Doll-A-Day 216: Talkin' 'Bout Boys Week:My Friend Mikey

  Today's doll is the lone boy from the My Friend Mandy line of dolls by Fisher Price. He's My Friend Mikey.

The line was begun in 1977 with Mandy. Her friend Jenny followed in 1979. In 1982 Mandy and Jenny werestill being sold, and were joined by new friends Becky and Mikey. In 1984 the last new character, Nicky, was added. The line's last year was 1985.

I instantly fell in love with Mikey, as he reminded me of another doll I had wanted as a kid. (We'll see that doll later this week.) Unsentimental Niece was 5 that year,so, since, at 20, I was 'too old' for dolls at the time, (I've gotten considerably younger since then!), I bought a My Friend Mikey for her.

I don't know as she played with him very much. I know the day I happened to visit during her yard sale in the early 90's she had him in her stuff to sell. To this day I kick myself for just not buying Mikey back, along with my sister's Ken and Francie. 20/20 hindsight...

I finally got a Mikey...well, two actually, at an auction a year or two ago. (Unfortunately, both are missing their light blue denim jackets.) I couldn't decide which one was better, so, for now at least, I'm keeping both.

I did happen to also get the box that contained everybody's shoes though. Mikey's clothes and shoes are all removeable. He has rooted hair,a vinyl head, arms, and legs, and a soft stuffed cloth torso.

His legs have some kind of armature in them though, so he can sit down properly. One guy sits fine, but the other one can't quite make it. Apparently the hip mechanism, whatever it is, wears out. In the pictures above it's the same guy sitting both times.

As you can see here, their hair is thinly rooted.

See what happens when the other guy tries to sit?

Their design also makes them able to stand unsupported.

Mikey is about 16" tall. He's often confused with Fisher Price's Lapsitter Joey doll from 1975.

Joey has brown eyes and brown hair. Mikey has blue eyes and dark auburn hair.

As you can see, Joey is shorter and his clothes are not removeable.

"I don't think we look anything alike. Do you?"

"No, not really."

Fisher Price had already made another doll named Mikey, from a line called Fisher Price Kids, in 1979. That Mikey was 8" tall, with rooted brown hair, a vinyl head, and cloth everything else. His clothes were not removeable, but he also wore a red and white striped shirt and jeans.
Tomorrow is another boy.It's also a 'Treasure Hunt' doll auction. Hmmm..... See you then.