16 hottest holiday toys -- kid tested Oct 2, 2009
com picks Barbie Fashionistas, Crayola Crayon Town and LEGO Star Wars among the top toys of the year. Our experts, all under the age of 10, weigh in. (CNN -- Money)
Wal-Mart supersizes holiday toy program Oct 2, 2009
Wal-Mart is offering more than 100 toys, including Barbie dolls and board games, for $10 each, throughout the Christmas shopping season ... This year, the retailer has ramped up the program and is offering more than 100 toys, including Barbie dolls and board games, for $10 each, throughout the Christmas shopping season. (MSNBC -- Business)
Wal-Mart expands $10 toy lineup for frugal shoppers Oct 1, 2009
Wal-Mart said it had worked with its suppliers over the last year to offer an assortment of top brands, classic toys and newly released items for $10, including Barbie dolls and Transformers action figures. "This year it's bigger, it's better," Laura Phillips, vice president of toys for the company's U.S. division, said in an interview. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Soprano family values Oct 1, 2009
Barbie from the block got mixed reviews from city girls inspecting the newest spin on the old-school toy. Lifestyle Stories. (Yahoo News -- The Sopranos)
Wal-Mart selling 100 $10 toys for holidays Oct 1, 2009
Some of the toys Wal-Mart is promoting this holiday include Barbie Cut and Style Rapunzel, a Play-Doh Burger Builder Set, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Action Figures, and My Little Pony So Soft Newborn. Several board games are available for $10, including Connect 4, Battleship, Monopoly, Trouble and Jenga, among others. (AZCentral -- Business)
Holiday Bargain: Wal-Mart To Offer 100 Toys For $10 Oct 1, 2009
Toys to be promoted include Barbie Cut and Style Rapunzel, a Play-Doh Burger Builder Set, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Action Figures, My Little Pony So Soft Newborn and others, according to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.. Toy retailers are ramping up competition for consumers' dollars. (KWTX.com, TX)
Wal-Mart’s list of $10 toys grows Oct 1, 2009
Some of the toys that Wal-Mart is promoting this holiday season include Barbie Cut and Style Rapunzel, a Play-Doh Burger Builder Set, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Action Figures, and My Little Pony So Soft Newborn. Several board games are available for $10, as well, including Connect 4, Battleship, Monopoly, Trouble, and Jenga, among others. (Boston Globe)
MOVIE BLOG: Barbie - the new leading lady? Sep 25, 2009
MOVIE BLOG: Barbie - the new leading lady ... But I suppose a live-action Barbie movie does make sense ... The cartoon, which Universal also distributes, has done relatively well, and if Waldo of Wheres Waldo and Stretch Armstrong can get their own movies, Barbie certainly takes the proverbial cake when it comes popular toys that would make popular movies. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Toys R Us plans Twin Cities pop-up-shops Sep 25, 2009
Earlier this week to open a pop-up Barbie doll store in the Mall of America ... Barbie and Toys 'R' Us are the only pop-up stores planned at the Mall of America this year ... The popular American Girl doll line, which like Barbie is owned by El Segundo, Calif. (Twin Cities Business Journal, MN)
Spin Master Goes Up Against Barbie Sep 16, 2009
Barbie's Half-Century Reign ... Barbie has fought off dozens of rivals during her five-decade reign as the industry's top doll ... It also gave its characters four friends from an imaginary high school backstories and imperfections that make them seem more real than the aspirational Barbie astronauts, beauty queens, and Presidential candidates. (BusinessWeek)
Appropriate at a kids party to have winners and losers? Sep 12, 2009
I ve done pool parties, Chuck E. Cheese, Dixieland, Discovery Zone, Barbie parties, sleep overs, but none consisted of anything competitive. Yes, kids need to learn that they won t win every time. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
WTBD: Hurrah for the Teddy! Sep 9, 2009
These cuddly, oh-so-cute stuffed toys have long stood the test of time, battling the likes of GI Joes, Barbie dolls and new-age motor cars, proving to be the most adorable companions for kids and adults worldwide ... Unlike action figures, Barbie dolls or video games, which are constantly being updated and upgraded, a teddy bear is just one big, fluffy ball of reassurance. (India Times, India)
* [THE WEEKENDER] Cloud Gate trilogy brings Chinese characters to life Sep 7, 2009
That doll image proved to be correct, for after all the men but Li Tsung-hsuen (va) exit the stage, he began to play with Sheu like she was a Barbie with flexible joints, posing her this way and that until he finally tires of the game and leaves. At this point the rest of the men return and begin to play with Sheu. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Kids Bathroom Dcor Tips Sep 4, 2009
Whether a bathroom is done up in a Superman theme or a Barbie-doll one, the idea is to appeal to tiny yet definite aesthetic sensibilities ... For instance, using Barbie as a theme will mean Barbie doll waterproof pictures on the wall, pink and white colored walls or Barbie wallpaper, with silver trimmings and silver and pink wall and ceiling stickers in the shape of tiaras, wands and ball gowns ... For instance, anti-skid mats for a Barbie themed bath can be pink in color while grab rails can... (Suite101.com)
Water recedes but troubles linger Sep 4, 2009
Another man gave her pickup a tuneup, $100, clothes, a Barbie doll for her 5-year-old daughter and free passes to play mini golf. "I was poor many times in my life, so when I see something like this, I like to give a hand," said the man, a local business owner who asked not to be named. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Rocky Mountain high, raining fire in the sky (1) Aug 31, 2009
Before Barbie came along, my escape from childhood boredom (and three pesky brothers) was watching 3-D images on a paper reel through the lens of a View-Master. This binocular-shaped device was my prized childhood possession (mostly because I didn t have to share it with my brothers. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
GI Joe, post-American hero Aug 29, 2009
Mattel, the maker of Joe's original inspiration and big sister, Barbie, was the other ... Barbie's little brother Hasbro first brought Joe to market in 1964 ... He was essentially a Barbie for boys, a soldier doll you could dress in that "Ike" jacket with the red scarf or a "beachhead assault fatigue shirt", then undress, and take into that pup tent with you for the night. (Asia Times Online)
She's got balls Aug 26, 2009
" Lumped togetherThere is however evidence that testosterone can affect behaviour, particularly exposure prenatally: a little girl whose mother had a relatively high level of the hormone when pregnant may display a preference for Bob over Barbie, and for what are deemed more male forms of play. We have lumped a number of characteristics into one to come up with a unitary view of gender that doesn't bear up to scrutiny Professor Melissa HinesCambridge University This phenomenon of gender-specific... (BBC News -- Health)
MORE: Klum says baby No. 4 is her last Aug 20, 2009
Alternate careers aside, Klum is looking forward to a busy fall, which includes the launch of a Heidi Klum Barbie doll in September. Klum also will release another makeup line, this one Indian-inspired, later this year. (USA Today -- Life)
Clean ending for 'Monk' Aug 6, 2009
Moore plays independent and confident nurse Candy Sullivan, a character who comes across as cotton candy, Barbie and a Playboy centerfold all rolled into one. PASADENA - The final episodes for one of television's most quirky detectives, "Monk," start airing this week. (Fresno Bee)
9 to 5 to 9: Build-A-Bear becomes expensive obsession Jul 28, 2009
It's fitting that Build-A-Bears entered our home the same time Barbie left ... - to streamline, I callously hauled a crate of two dozen mint-condition Barbies to Goodwill last week ... I like my Christmas tree Barbies and a few vintage dolls much better, so they got to stay. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Profits up for American Girl owner Mattel Jul 20, 2009
In the quarter, the maker of Barbie and Fisher-Price toys earned $21 ... Among its brands are Barbie and Hot Wheels. (Milwaukee Business Journal, WI)
Cost cuts see Mattel profits jump Jul 18, 2009
Sales of Mattel's key Barbie dolls were down 15 ... The results at the company, best known for its Barbie doll, were much better than analysts had expected ... Sales of Barbie dolls fell by 15%, while those of Hot Wheels, another of the company's best-known and most popular toys, fell by 10. (BBC News -- Business)
Mattel 2Q Profit Rises 82 Percent on Cost-Cutting Jul 18, 2009
In this photo made Monday, March 9, 2009, decorations are seen at Barbie's Real-Life Malibu Dream. In this photo made Monday, March 9, 2009, decorations are seen at Barbie's Real-Life Malibu Dream House, Monday, March 09, 2009 in Malibu, Calif ... Toy maker Mattel Inc. said Friday sales of Barbie and other toys sank in the second quarter, but profit rose 82 percent, beating analyst expectations, as the company cut down on expenses. (ABC News -- Business)
Read the story Jul 6, 2009
"Looks like bloggers are not the only ones who smell another potential and damaging GOP ratfest. by flora68 July 4, 2009 8:58 AM PDT I don't care WHY she bailed on her job; stick a fork in her- Sarah Palin is DONE. You don't ditch an ELECTED gig halfway through, especially for vague, incoherent reasons, and expect voters to vote for you AGAIN. This "post turtle" is OFF the post now, for whatever reasons, and the chances that somebody else is going to be silly enough to lift her up there again is... (CBS News -- Evening News)
Click to read:Palin Attorney Threatens Lawsuits Jul 5, 2009
Once again Caribou Barbie shows how woefully unprepared she is for public office ... "LOLROTFLMAO!!! half way thru her term as Governor she QUITS because she can't deal with the hot water, too ripe!!!And THIS caribou barbie is the one that COULD have been Vice Presidnet or President of the USA!! Imagine how it might have been halfway thru the Presidential term if she decided she had enough and announces she is QUITTING?What a loser! by BornFreeLiveFree July 4, 2009 8:25 PM PDT Hmmmmmmmmm just... (CBS News)
Palin A "Shooting Star Crashing To Earth"? Jul 5, 2009
Reagan was not a Quitter though He was Tough and went the Distance on his own merits Caribou Barbie is a Quitter, Just last week she came out saying she had the stamina to go the distance that she could beat anyone with her "go get it attitude". Hurrah, it was all show, no substance. (CBS News)
Barbie collector says goodbye to dolls Jul 4, 2009
Roxanne Hosfelt, left, and Ellen Jenkins look over a large collection of Barbies that was donated by Meaghan McDermott to help raise money for the youth group ministry at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Carlisle ... Jennifer Adams, right, and her daughter, Emma, 4, look over a large collection of Barbies ... She set about 280 Barbie dolls and other toys out for sale on the lawn of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Carlisle Thursday to raise money for the churchs youth group and to keep the... (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
He-Man and the Infinite Sadness Jul 3, 2009
Slate's create-your-own-toy-movie contest. - By Dana Stevens - Slate Magazine. (Slate)
Playing with toys - and gender Jun 24, 2009
Playing with toys - and gender - The Boston Globe. Local Search Site Search. (Boston Globe)
Not so tickled... Jun 6, 2009
The fine, the commission's largest for a toymaker, involves 95 toy models, from Barbie accessories to "Sarge" cars, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said today. "This penalty should serve notice to toymakers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act," Thomas Moore, acting chairman of the commission, said in a statement. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Mattel, Fisher-Price to Pay $2.3 Million Civil Penalty for Violating Federal Lead Paint Ban Jun 6, 2009
Mattel imported up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between September 2006 and August 2007, including the "Sarge" toy car and numerous Barbie accessory toys, and distributed most of them to its retail customers for sale to U.S. consumers. The "Sarge" car was recalled in August 2007 and the Barbie toys were recalled in September 2007. (PR Newswire)
Newsweek: Does reality TV hate women? Jun 4, 2009
I would have loved a show on how to throw a wedding on the cheap when I was getting married instead of Barbie dolls fighting over "the best of the best" on Platinum Weddings. And now they've made it worse with this other horrible show, She's Got the Look, whose whole point seems to be that all women, no matter how successful in other fields, just want to be models. (MSNBC -- News)
Bikers organize bar crawl benefit for Toys for Tots Jun 3, 2009
LOADING Jun 03, 2009 - 04:02:06 CDT By RACHEL ALBIN Bismarck Tribune A band of motorcyclists will zip from bar to bar Saturday with Hot Wheels, Barbie and Elmo in mind. The Mandan chapter of Dakota Riders M.C. and the Silver Dollar Bar in Mandan are collaborating to raise money for the local Toys for Tots branch. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
WCPS driver to be featured on The Early Show Jun 3, 2009
Juliana has discovered her mothers old toys and Barbie dolls. Theyre getting a second go-around, Sirbaugh said. (The Herald-Mail Online)
Enough With the Princesses! Jun 2, 2009
when I accidentally called my granddaughter's video "Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Priestesses". Princesses are now priestesses. (Slate)
Jewish NYC doll joins American Girl lineup May 30, 2009
-based Mattel Inc., the nation's largest maker of toys including Barbie dolls. . (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Princess pedestal May 28, 2009
Barbie has many princess-oriented items, including a top-selling "Princess and the Pauper" DVD. Even seemingly tougher girls like Dora the Explorer occasionally don crowns, too ... Though they've given in on a few princess items for their daughter, he says he and his wife have drawn the line on Barbie and Bratz dolls, which he calls "empty-headed girly-girl products." Coincidentally, Mattel Inc., which makes Barbie, recently won a copyright infringement battle that may mean the end of Bratz, a... (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Jewish NYC Doll Rebecca Joins American Girl Lineup May 26, 2009
-based Mattel Inc., the nation's largest maker of toys including Barbie dolls. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. (ABC News -- Wire)
Money: I spend too much of it May 17, 2009
When I was done, it made me think of the movie The Incredible Shrinking Woman, where Lily Tomlin shrinks to Barbie size and has to live in a doll house, because of the interactions of all the chemicals and products she s been using. - Advertisement. (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Volunteers help clear city waterways of litter May 10, 2009
Her best find: a slimy, naked doll tangled in twigs that she called "River Trash Barbie." ... River Trash Barbie maybe would have won, if only there was a bad hair day category, Hertert joked. (Anchorage Daily News)
Jackman: Action Figures Like Voodoo Dolls May 7, 2009
Mattel is also getting into the act with a series of "Star Trek" items, including remote control Enterprise and Romulan Bird of Prey ships from the original series, a Hot Wheels versions of the Enterprise and other ships, and movie dolls of Barbie as Uhura (Saldana), Ken as Spock (Quinto) and Ken as Kirk (Pine). Terminator Salvation' The Terminator is back -- without Arnold Schwarzenegger -- with a fourth "Terminator" movie, and there's a host of toys to come with it. (KIRO TV, WA)
A hamburger X-rayed May 7, 2009
From Barbie to the Big Mac, these everyday items have been given the X-ray treatment ... See through: The insides of this Barbie doll are highlighted in Stuelke's amazing Radiology Art. (Harper's Magazine)
Church offers help at homeless camp May 7, 2009
" Barbie wrote on May 6, 2009 4:18 PM:" We have been blessed to be apart of Servant Week, which invovles more than the homeless camps. It is great to see lives touched. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Toymaker plans new, bigger doll May 4, 2009
The new line, expected out in January, will be priced between Groovy Girls or Mattel Inc. s Barbie lines, which generally cost $10 to $20 per doll, and American Girl (another Mattel product), which sells at about $100 per doll. dolls, still in development, will be large dolls about 15 inches tall, a bit shorter than American Girls but Klein said the as-yet-unnamed doll isn t intended as a direct competitor. (Twin Cities Business Journal, MN)
Toys R Us playing house with detergents, food May 1, 2009
is expanding its selection beyond Barbie and Tonka to include Pampers and Similac. The Wayne, N.J. chain has added store-within-store shops, called R Markets, to the front of 260 of its 585 stores, including three in Greater Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Business Courier, OH)
Can Toys "R" Us Sell Toilet Paper? Apr 29, 2009
Here's a real shocker: at Wal-Mart, a "Surf's Up" Barbie doll basically, Barbie in a bathing suit costs just $5. 44. (Time.com)
Judge Upholds $100 Million Verdict for Mattel in Bratz Doll IP Case Apr 29, 2009
A federal judge upheld a $100 million jury verdict Monday for Mattel Inc. in a lengthy legal battle over rights to the Bratz doll, a rival to Mattel's Barbie. U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson also confirmed in his ruling late Monday that the Bratz doll -- marketed by MGA Entertainment Inc. since 2001 -- is Mattel property. (Law.com)
Judge upholds $100M Mattel verdict over Bratz Apr 28, 2009
- A federal judge upheld a $100 million jury verdict Monday for Mattel Inc. in a lengthy legal battle over rights to the Bratz doll, a rival to Mattel's Barbie. Story tools. (Anchorage Daily News)
Barbie wins again: $100M verdict over Bratz dolls upheld Apr 28, 2009
Barbie wins again: $100M verdict over Bratz dolls upheld - USATODAY.com ... Barbie wins again: $100M verdict over Bratz dolls upheld ... (AP) A federal judge upheld a $100 million jury verdict Monday for Mattel in a lengthy legal battle over rights to the Bratz doll, a rival to Mattel's Barbie. (USA Today -- Money)
Mattel posts loss despite boost from Barbie 50th Apr 19, 2009
NEW YORK - Mattel surely wishes Barbie could turn 50 every year ... Barbie sales had been flagging for years, and the surprise helped send Mattel shares up 16 percent ... There was a big anniversary, but even outside of that I think Barbie did well. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Trash or Treasure? Apr 19, 2009
The 1959 original recently sold for a fortune Aside from the originals, Mattel says the big bucks dollars are also paid for any of the Barbies with bubble cut hair. Also look for red haired and iconic Barbies, such as the Malibu Barbie ... BARBIE COLLECTING FACTS. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Birthdays with Barbie Apr 17, 2009
Diane McCann poses for the Courier with her collection of Barbies at the McCann home in Hazleton, Iowa on April 14, 2009 ... She even got two Barbie dolls for her birthday --- a special anniversary doll in a gold dress and a replica of the first Barbie ever made ... McCann, of Hazleton, just turned 50 --- the same age as Barbie, who was made in 1959. (Waterloo Courier, IO)
Mattel posts wider loss in 1st quarter Apr 17, 2009
Sales fell in most key product categories: Sales of Barbie which is celebrating its 50th anniversary fell 5 percent, as a double-digit increase in the U.S. was offset by declines internationally due to the stronger dollar. Fisher Price sales fell 17 percent, Hot Wheels fell 3 percent and American Girl fell 4 percent. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Senior home helps African school with supplies Apr 16, 2009
She donated school supplies to Eleos, along with Barbie dolls for the girls and Matchbox cars for the boys. The school is funded by what little the church can afford. (Lexington Minuteman, MA)
Dona Marie Ensz Apr 8, 2009
She especially enjoyed shopping for fabric that she used making beautiful Barbie doll clothes, quilt squares for Indian missions, baby clothes and blankets for crisis pregnancy centers, quilts, and small bags filled with candy and toys that have been sent all over the world with missions such as Samaritan's Purse Shoe Box Ministry. This past November, she and Roy sent out over 80 shoebox gifts filled with goodies and love. (Freeman Courier, SD)
Harmless toy or recruiting sergeant? Apr 4, 2009
" Below is a selection of your comments. "They contribute to the idea that guns are normal in our society, and also that they are glamorous and desirable". Come off it - following that to its logical conclusion everyone who owned an Action Man should have turned into a gun-toting mass murderer when they turned 13. If anything this puts guns into their proper context: a tool of the military. Mark Dennis, Woking, UK Excellent! My son is a soldier and his six-year-old sister is making tanks out of... (BBC News -- UK)
Churchill Downs and Mattel Team Up to Create Kentucky Derby® Barbie® Doll to Commemorate 135(th) Run for the Roses® Apr 3, 2009
Churchill Downs and Mattel Team Up to Create Kentucky Derby Barbie Doll to Commemorate 135(th) Run for the Roses - Yahoo ... Churchill Downs and Mattel Team Up to Create Kentucky Derby Barbie Doll to Commemorate 135(th) Run for the Roses ... --(BUSINESS WIRE)--With Kentucky Derby 135 on May 2, 2009, quickly approaching, Churchill Downs, the legendary racetrack that hosts the annual Run for the Roses, and Mattel are pleased to announce that they have teamed up to create the Kentucky... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Eclectic mix of treasures to be found at Pantagraph garage sale Mar 30, 2009
Along with Betty Boop and Barbie will be liquor slot machines, a tent, screen house, antique toys, Bakelite bangles, homemade jams and relishes, primitives, tools and automotive, fishing, wrestling and racing gear. Brand-new items include furniture, home dcor, handmade beds, and bandanas for Fido and Fluffyif you can get a cat to wear one. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Best birthday parties EVER! (6) Mar 28, 2009
I realized it was for me, she admits, since kids don t care what kind of plate their Barbie cake is served on. In this economy, (cutting back on theme-printed paraphernalia) is an easy place to save money. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
New Dolls on the Block Mar 20, 2009
Ever since Barbie and her reality-defying curves stepped into the playhouse, parents have complained that dolls promote an unattainable image of beauty ... "I don't want Valerie to think she has to be conventionally beautiful to be loved." So when Valerie asked for a doll at Christmas, her mother bypassed buxom Barbie and purchased Elizabeth (retail price: $175) from S.C.-based retailer Downi Creations. (Time.com)
Message in a Bindi doll Mar 16, 2009
I might not have paid much attention except that the doll resembled Barbie, and Barbie has been on my mind a lot lately ... Barbie sales plunged 21 percent in the last quarter of 2008, and she's been criticized for years for her rampant consumerism, and accused of promoting anorexia among young girls ... I was sad to hear this, since Barbie was an important part of my childhood, a breakthrough toy for my generation. (Boston Globe)
What's Up? Mar 14, 2009
WHAT A DOLL: No need for plastic surgery when you're made of plastic, which is how Barbie's turning 50 with nary a wrinkle. Celebrate her birthday by making party hats, posing for photos with a live Barbie look-alike (bring your own camera) and joining in a "Happy Birthday" singalong. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
When Barbie conquered the Soviet Union Mar 12, 2009
It just so happened that I was apparently one of the first people in the Soviet Union to get a Barbie doll, which was ironic since I was one of those relatively rare girls who simply didn't play with dolls ... My mother told me it was a Barbie ... As Barbie celebrates her 50th birthday this month, I pulled her out of a box to take one more look. (Asia Times Online)
The multi-faceted Barbie turns 50 this week Mar 11, 2009
The multi-faceted Barbie turns 50 ... Want to play Barbies ... To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Barbie, Mattel has released a new version of the doll (left) that updates the original classic 1959 swimsuit look (right). (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
