Barbie is different when compared to other dolls of her time. She is the first doll with an adult body to appear in America. Her fully developed features advanced most dolls of that time. Her beauty, sexiness, and independent characteristics were what detracted children away from other dolls and towards Barbie.

Even different versions of Barbie did not do as well as the blond-haired, blue eyed beauty queen. Midge was introduced as Barbie's best friend in 1963. She was made to counter the sex appeal that Barbie possessed. She had a fuller face with freckles. Also, Skipper was made to be babysat by Barbie, giving somewhat of a mothering image to Barbie. Barbie's friends were always in her shadows. For example, Midge was advertised as being "thrilled with Barbie's career as a teen-age fashion model" and was also so happy to follow Barbie and Ken around wherever they went(Lord,56). Franci, the black version of Barbie, did not fare as well as Barbie either. This could be perhaps, because the image of Barbie, blond-haired, blue eyes was too engraved into the consumers minds. Other ethnic dolls of Barbie have been created in recent years and have achieved popularity. However, this popularity is not from the general public, but from collectors. Ann duCille, a associate professor of English and African-American studies at Weselyan University, believes that "would=be multi-cultural Barbies make racial and ethnic difference a kind of collectible, contributing more to consumption than any kind of racial understanding" (Dembner, G13).

Other dolls, not made by Mattel, were made to try and compete with Barbie. A doll that was similar to Barbie was named Ginny. Ginny was pot-bellied, flat chested, and pug-nosed. However, many were happy to replace her with Barbie, who had a more sophisticated look. Another doll was brought out by the Ideal Toy and Novelty Corporation in 1962. Tammy did not have a boyfriend, but had a Mom, Dad, and brother. In the mid-sixties, when the divorce rates began to climb, this doll failed. Another doll, named Tressy, was bought out by the American Character Doll Company. in 1963. She had a tuft of hair in the middle of her head to make a beehive. When beehives went out, so did she. These dolls and others failed against Barbie because she exemplified the image of the sixties and the changing times. She had a boyfriend, a house, and no parents. These other dolls were "sex-less and shackled to the moribund nuclear family" (Lord,56).

Recently, Jem dolls came out and were successful for a short period of time. Jem and her rock band were the punk version of Barbie with purple hair. When the punk scene of the eighties disappeared, so did Jem. Another doll that was recently developed is called the Happy to be Me Doll. Instead of Barbie's proportions of 36-18-33, human size, she has measurements of 36-27-38. This doll also has a shorter neck, shorter legs, and bigger feet. This doll was created because many feel Barbie portrays an image that pressures women to try to have the perfect body. However, Barbie still represents an ideal, from which others like her are excluded. She has independent, sexy attributes, which appeal more to consumers.