To judge from the store catalogues and Kens found MIB from original owners, both flocked hair Ken and the new painted hair Ken were sold parallel during 1963, with flocked hair Ken eventually being discontinued by the end of the year. This new painted hair Ken was produced both in the US and in Japan. As well as a different head, Ken’s revamp included modifications to his hand, and a revised beach top. The US version (usually referred to as a ‘shorty’) has the revised hand right from the beginning, but the Japanese Kens first used up all the old flocked hair Ken parts.
For more information and many more detailed photographs see THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK.
THE US-MADE KENS
The US-made Kens are referred to as ‘shorties’ because most are slightly shorter than the Japan-made painted hair Kens, but there are more vital differences. For a start, they have blue eyes, whereas Japan-made Kens from 1961-1963 have green (teal) eyes. They have less elegant limbs, especially noticeable around the knees. Their heads and limbs are usually swingy and often pallid or too dark (see here). It is possible to find nice-looking versions of this Ken, but even the best examples never quite match the standard of those made in Japan. Very rare versions of this Ken can be found with the original cabana set jacket with either trunks or shorts. They seem to have originally come with a cellophane wrap over their heads, like the flocked hair Kens (see here). The ‘shorty’ Kens below are wearing the new beach jacket, with the stiffer collar. The ‘shorty’ jacket was probably US-made, as the fabric varies from the Japan-made version, with comparatively wider white stripes. These jackets are unlabelled.
The ‘shorty’ is not marked ‘Made in U.S.A.’, but the evidence is quite compelling: they have no Japan stamp on their feet like other 750 Kens, and their boxes (including the inserts) are made with different card, with no K stamp inside the lid. The box lid ends and wrist tags were redesigned with no mention of it being a Japanese import (Close-up photos of the ‘shorty’ wrist tag can be seen in the THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK). In fact, Japanese Kens were occasionally sold in ‘shorty’ boxes, which Mattel clearly stamped extra with Made in Japan/Printed in U.S.A. (see section 1966-67 ‘Blushing’ Kens), proof that these boxes were indeed made in the US. Also, no ‘shorties’ are found in gift sets or used as Dressed Dolls – all of which were produced in Japan. So, with a lack of any other identification or markings (such as Made in Hong Kong), it must be assumed that the ‘shorties’ were all produced in the US.
THE JAPAN-MADE KENS
The Japan-made painted hair Ken was also available in blonde and brunette, and went through a succession of rapid changes. Mattel originally used the unsold flocked hair Ken body parts, so the earliest painted hair Kens come with the original arms and have the typical wide stance. Initially they also came with the same beach top, plain red shorts, sandals, wire stand, booklet, and packaging as the flocked hair version.
KEN #750 (first version blonde and brunette)
The earliest Japan-made painted hair Kens have thicker and/or darker eyebrows, and eyes like the ‘shorties’ with no line around the iris.
KEN #750 (second version blonde and brunette)
Later Kens still have quite heavy brows, but now have eyes with a thin black line painted around the edge of the iris. This became standard for all vintage Japan-made Kens. They still had the original hand/arm-mold and some still had the original box inlays. Others were given the new card inserts, which hold him at the shoulders and knees. From here on, all vintage 750 Kens came with the revised beach jacket, which is stiffer with a more defined collar. The Japan-made jackets are labelled.
The brunette version of this Ken has been found with the Barbie and her Friends Ken & Midge #863 gift set (see section 1963 The Outfits).
KEN #750 (third version blonde and brunette)
These Kens still have green eyes, but now have the revised hand design. They tend to have arms closer to the body and legs closer together. Despite it giving them a less dynamic and confident stance, there is one obvious reason for this: it makes them easier to dress. All 750 Kens from here on came with the new-style card inserts.
The brunette version has also been found NRFB as a 1963 Dressed Doll Sailor and in the 1964 Wedding Party Gift Set #1017 and Little Theatre Gift Set #1018. Another example of him can be seen in section 1963 The Outfits, as he also came with the 1963 Barbie & Ken Trousseau Set. A reproduction of this Ken (shown at bottom of page) wearing the original style beach jacket was issued in 2011 as part of the In the Swim gift set.
The blonde has also been found with the 1963 Barbie & Ken Trousseau Set. A reproduction of him in his beach outfit was issued in 2014 (Allan’s 50th Anniversary) as part of the Double Date gift set.
The US-made box lid ends are identical to each other and marked either blonde or brunette. More photos of the boxes can be seen in the THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK).
The Japan-made box lids for 1963 are printed either BLONDE or BRUNETTE on the bottom end. The sides are identical to 1962. There do not appear to be any variations. The ‘thin-brow’ flocked hair Kens from 1963 also came in this box (see section 1962 Flocked hair Kens). This remained the standard box design for all Japan-made 750 Kens.
BOOKLETS & CATALOGUES
The earliest illustration of a painted hair Ken is from Mattel’s own dealer catalogues. He resembles both the Japan-made and the US-made Kens, and is shown wearing the earlier version beach jacket.
Mattel produced two editions of their Mattel Dolls for Fall ’62 catalogue. The second edition (an enlarged – 56-page – version of the 24-page original) has many items which otherwise don’t appear until 1963, including the new painted hair version of Ken. It was almost certainly designed to be a 1963 Preview,* as all 1962 store catalogues still only feature flocked hair Ken, both in the photos and the written descriptions.
*Midge also features in this catalogue, but according to the January 1963 issue of US trade magazine Toys & Novelties, she had just “…come off the drawing boards and into production…”.
Below is a box of 24 US-made ‘shorty’ heads (12 blonde, 12 brunette). It is dated 1963, which, as Mattel always dated boxes with the earliest design date, means that the shorty heads could not have been produced before 1963. These boxes are addressed to the ‘Toy Department Manager’. They were possibly sent to stores as replacements for damaged flocked hair Ken heads.
Many store catalogues still show pictures of the thin-brow flocked hair Ken, though it is doubtful he was still sold by the autumn, unless some companies had old stock to sell off. Certainly the Spiegel Fall/Winter catalogue, as well as the John Plain and Aldens catalogues for Christmas, all describe his “molded”, “molded-in and painted” or “moulded” hair, despite showing pictures of the flocked hair version. The earliest photo of painted hair Ken to appear in the store catalogues (that I’ve found so far) is from the Montgomery Ward 1963 Fall Winter issue.
The 1964 Spiegel Spring Summer catalogue features Ken twice. On one page they show painted hair versions and on the other a flocked hair Ken.
DRESSED DOLL KENS
In 1963 Mattel began to produce deluxe edition DRESSED DOLL Kens. The boxes have a different design, and inside the box is a plastic cover which has a golden Ken sticker with the outfit name. All three versions of the new Japan-made painted hair Ken can be found, but the first two are more common. The first version Kens have the 1962 Barbie & Ken booklet, and the other two have the white booklet for 1963 (exactly like the regular Kens shown above). Ken’s small accessories were usually placed inside the bag with the booklet.
Available as Dressed Dolls in 1963:
#770 Campus Hero
#782 Casuals
#790 Time For Tennis
#796 Sailor (not mentioned in catalogues)
#798 Ski Champion (not mentioned in catalogues)
#799 Touchdown (not mentioned in catalogues)
Sailor, Ski Champion and Touchdown are not mentioned in the catalogues, but it’s obvious they are also from 1963 because of the Kens used. Another clue is the type of sticker: the earliest Dressed Doll Kens have stickers with the outfit name but no code number (below left). Some second version Kens have the code number added (middle). In 1964 the design was changed again: all included code number, and “Ken®“ was moved higher to make place for the extra words GENUINE and DOLL (right).
Dressed Dolls included the wire stand and booklet, but there were no card inserts. Instead, they were sewn into the box around the waist, and the thread on the box reverse was stuck down with tape. Originally sewn and taped Kens are very highly valued by MIB collectors. The box lid ends (which curiously are printed upside-down) from 1963 came with an extra sticker on one end with the name of outfit.
THE REPRODUCTIONS
The Barbie gift set, produced for the 2011 Barbie Convention, contains a reproduction painted hair brunette Ken. He looks like the later version, but comes wearing the earlier version beach jacket.
For Ken’s 60th Anniversary in 2021, Mattel produced a modern Ken dressed in an outfit inspired by his original beach sets. The packaging mentions the 1961 original Ken while showing a picture of a 1963 Ken (wearing the later beach jacket and a pair of 1961 shorts). This is all a bit of a mess, and the terrible quality of the outfit is almost an insult to the original Ken. Mattel also produced a (correctly dressed) 1961 reproduction blonde flocked hair Ken this year, which can be seen in the section 1961 Flocked hair Kens.
