Barbie's success causes demand for Allan dolls to skyrocket despite being discontinued

The recent success of Greta Gerwig's film "Barbie" has become the talk of the town for several reasons. Whether it is about admiring Margot Robbie's perfect doll-like feet stepping out of her pink stilettos or the movie causing a worldwide shortage in the availability of pink paint, the film has unintentionally changed a lot of things around the world. One of the most interesting things that happened post the release of "Barbie" is the rise in the value of an obscure doll, which was discontinued by toy manufacturer Mattel in 1966.

The Allan doll, played by actor Michael Cera in the film, was taken off the market by the toy manufacturing giant due to its less popularity compared to Ken dolls. Allan, the lesser-known doll, is enlisted by the Barbies in the film to help restore peace in their world after the Kens turn it into their "Kendom." However, it seems the Allan doll is finally leaving the shadows of the uber-popular Ken doll and rising in demand among doll collectors.

According to TMZ, as of last week, most of these discontinued Allan dolls have a retail value of $35-$76. However, an enthusiastic Barbie collector has taken a bold step to list the toy for $300 on eBay. The unsung hero of the film has restored the demand and popularity of the discontinued doll without a doubt. There has been no bid on it so far, but it might change in the future and some eager doll collector can potentially pay a hefty sum to add the vintage Allan doll to their collection.

On the other hand, in an interview with GQ, Michael Cera elaborated on his character of Allan in the film. "The joke of my character is that he's the only Allan in the world. Nobody was really interested in building out their Ken world that much. It's like, Ken is already just an accessory. We don't need him to have an accessory. That's kind of the tragic humor of this character. He's sort of an anomaly in the world," Cera said. "He's a very marginalized figure. He has no function. No place, really." 

According to TIME, Ruth Handler revolutionized the toy industry by introducing Barbie dolls in the market back in the 1950s. She also invented Barbie as a mainstream doll with the proportions of an adult female. She would eventually name her iconic doll after her daughter Barbara.

However, Allan is not the only doll taken off the manufacturing line because it proved to be commercially unsuccessful. Entertainment Tonight shared a list of dolls discontinued for various reasons, including Midge, the controversial pregnant Barbie, Growing up Skipper, the 1975 iteration of Barbie's little sister, Sugar Daddy Ken, Earring Magic Ken and Video Girl Barbie, which featured a necklace with a camera, and a video screen built into her back. However, we guess a passionate doll collector just might dish out $300 to grab the Allan doll from eBay.