Mattel has a new collection of Barbie dolls called BACK TO BASICS To which is a little hard to understand. It's not really clear what's BACK TO BASICS about the collection of dolls, which in some cases look much more like porn stars, gold diggers, and other interesting career types than anything. But, Mattel does deserve some credit for creating a unique new line of Barbie dolls with new faces and some more adult fashion designs. In fact, each new face in the series seems to tell an interesting story.

In black dress designs, the new Barbie dolls do have some breath-taking beauty. They are some of the best faces the series has ever offered. But they seem more limited to adult collectors for the messages they might convey to younger Barbie fans. It seems like some Barbie dolls are for kids, and these one's are definitely aimed solely at the adult collector.

Mattel attempted something daring here, and that will likely be talked about for years by collectors. These are a real oddity in the long running brand series.