Hello Kitty still raking in millions at age 50

TOKYO - Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Nov 1 - and is still making millions for her Japanese creators.

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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 US state of California has amassed so much Hello Kitty merchandise that her husband built her a pink so-called "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.

"People my age, you know, we are told many times, 'Hello Kitty is for little kids', and I laugh at that," said Ms Helen from Riverside County, conceding she is "50 plus".

Ms Helen, who drives a Hello Kitty-decorated sport utility vehicle and runs the local fan club Hello Kitty SoCal Babes, has been "obsessed" with the character since its 1970s US debut.