On 9 March,2009, Barbie turns half a century. Over the years, there had been many changes but out of all that she had not got a wrinkle on her forehead or a single gray hair. Barbie Millicent Roberts was first introduced to the world in 1959 at the New York Toy Fair. She was named after her creator Ruth Handler’s daughter Barbara. Ruth Handler had seen her child play with baby and toddler dolls, but at the time saw a gap in the American market for a toy which represented a young woman. In their debut year, more than 300,000 were sold, at a price of $3 each.

The children’s very first doll dressed a black and white swimsuit, high-heeled sandals, and had the trademark high eyebrows.

The world’s biggest Barbie store after its six-storey pink palace opened at the weekend in Shanghai. Worldwide, Barbie sales fell 21 per cent in the last quarter of last year, despite of it the company is confident China will prove a winner. China is a huge market for the dolls, even with the $A55 price tag of the exclusive Shanghai Barbie doll. It is equivalents to the salary for the factory worker.