which stood out among shelves of baby dolls… and the rest is history.

Barbie’s friends and family have gone through many changes over the years, Skipper being rather consistent, but did you know that Barbie once had a set of twin siblings named Tutti and Todd? The pair was released in 1965 but only lasted for a brief period before being discontinued in 1975. Todd did make a comeback in 1991 as a part of the wedding party for Barbie’s friend Midge, but alas Tutti was never seen again, and she was eventually replaced by Kelly and Stacie.

This is where a personal issue arises for me with the dolls because Kelly was my favorite and now Kelly is no more. In 2010 Kelly became Chelsea because she had different names in the US and European markets, so to make things cohesive she was renamed. Barbie also had a baby sister named Krissy who was first introduced in 1999 as the youngest of the family, but her doll was promptly discontinued in 2001… She did make a comeback in the “Barbie: I Can Be” line – but that doesn’t change the fact that for years I thought I hallucinated a baby Barbie! She was originally discontinued because she was a choking hazard, and I can’t help but notice the Krissy of today is much larger than when I was a kid.

Moving on, we can’t forget Allan. Introduced in 1964 as Ken’s best friend and named after the son-in-law of Ruth Handler, his name was later changed to Alan in 1991. Allan was also Midge’s husband and was featured in the “Happy Family” line alongside their two kids Ryan and Nikki. Later, another baby was added to the bunch, but frankly he just never caught on.

In 2004 Barbie and Ken split up and her new boyfriend, Blaine Gordon, was introduced. An Australian surfer and brother of Summer, another of Barbie’s many friends, he was never featured in any Barbie movies or media, but he was prominently featured with Barbie during the much-publicized breakup. He was part of the “Cali Girl” line and was quietly discontinued when Barbie and Ken patched things up in 2011.

Who would have known our girl Barbara was living in such a soap opera?