1961 #750 flocked Hair brunette Ken dressed in #782 Casuals (1961) and #788 Rally Day (1962)
#750 Blonde painted hair straight leg Ken, dressed in #798 Ski Champion in his dressed Ken Ski Champion Box (1963)
1961 flocked hair
The big difference between the 1962 & 1963 Ken is the height. The 1963 version is a little bit shorter, about 1/4 inch shorter. His arms were a little shorter as well. Both have painted hair. The 1963 Ken also had beefier legs. He must have taken up weight lifting. By 1964, he went back to the same height as the 1962 dolls, but a new marking.
Ken 1961-1968
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In 1961#750 Ken was available. He was named after Barbie creator Ruth Handlers, son. He was Barbies boyfriend. He had blue eyes, and either brunette or blonde flocked hair. In 1962 his hair was changed to a molded head. (He didn't get real hair again until 1973.) In 1963 he was made 1/4 inch shorter, in 1964 he went back to the 1962 size and finally in 1965 a bendable version was released.
Ken's markings are as follows:
1961: Ken™/Pats. Pend./©MCMLX/by/ Mattel/Inc,
1963: Ken®/©1960/by /Mattel,Inc. /Hawthorne/Calif.U.S.A.
1964: © 1960 by Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne Calif. U.S.A.
1965: ©1960/by Mattel, Inc./ Hawthorne/Calif. U.S.A.
Ken's markings are as follows:
1961: Ken™/Pats. Pend./©MCMLX/by/ Mattel/Inc,
1963: Ken®/©1960/by /Mattel,Inc. /Hawthorne/Calif.U.S.A.
1964: © 1960 by Mattel, Inc. Hawthorne Calif. U.S.A.
1965: ©1960/by Mattel, Inc./ Hawthorne/Calif. U.S.A.
My Vintage Barbies
1961 #750 Blonde flocked hair Ken dressed in #785 Dreamboat (1961)
#1020 bendable leg Ken (1965-1967)
#750 Flocked Ken and his box. Notice he isn't wearing a jacket with his swim trunks on the early box.
#750 Flocked Hair Ken was released in 1961. Ken was originally released wearing his red cotton trunks with the white stripe down the side, or red knit trunks and his sandals. Soon after his release, a yellow towel was added. Other variations in his trucks were sold red cotton and sold red knit.
1962 #750 Painted hair Ken and his new box. In 1962 his jacket lining was stitched in. In 1964, the lining was bonded onto the jacket.
1963 #750 Painted hair Ken (1/4 inch shorter version) knobbly knees. He came in the knit red shorts or red cotton shorts,jacket, and sandals. Also included a yellow or blue towel. He was only available for one year.
Ken actually had a last name. It was Carson.
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In 1962 Mattel released Ken with a molded head because when his flocked hair would get wet, some of the hair would come off his head!
Straight leg Ken was available from 1961-1967
(and through mail-order catalogs in 1968)
(and through mail-order catalogs in 1968)
Bendable leg Ken was available from 1965-1966 (and through mail-order catalogs in 1967)
Dressed Box Ken
Bendable Leg Ken
#750 Flocked Ken with sold red cotton trunks and added jacket late in 1961. These could be found in 1962 as well.
1st Ken TM wrist tag
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