‘Barbie’ movie craze drives up eBay bids on rare Allan doll

nypost.com:

just Allan” now.Much like the “Barbie” box office sales, eBay prices for Mattel’s Allan dolls have soared to the hundreds.Played by Michael Cera in the Greta Gerwig plastic spectacular, Allan was manufactured as Ken’s best bud in 1964, inspired by Barbara Handler’s husband, Allan Handler.But Allan’s selling point — that he could fit in all of Ken’s clothes — seemed to suggest to pearl-clutching parents that the plastic dolls had a queer relationship, according to Attitude.Thus, he was discontinued.Despite seemingly being revived in the ’90s as Alan — one “L” — the husband of Midge, Barbie’s pregnant BFF who was also discontinued in the early aughts, Allan’s character never really stuck.That is, until “Barbie” hit theaters.

Despite Cera’s few scenes, self-deprecating one-liners and an intense fight scene, Allan — who has quickly achieved “icon” status and been crowned the “best character” — piqued the interest of Mattel fans and collectors everywhere, selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay.One listing rings in at $300; another is asking for $275; and one vendor even priced a used Allan doll at a whopping $465.According to TMZ, these price hikes are a far cry from the original listings, which sold the figurine for a meager $50 to $70.While Allan dolls are few and far between, the Barbie collectibles market seems to be booming.On eBay, the brunette 35th anniversary 1959 doll, fashioned in the iconic black and white striped swimsuit and still fresh in the box, is asking for a jaw-dropping $300,000 — thousands of dollars higher than most other listings.Just this week, a diamond-encrusted Barbie was auctioned for $302,500 at Christie’s in Manhattan.The original Barbie doll was created by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in 1945.