This site features from my collection. in the photo, the dolls and costumes are all from the same era. old and new never mix. for example, next to 1962 Ken in 1962 costume is 1962 Barbie. please enjoy it first at all.
Also I've shown his TM and R label as much as possible. I don't consider 'label difference' to be a variation, however it's very interesting and meaningful. because it's impossible to collect both labels of Barbie fashion for me(and for almost all. I think).
Why meaningful?
as I've confirmed Barbie's label so far from auction photos, etc, her label changed from TM to R in 1959 already(she appeared in 1959), and all 1959 and 1960 fashions comes with TM/R. in other words, it took two years(seasons) to change from TM to R for Barbie fashion. I've always thought that Barbie's label change was fast and Ken's was slow, but no, I have realized that it took a similar amount of time in both. the spans roughly two years(seasons).
When put the same Ken fashions in TM /R side by side, we can see the change and flow of manufacturing in them. if all Barbie's TM/R label lined up at once, it would be so amazing! however, the designs of women's fashion inevitably change too much. conversely men's item don't change much fashion-wise, so the details of the label conversion could be seen clearly. that is the reason why I'm collecting his label !
it really is interesting to see that the labels change among similar items on the Ken fashion.
To the past.
It's a time travel to the past-What was happening in the factories and the home factories across Japan in the 1960s?
actually, my collecting around 1963-1964 still haven't finished yet. not only label but there are some interesting things here for me. of course this era is his golden age, also the transformation of his labels is here.