From disreputable gap filler to global top seller: The true story of the Barbie doll

Would you give your child a doll that represents a call girl? No? Then take a closer look at your kids' Barbie-doll collection. Because the model of the Barbie doll was a cheeky girl who was invented by a German.

Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, is still referred to today as the inventor of the Barbie doll. But the true story paints a different picture. Credit: Vicky Kasala Productions/Getty Images

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