Your source for male fashion doll news!

June 2009

 

Keeping Ken

New Product Reference Guide Archive

Keeping Ken Fashion Frenzy! 

Ken News Feature Archive

 

Ken is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc. These pages are neither affiliated with, nor a representative of Mattel, Inc. Material provided on these pages do not in any way reflect the opinions of Mattel, Inc.

Keeping Ken NEW KEN DOLLS!

Camping Family Ken Doll

The April 2009 edition of dollsmagazine.com showed a sneak of the 2009 playline.  Barbie's 50th Anniversary will be celebrated with the return of Kelly, Stacie, Skipper, Ken and Barbie in the Camping Family line whicheven includes a Glamour Camper!

I saw all the dolls in the line at TRU, including Camping Family Ken whick I have included on the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page.

It's obvious that Mattel doesn't show signs of discontuning the use of the PTR arms even on this slightly more expensive version of Ken ($12.99) but are using the improved arms for other male dolls in the Barbie line. (See related story below).  You will also notice a slight change to the "Ken" logo used on the front.

PICTURED BELOW:  Camping Family Ken

Photo spread from Dolls Magazine.

 

 

Barbie and The Three Musketeers Prince Doll

I was also able to locate the Barbie and The Three Musketeers Prince Doll which is also now included on the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page.  Typical fare, same concept but for whatever reason he looks very striking, I think because of his Prince fashion and the way his eyes are painted.  He has the new PTS arms.

PICTURED BELOW:  Barbie and The Three Musketeers Prince Doll

 
Keeping Ken NEW KEN FASHIONS!

 

UPDATE: Looks like these last three fashions were intended for a later release.  Here are three pictures of these fashions below (and the are available) at ToysRUs.com.  I didn't see them in stores yet.

I had reported earlier that I saw three new fashions for Ken on a few eBay auctions. (1) Dark blue striped sweat pants with gray l/s hoodie and gray loafers and cell phone, (2) Gray long pants with maroon shirt/light blue long sleeves and navy/white/gray sneakers and sunglasses and (3) dark jeans and red thermal l/s shirt with sewn on camo vest with boots and sunglasses.  I didn't see them in stores but I found what (I believe) to be different ones than I saw on eBay...but for sure I can report on the three I am certain of.  I found these at Target.  The new fashions are no longer labeled "Guy Time".  They use the "Ken" trademark.  Here is a promotional picture of all three with links below for close-ups. Thanks to James from the "He's A Doll!" Yahoo board for additional info on these fashions! Also Linda adds from the "He's A Doll!" Yahoo board..."Actually, I think there are 8 new Ken outfits...the 4 outfit Barbie sets See below) that each have a Ken outfit with them, the singles in slightly longer packages that included   Has Ken ever had so many choices out there at once?"

Barbie Fashion Trend Sets

Plus, I located (mentioned above) 2 new 2008 Barbie with Ken Fashion #N4859 fashion assortment out there which is part of the Barbie Fashion Trend Set called "Miami Sunset Date" and 2008 Barbie with Ken Fashion #N4858

UPDATE: I also found the third set with a tuxedo fashion for Ken which James found from a Polish auction service.  Picture link HERE.  Thanks to James for posting these pictures and another new one! I will add pictures soon!

KEN FASHIONS!

2008 Ken Fashion #N4872

2008 Ken Fashion #N4873

2008 Ken Fashion #N4874

 

 

Keeping Ken NEW DESIGNER KEN!

Gareth Pugh Ken Doll

In honor of 50 years of fabulous fashion, Ken is styled by one of London's most significant male fashion talents Gareth Pugh.


The RARE Ken Styled by Gareth Pugh doll was unveiled at the colette store in Paris on March 12, 2009.  Only 50 hand-crafted dolls were created by the designer.  You can read more about the event at dazeddigital.com

With his strong design aesthetic, Gareth Pugh has become a highlight of the international fashion calendar. Black patent leather has become a signature of Gareth's work, and he has chosen to dress his hand made limited edition Ken doll in a look inspired by his first menswear collection, which illustrates his penchant for contrasting matt and shiny surfaces.
"Ken came backstage at my Fall/Winter 2009/10 show and selected his favorite outfit for me to recreate exclusively for him." G. Pugh.

I have added this doll to the listings and you can see more pictures by following this link:  Ken Styled by Gareth Pugh

PICTURED LEFT:  The Ken Doll Styled by Gareth Pugh is unveiled at the colette store in Paris.

Keeping Ken NEWS!

New Arms for Ken?

It would seem that slowly but surely that Mattel may be making improvements to Ken's body parts.  Apparently they are showcasing these improvements on every doll except Ken.

It's mostly about the recent new arms showing up first on the Mattel male Disney dolls in 2007 and pretty much every other non-Ken trademarked doll thereafter like the recent Wedding Day Sparkle Groom Doll, Barbie & The Diamond Castle Twin Musician Doll and Barbie Mariposa Prince Doll.  Technically, we can't say they haven't been used for Ken, because they were recently discovered on the Ken In India (India, European Edition), but this version was not produced for the domestic market.

The new arms are slightly different from what we are accustomed to.  They are sort of like an in-between of the PTR (Point To Rear) arms and the PTS (Point To Side) arms.  Literally, the position of the hands is in between PTS and PTR.

Also, the new arms have a significant elbow.

So what should we call these new arm molds? Please send me you suggestions and we will christen these arms with a new collector reference!

Check out this site from my friend Olga from Poland who breaks it all down with lots of comparative pictures! Plus she has a graph of the Mattel male doll body molds at:  http://dollcollector.wordpress.com/

PICTURED RIGHT:  New dolls Wedding Day Sparkle Groom Doll (LEFT) has the new arms, while Ken doll (RIGHT) still uses the PTR arms.  Photo courtesy of Olga.

Keeping Ken NEW KEN DOLLS AND 2009!

Here is a article about Ken on Slate.com in case you hadn't read it yet:  Ken's sad and lonely life in Barbie's shadow. - By Troy Patterson - Slate Magazine

2009 Playline

 

My Scene

The My Scene Fashion Dolls are back in full force...in Mexico.  It's nice to finally see new male dolls back! Sunny from the Philippines reports that Rob in Mexico posted photos of the 2009 My Scene Boys on the My Scene message board "My Scene Hangout".

Sunny says "the latest My Scene boys now features molded on hair which I'm not a fan but since it's been more than a year since the boys made an appearance I'm ecstatic.  River's head is an enlarged version of Wedding Day Groom Doll [2007 Ken head mold] but with brown eyes and darker hair.  Hudson head is from a new mold."

You can check out ALL the new dolls in this thread at My Scene Hangout

I will of course update the My Scene Fashion Dolls page with this exciting info soon!

 

 

Wedding Day® Barbie® Doll and Ken® Doll Gift Set

Barbie Collector has announced three new male dolls in their 2009 Fall line! Wedding Day® Barbie® Doll and Ken® Doll Gift Set is due in June 2009; this set will retail for about $66.  This Vintage reproduction will feature Ken dressed in a reproduction of Tuxedo #787 and the Barbie ensemble is a reproduction of Wedding Day Set #972.  Ken is a flocked brunette similar to 45th Anniversary Ken and Barbie is a brunette #1 reproduction.  BarbieCollector.com has a picture posted at this link:  Wedding Day® Barbie® Doll and Ken® Doll Giftset!

 

Star Trek

UPDATE I received both Star Trek Ken Doll as Captain Kirk and Star Trek Ken doll as Mr. Spock yesterday and added them to the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page.  All of the dolls (including a Uhura doll are in the likeness of the actors in the Star Trek Movie coming to theatres  May 8, 2009.  The new movie centers on the characters younger years.  Barbie Collector’s Pop Culture Collection features excellent likenesses of Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), and Zoe Saldana (Uhura).  Accessories include a phaser and communicator. For additional Movie information, check out www.startrekmovie.com.
Single dolls will be available in April 2009 for $49.95 each.  A gift set with all three dolls will also be available for $134.95

Next are two "celebrity" dolls in the Pop culture line.  Elvis Presley® Jailhouse Rock™ Doll is due in the fall, Elvis can be in the house for about $45. 

 

The Christmas Show (Fred Mertz) Doll is a Platinum Label doll that will be coming to Wal-Mart in the fall, for about $48.  His character is new to the I Love Lucy show line of dolls! You can see a picture at this link:  BarbieCollector.com - News - Preview the Fall 2009 Barbie® Collector Line
 

 

Prinz Doll (European Market)

A European market exclusive doll that doesn't use the Ken trademark and looks similar to the doll below is Prinz Doll (European Edition).  Erik reports the following:  "There's a new Prinz Ken in Town! I found this doll at Toys r us in Germany. The box doesn't show a name anywhere but the the shelf label says "Prinz Ken" which means Prince Ken in English.  His Stock No is "N5025". The box backside says "Relive the magic and excitement of all your favourite Barbie™ movies with this handsome royal prince doll." So it seems like it's not an official "Ken" doll.  He looks like he's "Ken in India's" twin brother."
Here are some pictures below! I hope to get this doll soon (plus last year's European market Sleeping Beauty Prince Doll that I was never able to locate).

More pictures here:  Prinz Doll (European Edition)

Ken in India

Barbie and Ken in India Gift Set

Ken In India (India, European Edition), has made it from India.  You can use previous link to see more pictures, but  Panya from Thailand was nice enough to send me some pictures before mine made it here (below).  It looks like it is the same head mold as Barbie & The Diamond Castle Twin Musician Doll.  This is exactly why I love collecting...discovering Ken dolls you have never even knew were produced.  Of course more info when Ken actually makes it here...but until then enjoy the pictures below.  Thanks Panya for the pictures!

ALSO, check out the Barbie In India (Barbie and Ken) Gift Set that Omar brought back on his trip to India.  It features Ken in a different fashion! I've added it to the Keeping Ken Identifier Gift Sets page but am waiting on a complete description of the Ken fashion...as I didn't want to open mine.

 

Wedding Day Sparkle Groom Doll

I finally located the new Wedding Day Sparkle Groom Doll, box dated 2008, a near match to last year's Wedding Day Groom Doll.  The NEW 2008 Groom has dark brunette hair and brown eyes.  Like many others, I waited to find a batch that didn't have crooked painted eyes, which many of you are reporting as a serious problem with this doll.  I was anticipating this doll so much mostly because  finally...another doll with brunette hair and brown eyes!! So when I found a batch with good eyes, I got it and then went home to be EXTREMELY disappointed with the cheap one-piece fashion and the use of non-bendable legs (reported from James earlier), which I guess is the new norm on the "Doll" dolls that don't bear the Ken trademark.  I will seriously start complaining if this trend continues.  Sure it's a play line doll, but I immediately noticed the shortcut cost savings on this doll.  The box is even poorly constructed, held together by tape on the back (which won't bold well for preservation 20 years from now).  I normally find something I like with every Mattel male Barbie line doll, but I can't find anything nice to say about this one.  In my history book this doll will probably go down as truly THE example of how to cut costs in every single way in a recession.  And while I do enjoy a molded hair doll every once in awhile, it scares me to think that we will be seeing many more, in the spirit of cost cutting.  It makes me think back to darker times when the male doll was just an after thought in the line.  Let's give Barbie a nice fashion and lots of rooted hair and save all the costs we put into the female doll on the male doll. Mattel could have at least enhanced the fashion or the body of this doll.  It's just not fair to cheap-out on the male dolls.  I am truly surprised I actually bought it.  I spent $11.44 on it at Wal-Mart.  Thank goodness I was smart enough to find the lowest price.  It's like a cheap knock-off of a Mattel doll, but is actually a Mattel doll.  Mattel needs to start paying more attention to what is being passed off as quality merchandise from the play line department...even in a recession.

The Campus Spirit Gift Set (Barbie and Ken) is showing up at select Toys R Us stores!

Beach Party! Ken and Steven

Thanks to all my spotters who alerted me that the new Beach Party! dolls were making it to store shelves! As you can see, I found both Beach Party Ken and Beach Party Steven (at Toys R Us).  Both are standard swim dolls, and this time around they have molded hair.  As you can see, Ken is using the head mold from Wedding Day Groom Doll (with the same eye and eyebrow stencils or decals) and Steven is using the head mold from Wedding Day Groom Doll AA.  Maybe this is the beach honeymoon??

The packages are shaped like a surf board to get you in the mood for beach party fun.



OTHER NEWS!

  • I acquired an extraordinarily MINT NRFB example of Brad (Bendable Leg) to add to my collection! Sweet!!
  • Reading Material: If you want to read my latest interview, head over to Collectors Weekly.  It's featured on the Ken and Barbie pages with a link.
  • I had never seen this, now I have it.  You have to LOVE 1989! Ken Cool Jeans Fashion # 8731

 

Ken Fashions

I had reported earlier that I saw three new fashions for Ken on a few eBay auctions. This week I found what (I believe) to be different ones than I saw on eBay...but for sure I can report on the three I am certain of.  I found these at Target. (And hopefully more).  The new fashions are no longer labeled "Guy Time".  They use the "Ken" trademark.  Here is a promotional picture of all three with links below for close-ups. Thanks to James from the "He's A Doll!" Yahoo board for additional info on these fashions! Also Linda adds from the "He's A Doll!" Yahoo board..."Actually, I think there are 8 new Ken outfits...the 4 outfit Barbie sets See below) that each have a Ken outfit with them, the singles in slightly longer packages that included 1) Dark blue striped sweat pants with gray l/s hoodie and gray loafers and cell phone, 2) Gray long pants with maroon shirt/light blue long sleeves and navy/white/gray sneakers and sunglasses and 3) dark jeans and red thermal l/s shirt with sewn on camo vest with boots and sunglasses.  Has Ken ever had so many choices out there at once?"
 

As soon as I find these remaining 3 I will post pictures...until then here is an eBay auction with a picture of the remaining 3 HERE

Barbie Fashion Trend Sets

Plus, I located (mentioned above) 2 new 2008 Barbie with Ken Fashion #N4859 fashion assortment out there which is part of the Barbie Fashion Trend Set called "Miami Sunset Date" and 2008 Barbie with Ken Fashion #N4858.  Apparently there is a third set with a tuxedo fashion for Ken which James found from a Polish auction service.  Picture link HERE.  Thanks to James for posting these pictures!

NEW KEN FASHIONS!

2008 Ken Fashion #N4872

2008 Ken Fashion #N4873

2008 Ken Fashion #N4874

 

 

Keeping Ken NEW KEN DOLL CLUB!

He’s A Doll! - Collector’s Club is officially forming and we want you to be a part of it! He’s A Doll! is recognized as an official Ken doll collector’s club from Mattel. It was formed in 2007 as an Internet based male fashion doll collector’s club focused on the Ken doll by Mattel. A Yahoo group was started to keep us all in contact and organized as a club.  We are now ready to take the next step and form the club with a membership drive. The drive will take place from April 1, 2009 through May 10, 2009.

We're glad to have Ken® doll collector enthusiasts join our club.  If you are interested in joining, we have a Yahoo group located here:  He's A Doll!

We are pleased to offer these exciting benefits with your “He’s A Doll!” 2009 membership:

  • Welcome letter with an exclusive He’s A Doll! - Club member pin

  • Opportunity to purchase a specially designed club t-shirt and future club items

  • Continued access to the He’s A Doll! - Yahoo bulletin board

  • An invitation to the annual He’s A Doll! - Club meeting and social event at the 2009 NBDCC

  • Access to a NEW exclusive He’s A Doll! Club website featuring:

o       Club newsletter

o       Event announcements

o       Member profiles

o       Contests

o       Doll related activities

o       And LOTS more fun stuff

So don’t delay…join and send in you application starting April 1, 2009! You can send you application either by mail or electronically. We would love to have you as an official He’s A Doll! - Club member!

 

Keeping Ken BREAKING NEWS!

1,000,000

In early June 2008, the Keeping Ken website reached 1 million plus unique visits! It also is also holds the #1 top search result for Ken doll on Yahoo and Lycos, #2 on Google and MS search engines! Hats off to the mighty Ken doll collector!!

Keeping Ken NEW DOLLS!

New Barbie Collector™ dolls have been listed on the Keeping Ken Identifier Gift Sets page! They are Campus Spirit Gift Set (Barbie and Ken) and the Speed Racer Gift Set (Barbie and Ken).

Fashion Fever Ken

Looking WAY hot is the new edition of Fashion Fever Ken (Fourth Edition) I am loving the way the eyes are painted.  Drawbacks are the use of the PTR arm molds and it looks as though the messenger bag was omitted from production.  Cell phone charms are attached to the box.  Brad found this Ken at Kohl's.  I found my edition at Target! He is now listed on the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page!

 

 

Barbie & The Diamond Castle Musician Doll

Brad found Barbie & The Diamond Castle Twin Musician Doll at TRU.  A new head mold and use of the arms like the Disney guys last year! Only one doll is available to create "twins" Anyway, I really like the new head mold, but I like molded hair dolls as much as the rooted versions.  Interestingly, the head mold is marked with the stock number of the doll, so this may be a one times use?  It is also interesting to note that Mattel is producing quite a few new head molds for their lines that don't use the Ken® trademark name.

This doll has also been added to the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page and the new head mold has been added to the Keeping Ken/Ken Parts Department page.

 

Angelic Dreamz has photos of the popular telenovela star Rebelde male dolls here:  REBELDE  Unfortunately, it looks as though to purchase the male dolls, you will have to purchase them in gift sets paired with the girls:  Mia and Miguel, Lupita and Giovanni and Roberta and Diego.  I saw the first edition female dolls at Wal-Mart and K-Mart, but haven't seen these new gift sets in stores yet.  Thanks to Dana for this info!

Sleeping Beauty Prince Doll

Erik from Germany has alerted me of a new Mattel male doll that is appearing in that market.  Petra from Finland  has also located this doll!

Erik says "I found an new prince doll. The box is without any label (Ken or Prince) but the box backside shows 'Barbie as Sleeping Beauty' and 'Prince'. So it seems obvious that 'he' is the prince of 'Sleeping Beauty'. But you have to look very carefully to find that.

Box date is 2007 and the Model-No. is L8123.

His face mold is identical with the Caucasian version of Barbie as The Island Princess Prince Antonio Doll but has lighter brown hair and steel blue eyes."

I have added this doll to the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page and you can find a bigger picture and a picture of the back of the box here:  Sleeping Beauty Prince Doll.

Thanks for the info from my international friends for this news (and the pictures provided by Erik)! I hope to add him to my collection soon!

 

Keeping Ken UPDATE!

Sorry...it's been a long time since the last update.  As you may have heard on national news, my city was hit with a devastating flood.  Honestly, I have been trying to be a good community helper and have spent a great deal of my time trying to help those in need.  Recently, with other leaders of the company I work for, we helped clean out a home devastated from the flood.  Here is a link with a few pictures of that event I would like to share: GAP Milwaukee District Community Service

The work here isn't glamorous and there is still much to be done.  My home, was spared, but imagine if you can the entire downtown of your city being destroyed.  The flood, Iowa's worst in 30 years, had rendered 36,000 residents homeless and destroyed homes, farms and properties expected to exceed $2 billion in value.

It is a tough, emotional time, but as a community we will prevail.

Right as the city was flooding, I went to the 2008 National Barbie Collectors Convention in Kansas City, Mo.  It was a welcome departure from sandbagging, that's for sure.  I had many duties as the Raffle Room Chair, and in my haste to leave, I actually forgot to bring the card for my digital camera.  But I am relying on friends to send me at least a few pictures to cover the convention like I usually do.  I would like to publicly thank those of you at convention who came to me and made sure I was holding up under the circumstances.  It meant more to me than I could ever communicate in words.

I am looking forward to other things I had planned this year.  Stay tuned.  And, I mostly look forward to getting back to focusing on Ken.  Sometimes it is the things we most cherish that bring us back to the way things ought to be.  With that, Brad has been great on keeping me in the "Ken" loop, and I has been gracious enough to send me some pictures of the new Ken dolls arriving in stores below!

Keeping Ken NEW KEN!

Mariposa Prince Doll

In other male doll news from Mattel, it was rumored that a male doll will be introduced into the Fairytopia™ line named Carlos.  Brad found the Mariposa Prince Doll after going to Toys R Us for a few days in a row.  He said he is just labeled Prince and didn't see any mention of the name Carlos being used on his shipping carton or box.  He is described on the back as 'Meet the prince!  He's a butterfly fairy friend from the new Barbie Mariposa DVD!'    This is also another new head mold kind of similar to the prince from 2006.  He also has pointy ears!

 

Wedding Day Doll

When pictures of the Fantasy Groom dolls were  released, they look exactly like the Barbie as The Island Princess Prince Antonio Dolls.  The descriptions also hinted that these dolls were somehow tied into the Barbie Princess line, so maybe these dolls are actually second versions of the Antonio dolls dressed for the wedding?  We now know that the Barbie as The Island Princess Rosella & Antonio Wedding Gift Set was produced, and these new dolls are actually called Wedding Day (Pictured Below).  I finally found Wedding Day Groom Doll and he has a NEW molded hair head mold marked 2007 Mattel on the back of his head. Island Princess Prince Antonio says 2005, 2006 Mattel. The most noticeable difference is the part in his hair.  This doll will not be using the Ken trademark.

PICTURED BELOW:  Actual pictures of the Wedding Day Caucasian doll with a new head mold marked 2007 Mattel.  (Photos courtesy of Brad).  PICTURED BOTTOM:  Promo photos of the Wedding Day dolls.  The Caucasian version shows The Island Princess Prince Antonio head mold.

 

Vogue Collectibles has a photo of the new Speed Racer Gift Set.  Here is a link to the picture:  Speed Racer Gift Set.  This gift set should be available in March 2008 for around $40.  Looks like they are finally using a articulated body with the new Ken head mold!

Guy Time™ Fashions

Ken has a new fashion line called Guy Time™! I found 3 new fashions under this label at TRU this weekend! They use the new logo pop art that is the same image used on the Fashion Fever Ken (Third Edition) (see story below) box.

This is probably the best thing that has happened all year! For now, enjoy the new fashions, the return of fashions with the Ken® trademark and a specific male fashion line!

Anyway, here are some links of all three of the fashions:  Guy Time Fashion #L9797, Guy Time Fashion #L9798 and Guy Time Fashion #L9799.

I think I saw another fashion from pictures on another website, maybe a set (like those big Fashion Fever sets with several pieces), but I'm not sure? I'll look into that...

 

PICTURED ABOVE:  New logo pop art.

  Fashion Fever Ken (Third Edition)  
  Imagine my surprise when I went into Toys R Us and found a brand new Ken doll I wasn't even expecting!

Fashion Fever Ken (Third Edition) was there with a bunch of new articulated female dolls which included Barbie, Teresa, Nikki, Raquelle and Summer.  Finally, some more articulated dolls, but alas, poor Ken isn't articulated.  That really stinks, because we at the point of practically begging for another articulated Ken doll and we get stuck with another doll with the same body and those PTR arms.  Why articulate all the female dolls and not the sole male doll? I am sure however collectors will be happy to see new articulation on the female dolls, and a return to the normal body!

This doll is pretty neat however, and I'll take it as my one Holiday "surprise".  He is of course probably one in a case pack of 12 (or more), so find him if you can.  He is $9.99 and was the only one on the shelf! His sunglasses are a bit askew, as you can see in the picture.

On the back of the box we see Ken doll's "fashion motto" and discover his favorite color is "ocean blue".  The box side also has some awesome pop art of him.  LOVE that! Follow the link above to see the box art.  I LOVE surprises, and this made my shopping day that much better!

 
     

Surf's Up Beach Ken and Steven

pinkponytail.com has pictures of the new Surf's-Up Beach Ken and Steven dolls on the site! (Pictured below).  I haven't found Steven yet, but I have added Ken to the Keeping Ken The Millennium Era 2 2006-Beyond page.

It's the most glamorous beach party ever and Ken® and Steven dolls are cool in the latest sporty beach fashion, hanging out with friends. Both dolls wears hip shorts and a short sleeve button down shirt. Comes with a cool friendship bracelet.

Surf's-Up™ Ken® 2007
L9548

 

Surf's-Up™ Steven® 2007
L9549

 

And here are some pictures of the European version of Tommy model #L4379.  This new version of Tommy should be available here in the US in the Kelly line.  Thanks to Erik in Germany for sending these!

 

Keeping Ken KEN NEWS COLUMN!

 

 

 

 

Please submit questions to mailto:jef@manbehindthedoll.com and have them answered here.  Due to the volume of mail received, I cannot respond to individual e-mails sent to "Ask Keeping Ken".

 

 

 

 

For previous columns, visit the Ask Keeping Ken Archives

 
 

Q: I found this booklet that has some Ken® fashions in it that I have never seen before.  Can you give me some insight as to where these are from?-Barb

A: This fashion booklet was included in the Ken® dolls made by Industrias Rotoplast under license from Mattel in Venezuela in the late 1980's.  I have three of these versions Olimpico Ken, Jean Ken and Llanero Ken and all of the have the same booklet, which I have pictured on this page: Venezuela Ken Fashion Booklet.

I would think if you could locate any of them it would be an amazing find, since I have never personally seen any of the six pictured.  It took me forever to even acquire the thee dolls!

 

 
Q: Love your site...I just bought a Ken® shirt on Ebay that I can't find in any of the books. Mod era, long sleeve with the Ken® label -- pink,  orange, turquoise and chartreuse floral, almost Peter Max print...any ideas?-Steve

A: I believe the shirt is a variation used in 1972 Casual Cords #1717 outfit.  The fabric originated in 1971 Festival Fashion Barbie® outfit. (Thanks to Joe Blitman for help on this one)

 

Q: Can you tell me who this doll is (pictured left). On another site it said Happy Family neighbor doll, but I have never seen this doll before. Can you tell me if we could buy this doll here in the states or is this a foreign doll?-Fiyas

A: It looks like a redressed "New Neighbors" Dad From the Happy Family "Sounds Like Home Smart House".  This set included a house play set and 4 dolls:  Dad, Mom, Kelly sized Daughter and Krissy sized baby.  It was available in small quantities at Toys R Us domestically.

Even though Mattel officially discontinued the Happy Family line by the time this was released, this Dad doll was also supposed to be available as a Happy Neighbors Dad and Daughter set, but never made it to store shelves when a "New Neighbors" Mom and Baby set was released in Spring 2005. His only appearance is in this Toys R Us  Sounds Like Home Smart House Gift Set priced at $80, so in order to get him, you had to buy the whole gift set.

Photos courtesy of Li'l Friends

 

Keeping Ken SITE UPDATES!

It was time to do some maintenance to the site! I am moving a lot of things, catching up and archiving.  Here are some tips when trying to find things you may be looking for, and a few things to look forward to:

Keeping Ken 2007 CONVENTION!

National Barbie® Convention 2007 Viewable Covered Events

Arrival/Early Registration

Magia2000 Party

Tip Your Hat to Texas - Reception

Tip Your Hat to Texas - Silent Auction Raffle Room Sales Room
Competition  Fiesta de la Familia – Brunch & Friend of Barbie
BFC Member Party Mattel Presentation

Events Left to Cover

Fashion Show

Lone Star Ball - Dinner & Live Auction

Y'all Come Back Saloon – Dinner & Entertainment