Barbie play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she
Ganz (toy company) several of the older Webkinz. The success of Webkinz, first released in 2005, and other similar items helped the fortunes of the Ganz family who then decided to start The Webkinz Foundation. The Webkinz Foundation is a charitable organization that focuses on supporting children's programs worldwide and provides the company with valuable marketing and tax benefits. Ganz (toy company) Ganz is a Canadian company best known for distributing plush animals and collectibles. They are the manufacturer of Webkinz, the toy with an interactive virtual-reality Internet site for children. Founded in 1950 by Holocaust survivors Samuel Ganz and sons Jack and