A pregnant Barbie? These knocked-up versions of America’s darling dolls are now in ultra-high demand, but the backstory is even more priceless.

Ok, first things first - there are several “Barbie” dolls making the rounds in internet searches that are not affiliated with the actual brand, Barbie, trademarked by Mattel. The original iconic fashion doll, Barbie, was first created by Ruth Handler in 1959, and even though it’s probably protected by a zillion copyright and reproduction restrictions, there are still countless spinoff replica “Barbie” dolls everywhere you look.

One fictional character in the actual Barbie universe released by Mattel is Midge, Barbie’s BFF. First introduced in the ‘60s, Midge wasn’t available for sale until the late ‘80s. Reproduction Midge’s were made in the ‘90s, made to look like the vintage original, and it seems she was pretty popular around that time.

In 2003, Mattel released the "Happy Family” line with pregnant Midge, complete with a magnetic removable belly. Even though Midge was married to Alan in the storyline, the release caused all kinds of controversy due to the fact that she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and that some consumers viewed this as both inappropriate for children and also promoting teen pregnancy.

Not surprisingly, the drama surrounding the Midge pregnancy doll resulted in the Happy Family line being discontinued, bearing the fruit of Midge scarcity for collectors and Barbie enthusiasts everywhere.

Today there remains a high demand for not just the Pregnant Midge but pregnant dolls in general, marketed widely as a teaching tool for learning how a baby is born.

It’s a pretty curious and fascinating trend that we just had to share, especially so we could pass along these plastic baby-in-womb images to further round out the creepy factor.

pregnant “Barbie” dolls

 

Pregnant “Barbie” Clothes and Accessories

 

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