Doll-A-Day 213: Talkin' 'Bout Boys Week: Allan

  As  the Shirelles, (and, curiously, The Beatles.) sang, this week we're "talkin' 'bout boys". It'll be a week  of boy dolls, including a few you may never have heard of. But today's doll will be familiar to collectors of vintage Barbie and friends,and, in character at least, to fans of modern Midge. It's Allan.

This is Straight leg Allan, the first Allan, in his original outfit.

Allan was introduced as Ken's best friend and Midge's boyfriend in 1964. (That was the same year Skipper was introduced, so Allan is also turning 50 this year.)

And he's got the bags under his eyes to prove it.

Like with Barbie and her friend Midge, Ken and his friend Allan shared a body mold, so they could also share clothes. No clothes were produced specifically for Allan except his original swim jacket and trunks outfits. His sandals were blue strap versions of Ken's red strap cork sandals.

I don't know how Ken or Allan ever got into the military with these flat feet.

Plus this Allan at least seems to have webbed toes. Strange that this foot seems to be so badly molded, because it's toes are sharper than the other foot's toes. Looks like he actually has molded toenails.

Oddly enough, I have two original straight leg Allan striped jackets, and one has an Allan label and one doesn't.

This one didn't. Apparently it's a rare variation. I learned this when I found my photo had been stolen by someone for their own webpage to illustrate the variation. The person left a comment on another post trying to push their own page, but not even bothering to tell me I had a rarity or ask for permission to use my photo. Thanks a lot.

He has the same 'manly physique' (Ahem.) as Ken.(The doll, that is.Not my husband. He's a bit, uh, beefier...)

 He did, however, have his own car. "Hey Ken, I want to go for a drive...Can I have some clothes?"

Skipper rides with you in Allan's new roadster.It's a two seater, so I guess it's just 'You' and Skipper. Allan's walking.

 Unfortunately for Allan, it's remembered as Skipper's car,in spite of the fact that she was way too young to drive, due to the fact that most of the packaging and advertising pictures pushed it as a car for Skipper to ride in.

Poor Allan doesn't even get his picture on the box.

 Worse yet, the shipping boxes actually said "Skipper sports car'.

Allan was named after Allan Segal, the husband of  Barbie originator Ruth Handler's daughter Barbara. So, in real life, Allan married Barbie. Allan's last name is Sherwood. He is the only Ken friend to be given a last name.

In his second year Allan was produced as a bend leg doll, in a short red jacket to match bend leg Ken's Blue one, and blue swim trunks.

He was also discontinued the same year. In spite of his short run, straight leg Allan is fairly plentiful and can be had for a reasonable price. Bend leg Allan is harder to find and more expensive.

Allan's of this era all had red hair and brown eyes, (making he and Skooter the ONLY brown eyed members of the Barbie crowd until Francie came along in 1966.

I bet Allan got the same comment I often used to get: "Your eyes are the same colour as your hair." I always hated that.

Allan resurfaced in 1991, with a new head mold and the spelling of his name curiously changed to 'Alan', as part of the Wedding Day Midge and Alan Gift Set, making him the only guy in the Barbie world to ever get married.(With Midge, of course, the only married woman.) He still had brown eyes and reddish brown hair.

Vintage Allan has molded wavy red hair.

After that Allan, or as he was now called, Alan, disappeared again for another 11 years, until the Happy Family line of dolls. This time around he had another head mold, and the red hair was a thing of the past, as were the brown eyes.

Just the other day I was in Meijer and noticed that Alan has been introduced into the line of Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse dolls. (And, I suppose, into the animated series.) He's a brunette with very dark hair this time.
  Join me again tomorrow for another 'boy'.

More Amazing Barbie stuff today!

  This summer has been vintage Barbie Bonanza time as far as yard sales go. I have never run across so many vintage Barbie and family dolls, stuff,and similar friends in one summer. If you read one of my earlier posts you will have seen that I found quite a few vintage dolls and clothes at a yard sale earlier this summer. I also managed to get a Deluxe Reading Dream Kitchen, thanks to a friend,a Tammy's Ideal House at another yard sale, and today I made this find:

Sorry about the plastic nudist colony.

  These dolls were waiting for me at a garage sale where I was helping the lady drag her stuff inside out of the rain. I almost missed them, but I heard her confirm to another lady that there were 'antiques and collectibles inside' on her sun porch. These guys were just inside the door. I also got a vintage Ideal Thumbelina and another older doll, some miniature baskets, a set of Krazy Ikes wooden building toys in their original box,and a couple of very cute old framed prints, which turned out to be 1959 menus from a Holland America cruise ship. I got everything for $31. The Midges are really nice, with only some minor lip rubs (I could fix that.) and hairdos needed. They have completely different skin tones.

The paler girl has super curly hair (Which makes me think she might be one of the earliest Midges.) and all her finger and toe nail paint. The other has all her finger nail paint.  Ken and Allan don't even have any hair rubs.The Tressy dolls have really nice faces. I love the dark haired one. The other one will look nice once she's dressed. She's very like the one I have from when I was a kid. The Thumbelina doesn't work, but she has her original wooden knob. I don't know who the other girl is, but I'm hoping my friend Connie can fix her up a bit. She has most of her mohair hair, and her crier still works.
  The pictures are so cute.

 
  The lady who sold them to me was an older lady, (To me, and I'm 51.) and they belonged to her mother in law, Flora. Flora wrote lovely notes which she kept with all the things she had saved over the years. The girl  picture had this written on the back.

"I think this little lassie has a guilty look---could she have swiped the flowers she is holding back of her?"

  I was very tempted to buy the napkins and tablecloth to which Flora had pinned some notes, including one detailing how she had bought 2 yards of fabric and sewed it into the set of linens in 1921, and how proud she was of her work at the time. So sweet. I wonder why her family wouldn't keep such such things.I was also tempted to buy a gift card to Flora from her husband Zeke. It had a pretty poem which I have unfortunately forgotten now.I may have Ken buy it tomorrow since he has to take back a necklace that was accidentally put in my bag. I'd go myself, but I am doing a doll show tomorrow. It's a long drive, so Ivy and I have to be up super early in the morning and we'll be gone all day. I just hope it's worth it.
  I also got something in the mail today.

  When I was a kid we had this Barbie's New Dream House. My sister gave it to me when she outgrew it, but then later she conveniently forgot she had given it to me and gave it to her first husband's nieces.It's one of the more expensive Barbie houses, so I thought I would never get one. I happened across one online recently and although it was a bit more than I would spend on myself,there were mysteries in the closet! There was only a little showing in the auction pictures, so I'm dying to see what's inside!

I'm already getting excited!

  I thought if I could sell the mystery items (I identified a couple in the auction pictures, but there are more lurking!), I might be able to pay for the house. I always loved that house, especially the sliding patio door! That was my favourite part!

The sliding door! And the handle isn't even bent on the outside!

When we made Emma a dollhouse one of the things I made sure was included was a sliding patio door! 

I'm hoping that one of these fur stoles goes to the Junior Prom dress that I spotted in the auction.

  And it  was! I think I just paid for my Dream House!

  And the good stuff just keeps coming.

I spy with my little eye Junior Prom,Enchanted Evening, Barbie in Holland,a red sheath dress,and Sophisticated Lady!

And the rest of Barbie in Holland was in the cupboard above the sink.(And the Spanish Inquisition was hiding behind the coal shed.) That's where I always keep my clothes.

Well now we know which Barbie this kid had.

I have to love the kid that owned this house. Look what they were using as a tv screen!

The Beatles card is taped to one of the original tv screens that came with the house.

  About the only thing I that can tell is missing is the base to the living room lamp, and, unfortunately, the other tv screens, including the one that made me fall in love with Larry the Lion!

Super minty Barbie in Holland, red sheath, and Skipper hat. Slight fraying on the Barbie hat.

The paper rug, which is the only piece I have left from our childhood Dream House, has no tears or dog eared edges.

  There is a bit of water damage, but mainly to the flap that will be covered by the bed when the house is set up. Set up where? I have NO idea!

  The furniture is minty. No bent chair or table legs. There's some tape on the house, but that looks like it may have been put on when they put the house together. The house seems to have been played with very little. Some of the walls and doors appear to have never been folded open.
  So I had a pretty good day!

Auction Fever (Well, auction nausea anyway.)

  I wrote this last night, but then was too tired to take the pictures, so it's outdated by a day.
  Well, here I am again at the end of another auction day. I'm absolutely exhausted from watching other people win stuff. Ok, I did win a few things, which is the reason for my other malady: auction blahs. When I spend money I get nauseated! I am going to have to move some of this stuff to justify going, or else I'll just have to crawl into a hole and die.(Which is entirely out of the question.)
  There were some beautiful Stacey dolls today, none of which I won. There was a really nice Todd with blushy cheeks, which I also did not win. None of the Skippers absolutely bowled me over, but there was a very pretty brunette Skooter: which also did not come home with me. Ditto the Father of the Bride Elizabeth Taylor. (Crossed fingers on my absentee bid for Elizabeth as Cleopatra tomorrow.) I almost did better at Goodwill on the way home from visiting my Dad last night.

  I swear this isn't my fault. The computer's acting weird. Not even my computer illiteracy is to blame for this one.

 I got this bunch of dolls, including a vintage Allan,with shoes,this Tangled doll in all her original stuff, Maxie,and these other more boring ladies, all for $3!

  Today I did score a Gene I've been wanting though!Creme De Cassis is mine at last.

   Thanks Ken for the early anniversary present!
   I also got a great Skipper/Barbie case.

  I have been needing some more cases to keep my stuff in. Missed out on the Ken and Midge cases though.
  Nice graphics on this Barbie and Skipper electric drawing set.

  I love dolls of real people that really look like them. Even people I don't especially like. (That's why I have two different Frank Sinatra dolls and a Clark Gable.)

I loved all the little guitars on the other Elvis'...Elvis's....Elvi...but this was the only one I could afford.

  Now here's my question. If Barbie loves Frankie AND Elvis, when is she going to love The Beatles?! Now that one I would buy new! (Well, probably not, because it would be 5 dolls and cost a fortune. But I would stalk it until it became affordable.) If they could make a set of Beatles dolls with head sculpts as good as the Frank Sinatra and Elvis dolls they've done that would be amazing! And they have to be next. (And where does it stop? I don't see anybody else that is on a popularity par with those guys.For the 70's, Barbie loves...? Kiss? The Bay City Rollers? The Bee Gees? See, it just doesn't work. For one thing, I don't think Mattel would let her love Kiss.
  Ken (Husband, not the doll.)loves Coca Cola stuff. He never buys himself anything though. It took me saying that I really like this Coke Barbie for him to make a winning bid.

We had already lost out on a whole box full of Coke Barbies, the Coca Cola soda fountain, (So Cool!!),and Coca Cola Ken. (I said, of all things, we should have a Coca Cola Ken. Other than Ken that is. Actually, Ken can't be Coca Cola Ken anymore, because he drank SOOO much pop that he now has mild diabetes. He used to drink almost nothing but pop, and he's a thirsty guy, so that was A LOT of pop. The guy could drink a whole 2 litre bottle in seconds, and frequently did. Drinking a highly caffinated beverage probably added to his thirst, which made him drink more pop, which made him thirstier...well, you get the idea. These days he is a good boy, (well, a better boy.) who drinks mostly water.
  I got a few stray pieces of vintage stuff, including the rare Sears exclusive Red Fantastic, which is actually not red.

  After finding the Tammy house, last weekend---remember I said I'd never seen it in person? Well, there it was in tomorrow's auction stuff. And better than mine. It had stuff inside and parts of it looked like they'd never been put together. Oh well. Mine was only $5....
  And because the auctioneer was begging me to take it I bought a Barbie Dreamhouse. Unfortunately not the second one. We had that one as kids and I'd love to have that one. Anybody want a Dreamhouse?