In the 1960s and 1970s, Mattel brought a number of Black dolls into the Barbie Universe, e.g., 1968’s Christie, a friend of Barbie who dressed in a mod swimsuit, and 1969’s Julia, who was ...

In the 1970s, Mattel tried to capture that Chatty Cathy magic with a re-release, but it didn’t have the same impact that the previous decade's dolls had. This doll, and the Chatty Baby and Tiny ...

Mattel sold over 300,000 dolls in the first year of production, per Mattel. The Handlers took Mattel public in 1960, with a valuation of $10 million at the time.

Classic Mattel toys include, above, clockwise from left, all-female presidential ticket dolls, the Hot Foot T-Bucket Dragster Hot Rod Ride-On car and Hot Wheels, which were first introduced in 1968.