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Toy Fair 2010: After strong holiday sales, Barbie flaunts new jobs and fashions

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NEW YORK -- After a sales comeback last quarter, Barbie is set to have another big year.

The iconic blond doll showed off her latest fashions, professions and gadgets -- including a built-in video camera -- at the American International Toy Fair, which kicked off Sunday in New York. Hundreds of buyers and media reps crowded toy maker Mattel Inc.’s galleries to check out dozens of new Barbie dolls set to be released throughout the year.

On Friday, the El Segundo-based toy giant announced the 125th and 126th careers for Barbie based on an Internet vote. The winner of the popular vote was Computer Engineer Barbie, whose geek-chic look was achieved with trendy rectangular glasses, a cellphone earpiece, a shirt featuring binary code and a hot pink laptop.

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News Anchor Barbie, the winner of the girls’ vote, features a doll with side bangs, a pink blazer and skirt ensemble and a microphone for conducting interviews.

Both Barbies are part of the doll’s ‘I Can Be’ series and will hit toy shelves in the fall.

Also new to the Barbie line is Barbie Video Girl. The doll features a working video camera embedded into her necklace that projects live color images to a screen on her back. The $50 doll will hit stores in the summer; footage from her camera can also be uploaded and edited on a computer.

Last month, Mattel reported that the revitalized doll brand posted a 12% sales increase in the fourth quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. The toy maker’s other products include Hot Wheels, the Disney Princess line and WWE licensed action figures.

-- Andrea Chang

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