Doll:Barbie Collector Platinum Label: Ava DuVernay

Nearly as soon as the first generation of Barbie owners grew up, Mattel, Inc. offered collectible Barbies to appeal to adults. By 2004 the company had standardized its collectible offerings into several tiers of dolls in which limited production made the dolls more desirable. The Pink, Black, Silver, and Gold labels connoted dolls of some rarity. Platinum Label dolls, like this Ava DuVernay, the director of the feature film "Selma" released in 2015, are limited to a production run of just 1,000 dolls. Though the collector price tag for the DuVernay doll puts it far beyond the means of young girls who might benefit from having a successful African American female film director as role models. The doll is a step in the right directions.