Barbie dolls are a household name throughout the United States, and they have been for decades. Before there was Barbie, though, there was another doll called Lilli — and she was not marketed to kids at all.

Barbie dolls are a household name throughout the United States, and they have been for decades. Before there was Barbie, though, there was another doll called Lilli — and she was not marketed to kids at all.
If you’ve ever spent time in or around Amish country, you’ve likely come across displays of famous Amish rag dolls. You may have even seen some children playing with them. Have you ever wondered about the story behind these distinct dolls?
With his PlaymoGreek figurines, Petros Kaminiotis has found a unique way to merge his passions for folk dance, traditional Greek dress, and his favorite toys from childhood.
It’s not hard at all for most white parents to find dolls that resemble their children. As Gaëtan Etoga and Yannick Nguepdjop know all too well, though, the same is not true for parents of color.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do many things. Weddings and award shows have been hosted via Zoom, and school is taking place exclusively online for millions of students. Fashion shows are no exception to the social distancing rules adopted in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
To celebrate Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos), Mattel is releasing a second special-edition Barbie doll. With her traditional calavera (English: skull) face-paint, floral-updo, and skull-and-flowers-patterned lace gown, this gorgeous doll encapsulates the celebrations of this time.
Amy Jandrisevits makes dolls. And not just any dolls—handmade craftworks that are exact look-alikes for children who are physically different. Like other innovators before her, she came up with the idea for her unique side business after noticing a lack of diversity among similar products on the market—stuffed figurines with vacant, lifeless plastic eyes peering out from toy store shelves. She took it upon herself to change all that.
Over the years, the advancements made in crime scene studies have helped capture countless criminals and brought justice to an even greater number of victims and their families. Frances Glessner Lee, a curator of dollhouse-sized crime scene dioramas, is perhaps one of the least likely candidates to serve this role. At first glance, that is.
It’s never too early to consider turning your hobby (no matter how creative) into a bona fide career. It helps, of course, if your hobby is a visual-heavy avocation that allows you to chronicle your progress and share your talents with the world via social media.
Throughout the years, there have been many iterations of Barbie’s Dream House marketed to young girls—almost all of them garishly impractical and idealistic. None, however, have been presented as affectingly as this.