Best-selling doll

Although exact sales figures are impossible to source, there is no doubt that the most successful doll of all time is Barbie, the "fashion" toy first debuted by Mattel (USA) at the New York Toy Fair on 9 March 1959. As reported in Forbes magazine in 2009, the toy has sold 1 billion units in its lifetime, and various outlets – Forbes, the Washington Post and The New York Times – quoted Mattel's statistic that three dolls were sold every second in 2008, suggesting a total that year alone of 94.6 million units. This was all before the billion-dollar success of Greta Gerwig's live-action movie Barbie (USA, 2023) at the worldwide box office, which, according to Mattel, saw sales of the doll double in the month following the film's release.

Euromonitor's figures for 2022 placed Barbie at the top of the "Dolls and Accessories" category, with 13.5% share in retail value, ahead of the L.O.L Surprise! line at 9.7% and Shopkins at 5.2%. Brand owner Mattel also tops the list with a market share of 18.7%, compared with MGA Entertainment Inc (owner of the Bratz and L.O.L Surprise! ranges) at 17.2% and Hasbro at 13.1%. Mattel reported gross sales for Barbie of $1.49 billion in 2022, and $1.67 billion in 2021.

According to USA Today, eBay sales in collectable Barbie Signature dolls rose by 900% globally between 2021 and 2022, as a result of the hype for Gerwig's movie.

TIME magazine lists Barbie as the second most influential toy of all time – behind LEGO and ahead of Chatty Cathy (fifth), Doc McStuffins (eighth) and Cabbage Patch dolls (13th) – and 36th in their all-time list of the "greatest toys".

Toy News Online placed Barbie joint eighth, alongside matchbox cars and playing cards, in their list of the top 50 toys of all time. Tiny Tears was the next highest doll in 21st place. The survey was completed by toy executives who work in the business.

The best-selling Barbie doll is Totally Hair Barbie, released in 1992, which has sold more than 10 million units worldwide.

According to The Numbers, the Barbie movie grossed $1,439,854,017 (£1.14 billion) at the worldwide box office (as of 10 January 2024), making it the highest-grossing comedy movie of all time, and securing Gerwig's place in history as the most successful female director at the box office.