The new Kens produced for 1966 came with a painted blush. Allan was discontinued in the US this year, so it is unlikely that ‘blush’ versions of him were made.*
KEN #0750 (blonde and brunette)
Having never found a 750 Ken from 1966-67 NRFB, I can only assume that he came in the same box, with the same wrist tag, as the previous year. There is certainly no evidence to suggest that he came in a different style box.
KEN #1020 (brunette)
KEN #1020 (blonde)
JAPAN-MADE KENS IN US-MADE ‘SHORTY’ BOXES
Some Japan-made Kens were sold in ‘shorty’ boxes. They are stamped Imported From Japan. Printed in U.S.A. on the end of the box lid (which, by the way, confirms that the ‘shorty’ boxes were printed in the US). The 750 versions came with either a Japan-made or a US-made wrist tag. I’ve only ever seen a handful packaged this way; all had blue eyes, and most came with the light blue booklet from 1962.
It could mean Ken was occasionally sold like this from 1963 onward, but I doubt it. From the evidence I’ve discovered so far they are more likely to be the result of Mattel using up old stock in 1966-67. Especially with those sent mail order, in particular by Montgomery Ward. The Ken with the Braniff Pilot Uniform sold by Montgomery Ward was packaged this way (see section 1967 The Braniff International Pilot Ken).
I’ve also found this box below right, which is clearly marked with the bendable leg Ken identification number 48-10444 used by Montgomery Ward exclusively in 1966 (see catalogue page on the left). Their number for bendable leg Ken in 1965 was 48-8345, so he could originally have been packaged in the regular way.
The boxes below are from France. The sticker translates as: Heart of Gold. A pilot toy for every orphan. An identical sticker has also been found on a Barbie (and Allan) box, so obviously ‘pilot’ refers to the project of giving toys to orphans, not to any extra pilot outfit.
BOOKLETS & CATALOGUES
Bendable leg Allan must have been discontinued by 1966. A drawing of him appears in the Barbie booklet for 1966 (below left), but the code number is that of the regular version, and there is no mention that he has bendable legs. He doesn’t appear in any catalogues, not even the Mattel ’66 Preview. The regular Allan was discontinued in the US during 1966 (see Mattel Toys 1966 catalogue below).
Unlike the other European countries which just describe Allan quite neutrally (red hair, wears such-and-such) the Belgian booklet really gets carried away: Ken’s friend Allan is a dynamic communicator and famously the life and soul of Barbie’s parties – and (of course) he’s even good at sports!
*Allan had already been introduced to several European countries in 1965, but obviously not everywhere. The Danish ad below right from 1966 welcomes Allan (and Midge) to the ‘Barbie Clan’. Allan also appears to have been introduced to the Japanese market in 1966 (see also section 1964-66 Japanese Market Ken & Allan). This suggests that a ‘blushing’ version of him may well exist, but I’m yet to find one.
1967
The Kens below vary from others in as much as they have darker eyes and lighter lips. They are possibly from 1967, though could also belong to 1966. There are simply not enough contemporary sources to definitively show what Kens from 1967 looked like. The few catalogue references I have found are detailed below.
KEN #0750 (blonde)
KEN #1020 (blonde and brunette)
BOOKLETS & CATALOGUES
It is not apparent from the 1967 catalogues whether Mattel produced new Kens, or whether they simply sold off old stock. There is certainly nothing to indicate that any dramatically different type of Ken was introduced for 1967. The regular 0750 Ken features in all three Mattel Toys catalogues for 1967, and is the Ken sold with the Braniff Pilot uniform in the 1967 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue. The only other US catalogues from 1967-1968 to feature Ken, that I’ve discovered so far, are the Western Auto Spring Summer order catalogues, and they only sell outfits, not Ken dolls (see section 1967 The Braniff Pilot Uniform).
In Europe, both regular and bendable leg Kens were available as late as Spring 1969. The European Mattel/Barbie booklets only show pictures of bendable leg Ken, but the French booklet for 1968-69 also mentions the 0750 Ken in the written description, as does the Belgian advertisement from 1967. In Europe he was still shown with a blush, but the few US references seem to show him without.
The German Mattel catalogue for 1968 oddly describes the 1020 Ken as ‘Neu’ (new), despite the fact that he features in catalogues and booklets from other European countries as early as 1966. The German catalogue for 1969 also features a 1020 Ken both in the photograph and the written description, so he must presumably have still been available to order during 1969. The same catalogue however shows New Good-Lookin’ Ken modelling the outfits (see section 1969 The Outfits).
The German toy catalogue below still shows original Kens – though as models only – as late as 1970.
