Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Friday — and is still making millions for her Japanese creators.
The simple design of the character — who is not a cat, but a little girl from London according to Sanrio, the company behind Kitty — has mileage as a money-spinner for years to come, experts say.
One woman in the U.S. state of California has amassed so much Hello Kitty merchandise that her husband built her a pink "she-shed" to keep it in. Stuffed inside are thousands of toys and other items featuring Kitty and her eye-catching red bow, including rows of sunglasses, a swivel chair and novelty gumball dispensers.
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