{"product_id":"2009-barbie-then-and-now-bathing-suit-doll-nrfb","title":"2009 – Barbie – Then and Now - Bathing Suit – NRFB","description":"\u003ch3\u003eFifty Years On, the Striped Swimsuit Returns With a Mobile Phone and Better Posture\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBathing Suit Barbie Then and Now was issued in 2009 to mark Barbie's 50th anniversary — a direct reinterpretation of the original 1959 debut doll, updated for the modern era. The packaging runs a \"Then and Now \/ 1959–2009\" theme throughout, with archival imagery of the original alongside the new version. The silhouette is deliberately faithful: striped two-piece swimsuit, high ponytail, and that particular upright Barbie posture — though the 2009 accessories swap out the stand and sunglasses of 1959 for a mobile phone and bangle bracelets.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 50th anniversary was Mattel's largest Barbie celebration to date, producing an enormous range of commemorative releases. This one sits at the accessible end — a standard retail price point with broad distribution — but the \"Then and Now\" framing and the explicit visual comparison between the 1959 original and its 2009 counterpart make it a genuinely interesting collector document of how the doll's design language shifted over five decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mattel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry of manufacture:\u003c\/strong\u003e China\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModel #:\u003c\/strong\u003e P6508\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMelody Likes box condition grade:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/4504\/6718\/files\/MelodyLikes-Doll-Box-Condition-Guide_05303af8-20b2-4137-8091-87f3c51d9668.png?v=1773150063\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eView our box condition guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mattel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47643728249022,"sku":"BARBIE-2009-THENANDN-DOLL0001","price":131.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/4504\/6718\/files\/2009-barbie-then-and-now-bathing-suit-doll-nrfb-front.jpg?v=1781573575","url":"https:\/\/melodylikes.com\/products\/2009-barbie-then-and-now-bathing-suit-doll-nrfb","provider":"Melody Likes","version":"1.0","type":"link"}