Q 01/05

The Lilli doll that inspired Barbie was based on a cartoon character created for which German tabloid?

A) Die Welt

B) Bild

C) Stern

D) Der Spiegel

Answer · why

B) Bild

Reinhard Beuthien drew Lilli, and the doll went on sale in August 1955.

Q 02/05

Who was the original Bild Lilli doll marketed to?

A) Adult men, as a gag gift

B) Fashion boutiques

C) Teenage girls

D) Young children

Answer · why

A) Adult men, as a gag gift

They were sold at tobacconists and kiosks, and a 1960s ad told young men to give their girlfriends a Lilli instead of flowers.

Q 03/05

How much did Mattel pay in 1964 for the copyright and patent rights to the Bild Lilli doll?

A) $216,000

B) $1 million

C) $21,600

D) $2,160

Answer · why

C) $21,600

That is roughly $218,000 in today's money, and German production of Lilli stopped the same year.

Q 04/05

Which local inventor-designer helped Ruth Handler redesign the Lilli doll into Barbie?

A) Jack Ryan

B) Carol Spencer

C) Elliot Handler

D) Harold Matson

Answer · why

A) Jack Ryan

Ryan was a former missile engineer whom Handler hired for his engineering skills.

Q 05/05

Roughly how many Barbie dolls sold in her first year, 1959?

A) About 1 million

B) About 3.5 million

C) About 350,000

D) About 35,000

Answer · why

C) About 350,000

They were made in Japan, with clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers, and beat every market expectation.