Barbie is the No. 1 Toy Choice for Girls Once Again!

For almost the past 50 years, the Barbie doll has had many ups and downs, but once again she is on top! According to the National Retail Federation's survey of parents, Barbie is the top hot toy choice for girls this year.

Sales for Barbie dolls slumped in recent years, as they did at the beginning of the women's movement in the early 1970s. More recently, many stores have replaced many of the Barbie dolls on their shelves with the Bratz dolls. Even with this change, the Bratz dolls came in as the #3 toy choice for girls. But once again the Barbie doll has bounced back. Mattel, Inc. has said that sales for Barbie doll have been up for the first time in several years. Since Barbie has been around for so many years, it is a toy where mothers and daughters can share a common interest and respect for doll collecting and for just playing with dolls. Mothers can share with their daughters the Barbie dolls they had as children and these are dolls that can be passed on from generation to generation.

For Barbie doll collectors, Barbie is always the top toy choice on their list. Avid Barbie doll collectors will want to pick up the current Barbie's that reflect today's world, as well as gathering their vintage favorites from yesteryear. With so many Barbie dolls that are available on the market each year though, it is really impossible to try and buy every one. Avid collectors plan and spend their money on Barbie dolls according to what their needs are for the time, what collections they want to complete, and if what is on the market is appealing to them.

Barbie has managed to continue bouncing back because she has been able to consistently reinvent herself over the years and has kept up with the current trends. The Barbie doll has come a long way since her first days as a cat-eyed doll in a black and white bathing suit. Barbie doll has been a dancer, candidate for President, astronaut, rock star and had many other careers. There have also been Barbie dolls created to represent over 45 nationalities along with African-American and Hispanic Barbie dolls.

More recently, Mattel has tapped into younger girls' fascination with princesses and fairies in their "Fairytopia" and "12 Dancing Princesses" lines. These lines include dolls, movies, a stage show and prominent play on Barbie's interactive website.

The new "Chat Diva" Barbie doll carries a toy cell phone while she lip syncs and bops her head to music when her iPod is plugged in. For older girls, Mattel has developed product lines with cosmetics, fragrance and clothing makers.

The National Retail Federation's survey of parents listed the following as the top 10 hot toy choices for girls:

1. Barbie
2. Dolls (generic)
3. Bratz
4. TMX Elmo
5. Dora the Explorer
6. Disney Princess
7. iPod/MP3 Players
8. Nintendo DS
9. PlayStation 3
10. The Little Mermaid

The top 10 boy toy choices are:

1. TMX Elmo
2. Cars (generic)
3. PlayStation 3
4. Video Games
5. Legos
6. Nintendo DS
7. Hot Wheels
8. XBOX 360
9. Remote Controlled Cars
10. Trucks