Ken Doll

[elben-7731]

I had no problem selling Barbie dolls on eBay, but nobody wants Ken? What gives?

[luckythewinner]

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@elben-7731 wrote:

I had no problem selling Barbie dolls on eBay, but nobody wants Ken? What gives?

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Perhaps for the same reason that people tend to buy Michael Jordan sports cards, but not Jeff Sanders sports cards?

[byrd69er]

Is it a real Ken, or just a doll who thinks it's a Ken?

[katzrul15]

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@byrd69er wrote:

Is it a real Ken, or just a doll who thinks it's a Ken?

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Identity Crisis Ken!  That would sell!

[krazzykats]

Ken needs a Karen, not a Barbie!

[d-k_treasures]

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@wrong66 wrote:

A Ken head on a Barbie body might actually sell good "these days". And vice versa.

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I'm waiting for the interchangeable body parts Barbie(formerly Ken) .....

[frodobagginskennedy]

OMY GOSH!  we never did that,  Now I want to go to a goodwill and play with the Barbies and Ken dolls

[frodobagginskennedy]

I was going to post the same thing.  You beat me to it.

[pburn]

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

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@wrong66 wrote:

A Ken head on a Barbie body might actually sell good "these days". And vice versa.

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I'm waiting for the interchangeable body parts Barbie(formerly Ken) .....

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

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@wrong66 wrote:

A Ken head on a Barbie body might actually sell good "these days". And vice versa.

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I'm waiting for the interchangeable body parts Barbie(formerly Ken) .....

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Isn't that what D. J. Conner was doing on the "Goodbye Mr. Right" episode of Roseanne?

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@nocoolnamejane wrote:

This is purely anecdotal as it’s my personal experience, but as a child, my friends and I all had only one Ken doll while we had dozens, if not more, Barbies.

I would put forward the hypothesis that Ken does sell, but is waaaaaay less popular than Barbies (and much less fun to dress up as well!)

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Yup, I probably had 10 Barbies, but I had 0 Kens & never missed him.  I'm guessing he was Matel's attempt at garnering the male market, but I think that went squarely to GI Joe. 

[coolections]

No girls ever liked to collect Ken dolls. Also the average talking Ken doll sells for around $20 and you want $40.

[chapeau-noir]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

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@nocoolnamejane wrote:

This is purely anecdotal as it’s my personal experience, but as a child, my friends and I all had only one Ken doll while we had dozens, if not more, Barbies.

I would put forward the hypothesis that Ken does sell, but is waaaaaay less popular than Barbies (and much less fun to dress up as well!)

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Yup, I probably had 10 Barbies, but I had 0 Kens & never missed him.  I'm guessing he was Matel's attempt at garnering the male market, but I think that went squarely to GI Joe. 

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I kind of think it was Mattel being matchy-matchy and going with the whole domestic bliss business back in the day - Barbie house, Barbie car, Barbie kitchen widgets, Barbie life-mate.  Heaven forbid Barbie be a feme sole and do stuff on her own!  That had to be remedied, or they'd have to get Barbie a job that didn't involve a typing for a crummy wage.   I had Barbie and GI Joe doing stuff together, though. 

ETA:  That's just my cynical view, though through a half-century lens.

[jacnsam]

Multiple Barbies, Skippers and even several Crickets for myself and my sisters (way back when) but never a Ken or even GI Joes...we were a Johnny, Jane and Jamie West bunch! Buckboard wagon and all!
Those were the days!!

Great post!!   ...thanks!

[inhawaii]

The Ken doll is crucial to the set.

After all, who's going to kill that big spider?    😉

[katzrul15]

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@inhawaii wrote:

The Ken doll is crucial to the set.

After all, who's going to kill that big spider?    😉

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Barbie has pets...Dogs and Cats....and she has a glam squad, cooking squad and cleaning squad.  Someone on staff is on it!

That Barbie party boat or Dream House has no spiders.....  I guess Ken could be the pool guy or landscaper or tend to her paddle boats or surfboards. ....

In the I Can be Series, Barbie is no longer the Stewardess - she is the Pilot or the Plane Owner.  Elon who??  Lol