BARBIE AND BRATZ DOLLS SLUG IT OUT OVER POPULARITY CLAIMS.Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer Let the catfight cat·fight n. 1. A fight between or among cats. 2. Informal A vociferous dispute: a catfight between farmers and the government over subsidies. begin. If the toy industry is one big popularity contest, Barbie and Bratz are wrestling over the queen's crown. Both claimed Monday to be the fashionable doll that has won the hearts -- and purses -- of little girls. The dueling claims are the latest in a drawn-out battle between the two doll makers that has included lawsuits, counter-lawsuits and backhanded gossip about the dolls. Both Mattel, which makes Barbie, and MGA Entertainment MGA Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1997. Its products include the Bratz fashion doll line. External links
If you look at sales from the last three months of 2006 in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Bratz reigns. After trailing in Barbie's taller, thinner shadow for years, Bratz elbowed Barbie out of the way with 34 percent of sales in the fourth quarter, said Isaac Larian Isaac Larian (born March 28 1954, Kashan, Iran) is the Chief Executive Officer of MGA Entertainment, the biggest privately owned toy company in the world. He was born in Iran to Persian Jewish parents. , head of MGA (1) (Monochrome Graphics Adapter) A display adapter that employs Hercules Graphics, combining graphics and text on a monochrome monitor. (2) (Matrox Graphics Accelerator) A trade name used by Matrox Graphics Inc. in Van Nuys. Mattel declined to disclose Barbie's market share for the same period. ``For the whole year they were just a little bit higher than us,'' Larian said. ``For the past seven years we have not been able to beat them. But we finally beat them.'' Larian expects Bratz's lead to last because January sales of the dolls increased by double digits Double Digits was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from April 20, 1973 through May 18, 1973's show, it was played for a car and used small prizes. . But Bratz's lead disappears if you step back and examine sales from the entire year. Then, Barbie is the favorite. ``They tried this last year,'' said Mattel spokeswoman Lauren Dougherty, ``but Barbie is still the number one fashion theme doll for the year in the United States and worldwide.'' So who is the real princess? Neither, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Alison Marek, the managing editor of TD monthly, a specialty toy trade magazine. ``As far as (my readers) are concerned, neither Bratz or Barbie is the number one doll because they don't want their kids playing with them,'' she said. ``A lot of parents would prefer that their kids find something that reflects their own peer group.'' But the competition is healthy. ``If somebody is breathing down your neck,'' Marek said, ``you need to think of the next thing.'' julia.scott(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3735 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) no caption (Barbie) (2 -- color) no caption (Bratz doll) |
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