Ruth Handler Club children's television show, Mattel invested heavily in television advertising. The TV commercials for the Barbie doll paid off and Barbie rocketed Mattel and the Handlers to fame and fortune. Subsequently, they would add a boyfriend for Barbie named Ken, after the Handlers' son, and many other "friends and family" to Barbie's world. Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1970. She had a modified radical mastectomy, which was often used at the time to combat the disease, and because of difficulties in finding a good breast prosthesis, she decided to make her own. Handler went on to found a
Ideal Toy Company Ideal from 1963–1980. Some of the company's most popular dolls during this period were Tammy (1962–1966), Flatsy dolls (1969–1973), Crissy (1969–1974), and Tressy (1970–1972). Popular Ideal toys in the 1970s included a full line of Evel Knievel toys, Snoopy toys, and the Tuesday Taylor and Wake-up Thumbelina dolls. For a short time, the company had a huge seller with the Magic Cube, which it imported from Hungary in 1980 and renamed Rubik's Cube. (Reference Packaging) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1952-Lucille-Ball-Beautiful-I-Love-Lucy-Rag-Doll-Mint-in-Original-Box-/152788070611?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=%252FkTztth6WWZnnOCVdUpZDONlz%252FY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc Ideal Toy Company Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris and Rose Michtom. During the post–World War II baby boom