From Barbie to Labubu: a history of iconic collectable dolls that shaped generations

Created by Johnny Gruelle, Raggedy Ann was less about fashion and more about values. Barbie wasn't the first feminist doll icon, after all. Raggedy Ann promoted kindness, loyalty and resilience. She debuted in 1915 and came with her own series of wholesome, sometimes gently preachy books. Her popularity endured for nearly a century thanks to her unthreatening design and “let’s talk about our feelings” energy. While they don’t command toy shelves anymore, Raggedy Ann's impact is still hand-stitched into the fabric of American nostalgia.

Barbie has been a teenage fashion model, a surgeon, an astronaut and President. She’s worn plastic heels and cultural expectations in equal measure. Since 1959, she’s embodied both empowerment and controversy—a dream girl and a feminist battlefield in six-inch platforms. She’s still selling faster than you can say “Dreamhouse”, thanks to that Greta Gerwig film.

Originally carved by a Danish woodcutter as a lucky charm, Troll dolls exploded into global fame in the 1960s and again in the ’90s. They had a kind of kitschy renaissance with neon hair and jewel belly buttons. Equal parts adorable and creepy, these stubby-limbed creatures captured hearts with their chaotic charm and “so-ugly-it’s-cute” energy. Today, they’re back with a glitter-soaked vengeance thanks to DreamWorks’ musical franchise, but vintage collectors still seek the classic, beady-eyed originals with hair like a windstorm in Ibiza.

Launched in 1972 and relaunched in the 2000s, Blythe dolls were initially considered too weird. They have oversized heads, colour-changing eyes and an eerie stare, but the art and fashion world fell hard for these iconic collectable dolls. These days, they’re styled like miniature Vogue editorials and sold for thousands. Think of them as the Anna Wintour of dolls—intimidating but iconic.

Before there were TikTok drops and sneaker raffles, there were toy store stampedes for Cabbage Patch Kids. Debuting in the early 1980s with their soft cloth bodies, pudgy faces and adoption certificates, these iconic collectable dolls ignited an unmatched consumer craze. Every child wanted their own oddly adorable baby with a unique name and birth story. Part wholesome, part headline-making mania, Cabbage Patch Kids weren’t just a toy; they were a social phenomenon.

These 18-inch iconic collectable dolls brought context to the playroom. With detailed historical backstories and accessory sets that cost more than your rent, American Girl Dolls taught kids about abolition, immigration, war and suffrage, one embroidered bonnet at a time. They’re now as beloved by grown women on eBay as they once were by nine-year-olds in prairie dresses.

Bratz dolls burst onto the scene in the early 2000s like a glitter bomb with attitude—huge heads, heavy makeup and a wardrobe straight off a Y2K music video. They were the antithesis of Barbie: unapologetically edgy, ethnically diverse and dressed for the club at age 13. Bratz threw traditional beauty out the window and replaced it with street style and smudged eyeliner. Though these iconic collectable dolls were accused of being “bad influences”, they’re now embraced by fashion kids and drag queens alike.

If Kewpie had a trendy Gen Z nibling, it’d be Sonny Angel. These tiny, wide-eyed baby boys wear nothing but elaborate headgear: strawberries, hamburgers, snowmen—you name it. Designed in Japan by Toru Soeya, they were made to “bring healing” and quickly became surprise must-haves. Sonny Angels are now a collectable phenomenon and a favourite among aesthetic girlies who like their serotonin in miniature form.

If Bratz were the rebel teens of the doll world, Monster High was their gothic, undead cousin who listened to My Chemical Romance and drank iced lattes in a haunted cafeteria. Launched in 2010, Monster High reimagined the children of classic monsters—Draculaura, Frankie Stein and Clawdeen Wolf—as stylish, self-aware high schoolers navigating teen life with fangs, bolts and killer heels. Every doll had a backstory, a punny name and a look that was equal parts horror movie and haute couture. It was the first mainstream doll line to centre freakiness as fabulousness—and kids ate it up.

Born in London with Taiwanese roots, Noodolls are kawaii-style plushies with names like Ricecarrot and Ricemonster. They’re the therapy plushies of the design world. Now regaining momentum after the Labubu brouhaha, Noodolls are a soft power staple for millennials who grew up and now need something soft to cry into at their WFH desk.

Part goblin, part woodland spirit, Labubu was created by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung and produced by POP MART. With snaggle teeth, devilish eyes and twisted whimsy, Labubu dolls look like they’ve crawled out of a haunted Lisa Frank sketchbook, and Gen Z is obsessed. Ultra-coveted and often sold out, these iconic collectable dolls have become part of the new wave of “designer toys” that blur the line between doll and fine art.

See more: The rise of Labubu: Why are people obsessed with this plush toy accessory?

NOW READ

9 personalities and their favourite Labubu dolls

From clothes hangers to taxidermied animals: 8 celebrities and their eccentric collections

Why are adults fighting over Labubus and Jellycats?