 Bild Lilli Hong Kong clone | |
| Type | Dolls/Action figures |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Max Weissbrodt |
| Company | Greiner & Hausser GmbH |
| Country | West Germany |
| Availability | 12 August 1955–1964 |
The Bild Lilli doll was a West German line of fashion doll launched by Greiner & Hausser GmbH on August 12, 1955 and produced until 1964. Its design was based on the comic-strip character Lilli, created by Reinhard Beuthien for the tabloid newspaper Bild. The doll was made of polystyrene, came in two sizes, and had an available wardrobe of 1950s fashion. The Lilli doll was copied, and altered to some degree, for Mattel upon the direction of that company's co-founder, Ruth Handler. Mattel acquired the rights to Bild Lilli in 1964, and production of the German doll ceased in favor of Mattel's new vinyl doll, which they called Barbie.