Talk to me about American Girl Dolls...

[cheltzey]

When I was younger, I was OBSESSED with the American Girl dolls. I can't tell you how many hours I spent pouring over those catalogs. Of course my parents were practical and said that it was a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a doll. Which it probably is. But to this day I want a Samantha doll. Is that ridiculous? Probably. I'm 28. Of course she's retired, but there are plenty of people selling them on ebay. But this would be MOM'S doll. And Katie would want to play, so I might need to get her her own AG doll.

So here are my questions:
1. Do your girl(s)/you have AG dolls? Which one? Or do you like the My Twinn dolls better?
2. Do you let your kids play with the dolls? Or are they yours to collect?
3. Do the dolls get played with?
4. Do you think it was a good "investment" (using the term liberally, of course)? Good bang for your buck?
5. Have any of your gone to the AG stores? Is it fun or just over-priced marketing?
6. Do you continue to buy outfits or accessories for them?

Shhh...don't tell...I placed a bid on a Samantha doll. Hubby doesn't know yet. I'll break the news gently if I win.

[Misty Cato]

My daughter just turned 3 and her grandma gave her one for Christmas along with a couple of outfits. I think she ordered it to look like Mya (darker skin, curly hair). I adore the doll and clothes, but Mya is a bit too young to appreciate them now. To her it was just another 'baby' to throw in with her stuffed animals. She is too young to manipulate the clothes on and off and AG doesn't make doll & me clothes in her size so she can't enjoy that aspect either. I've put the doll and clothes away in a trunk and plan to bring them out in a year or two when she can appreciate them better.

I've never been to an AG store, but I've seen some of the craft sets around and think they look like fun. I'm really looking forward to playing with all that stuff with Mya as she gets older

[digideb]

I have no advice, but I just wanted to say that I'm the same as you. I used to spend hours looking at the AG catalogs. I'm almost 26 & still want a Samantha doll too!

[mariewilcox]

I'm not much help either - DD wasn't really into dolls very much and I'm not a collector of anything (too many years in the military!). If it can collect dust it usually doesn't enter my home - LOL. Personally I couldn't spend that kind of $$ on a doll, but that's just me being tight with a buck I'd rather spend it on other things - LOL.

[jessica31876]

I do not collect American Girl Dolls but I collected Cabbage Patch Kids when Toys R Us had the designer ones which were sold solely at TRU. They were not quite as expensive as the AG dolls but I loved them so much when I was young and my mom threw all my childhood stuff away so I bought the dolls for me only. My daughter was to old when I started collecting them to play with dolls though so they really were just for me. They pretty much are though just to look at. Nobody really plays with them. So even though I dont collect the AG dolls just wanted to comment and tell you to go for it. Nothing wrong with being an adult and collecting dolls

[rochelle789]

My girls are completely obsessed with their AG dolls. They just got them for Christmas. My 7yo got one that looks like her and my 3yo got the Bitty twins. They live and breathe for these dolls, I swear! They play with them just like any doll. My 7yo knows it's an expensive doll and takes very good care of hers. Their birthdays were both just this month too, so they got outfits and accessories for their dolls. We won't be adding to our collection again until we take a trip to the nearest AG store this summer. I can't wait! I might get one for myself then. The stores are pretty incredible. I've been to 2 different ones.

I never thought I'd spend so much on a doll, but it was one special Christmas gift, and they're such a wholesome toy for girls. There's so much skanky, trashy junk marketed to girls today. The dolls will last a very long time too. They're very well-made.

[Mrs John]

My daughter is 9 and she has the AG doll: Kit . . . she also has the bitty twins, (blond: one boy, one girl). She absolutely loves them and asks for accessories at every birthday and Christmas. She pours over the catalogs just like you are describing ( I often join her) and spends hours dressing and playing with them. I encourage her to read the historical books and we've seen all the movies too. I think they are a really positive role play for girls, and while they are really pricey, I think the value encourages her to take better care of them and think of them as toys that she can pass on to her babies in the future.

Here's a page I made of Corrine and her doll:

[[michele]]

1. Do your girl(s)/you have AG dolls? Which one? Or do you like the My Twinn dolls better?
2. Do you let your kids play with the dolls? Or are they yours to collect?
3. Do the dolls get played with?
4. Do you think it was a good "investment" (using the term liberally, of course)? Good bang for your buck?
5. Have any of your gone to the AG stores? Is it fun or just over-priced marketing?
6. Do you continue to buy outfits or accessories for them?

1.DD's have had various bitty babies, bitty twins, my ag doll, kit and elizabeth.

2. they are allowed to play with them - except Elizabeth who never actually made it under the Christmas tree. She's mine. ALL MINE.

3. no, they did (dd11)/do (dd5) NOT get played with very much.

4. probably not for us. honestly, *I* like them and they have a very generous grandma who likes them. for a little girl who loves dolls, I think they are worth every penny and then some.

5. YES! older dd celebrated her 4th (NY) and 6th (Chi) bdays at the AG store. Wonderful, wonderful experience.

6. No. Bitty Baby has a nicer wardrobe than I and the Bitty Twins have better furniture. I am now hoping for a granddaughter (in many many years) that I can buy that stuff for.

I do think the AG doll accessories are overpriced. If you are Suzy Gotbucks, they probably seem reasonable but I have never been able to justify the cost. The Bitty doll clothes, etc - especially when there is a sale - seem a lot less $$$.

[Traci Reed]

You can get "My Generation" doll clothes at Target that fit the AG dolls.

[emmasmommy]

1. Do your girl(s)/you have AG dolls? Which one? Or do you like the My Twinn dolls better?
my girls both have bitty babies

2. Do you let your kids play with the dolls? Or are they yours to collect?
they play with them

3. Do the dolls get played with?
yes

4. Do you think it was a good "investment" (using the term liberally, of course)? Good bang for your buck?
we didnt' buy them, my mother in law bought them for them. they've had them for 2 years now and play with them almost every day, so yes, i say they're worth it

5. Have any of your gone to the AG stores? Is it fun or just over-priced marketing?
we've never gone...

6. Do you continue to buy outfits or accessories for them?
i buy them the knock off ones at target and once a year my MIL goes to an outlet to buy them stuff. emma's got the daybed and then a bunch of little sets for hers but madelyn just uses her other baby stuffs for them.

[lovely1m]

If I had a girl, I would totally buy her one. I think they are so pretty!

[WalkersMommy]

I had Molly when I was little, and my sister had Felicity(still have them, just packed away). We begged for them and LOVED them for years. We each had the girl's bed, some extra clothes, accersories, and all the books. I just looked at the website and it's amazing how much more there is now! I would love to get one for a daughter one day, I think they're a good investment remembering how much I loved mine as a child.

[Jengerbread88]

I don't have one. But I do have some answers for you.

I was the girl who sat there with the catalog every time and circled everything in the catalogs, knowing we couldn't afford them. I still doubt we will be able to afford them once I have children, but I can dream.


IF I were to buy one, it would be for my child to play with. I would want her to take care of it, but some of the doll dressers you can buy hold a doll in it, too, so I would just tell her she needs to store them at night. I'd wait until she was past the age of her drawing on things, etc, because those are EXPENSIVE.

As for the stores, yes, they're expensive. Yes, they're fun. Some of the stores do special events, like free crafts to celebrate a new doll, or book readings or signings with the author. I think those times are good times to go to the store, so you aren't necessarily tempted to buy, just to participate.

From what I've seen, the dolls are sturdy. But that doesn't mean they're kid-sturdy. I don't have that sort of experience with them.

[color of my heart]

i actually have two from my childhood. they're in plastic storage tubs, along with all of the clothes that my mother made for them. i fully intend on passing them on when i have kids. i love how they have books and all of the accessories, and how there's a historical connection with the collections. cause it actually teaches, if you think about it.

it's crazy how the company started off so tiny. and now it's so huge and successful. it's awesome, to me.

as for whether they were played with or not? yes. they were. between three friends and i, we had every doll in the collection (at the time). and on weekends, we would play with them for days on end. they're pretty sturdy, but they're not meant to be thrown around, and used in mud. they aren't exactly waterproof.


as for my twinn, they're way more.. customizable? they're also almost twice as expensive. my niece wanted one, and it was vetoed. until her father bought her one. and then it went missing. but yeah. they're more expensive, but there's more of a choice to customize them.

[eranslow]

My sister and I both had a doll when we were younger. She had Molly and I had Felicity. We played with them quite a bit (especially considering I got mine when I was around 12!) But my mom was a HUGE doll fan so it rubbed off on us. My mom still has both Molly & Felicity in the attic waiting for the day when we are ready to take them home with us

3 yrs ago I was down in LA and went with some friends to the AG Place. That place was amazing!! So many dolls to look at and all the accessories!! We ate dinner there - and it was really neat all the little details that involved the dolls into the dinner. I definitely enjoyed myself - so much so that I decided to get myself the Kirsten doll along with her St. Lucia dress and accessories She's still up in her box - but someday I'll give her to my daughter (if I ever have one! lol)

[newfiemountiewife]

1. Do your girl(s)/you have AG dolls? Which one? Or do you like the My Twinn dolls better?
Rachael has a Samantha, and Amelia has a Mia (doll of the year in 2009) and a Kit doll.
2. Do you let your kids play with the dolls? Or are they yours to collect?
They play with them all the time! I don't collect things, nothing in this house is solely mine LOL
3. Do the dolls get played with?
Almost ever day, especially Amelia, she plays with hers more, but she's generally into dolls more.
4. Do you think it was a good "investment" (using the term liberally, of course)? Good bang for your buck?
Absolutely. They are such high quality, I am glad I got them for the girls!
5. Have any of your gone to the AG stores? Is it fun or just over-priced marketing?
I went to the AG store in Chicago back in 2005. Amelia was only 2 1/2, Rachael was just a baby. I LOVED it, and hope that someday, I'll be able to take them back so they can enjoy it. This was when I bought Kit and Samantha, they were the girls' souvenirs from their trip to Chicago, since they won't remember it.
6. Do you continue to buy outfits or accessories for them?
Yes, the girls usually get a couple of outfits for their dolls for Christmas. Since we live in Canada, I usually order from the AG store and have stuff shipped.

[DawnMarch]

They are really high quality and worth it if you think your girl will play with dolls. My DD isn't really even much of a doll fan, but she played with her AG doll i (even now at 10 she still likes it).

[NeverendingJen]

I had one growing up. My mom still has it in storage for me. I loved that thing. I would totally buy one for my daughter. I really want a little girl so that I could buy her one and play dolls with her. I'd probably buy them their own around age 5...cause Melly(made to look like me) is allllllllllllllll mine.

[MommaTrish]

**I** think dolls are creepy and am dreading that stage with Belly....

that being said, my sister got a Kit one when she was like 5 or 6 and loved it. She would drag that doll, her trunk of clothes, silly dog, and other junk with her everywhere. Drove me nuts, but she loved it for years and years. She's almost 15 and it's still in her room in it's own corner made up like a minioom. She doesn't play with it or anything anymore, but she still takes care or it and such and changes the outfits to match the seasons. She has threatened the boy-os with dismemberment if they even think of touching. lol

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by MommaTrish

**I** think dolls are creepy and am dreading that stage with Belly....

This is me. Dolls creep me out. When I was a kid I loved dolls though. Having grown up in Communist Czechoslovakia, we didn't know AG dolls. We knew Barbie existed, but most kids didn't have one. I did, because my Mum's friend emigrated to Canada and sent me one (it had brown hair, I never liked the blond ones). I thought I'd get a heart attack when I saw what I got (Mum arranged it at my bedside so that I could see it first thing when I woke up).

Actually, with no money or possibilities for outfits and accessories, I ended up sewing and creating my own (I did furniture, too), and it was huge fun. I can't sew now, but at that time I obviously did.

I know a person who is really skilled at sewing - she bought a Tonner doll for her daughter, and they both sew, create accessories - their creations are AMAZING. The lady even does shoes, and totally love looking at their models even if I don't like dolls.

You can find some of the models here, but there's much more at FaceBook. They even do tiny food items!

All I wanted to say with this was that even dolls can be kind of creative, educational and fun. :-)

[MissKim]

My girls have Bitty Babies and they were their favorite dolls ever. This was before the Bitty Twins came out. My oldest got her Baby the Christmas after her sister was born, and then my youngest got hers when she was the same age (4). They still have those Bitty Babies, even though they are 14 and 11 now.

The youngest got an AG doll a few years ago for Christmas. She is not popular. My dd loves to read, so I bought all the books to go with her, and it didn't spark an interest. It took me a few minutes to even remember that her doll is Julie. We collect Cabbage Patch Kids, and her CPKs are constantly in play (we're at my moms and she brought two with her for the weekend), but I haven't see Julie in months.

At our house, it was a yes for the bitty babies when the girls were at the age where they liked dolls. The actual dolls just never appealed.

[meems]

Originally Posted by MommaTrish

**I** think dolls are creepy and am dreading that stage with Belly....

ha ha, I feel the same way.

My daughter (6) has 2 Bitty Babies. She loves them but treats them like any other toy. She would also go through the catalogs and want all the stuff so I have stopped letting her see the catalog lol. Oddly enough, she has no interest in the girl dolls.

Personally I am not impressed with how they do the hair on the babies, especially the dark haired ones.

[g8rbeckie]

LOL, I JUST made a layout about going to the American Girl store!

you got tons of great advice already, I think it depends on the little girl (as to whether or not they get played with!).

Madame Alexander makes a line of dolls that are also 18" and you can get them to look like your little girl. THey have them at Sears, and they also have a lot of clothes that are for the kids with a coordinating doll outfit attached. This is MUCH cheaper and probably the way to go for younger girls until you know if they'll really play with them or not. However, I will say that the American Girl doll seems higher quality and a bit more well-made.

The AG store was pretty cool, but honestly, it was just a store. Unless you plan to spend $30 to have someone fix the doll's hair, you can get all the same stuff on-line or in the catalog. It made the process of picking out her first doll and outfit a bit more fun though!

[Shawna]

Between my two girls we have two Bitty Babies, a set of boy/girl Bitty Twins, a Just Like You doll, and Samantha & Chrissa dolls and a bunch of outfits and accessories. They absolutely love those dolls and they are played with constantly, even my son plays with the babies! They've held up really well with all the constant use, the twins even survived haircuts from Kelsie and my niece a few years ago lol!

The girls love going through every new catalog we get in the mail and circle every single item in there that they would like to have if we suddenly win the lottery lol! Kaylie just showed me one of the catalogs and said she circled 200+ items, um yeah not gonna happen! They usually ask Santa for a new doll and a few accessories at Christmas time each year and that's how they get them since they are more expensive.

[Jengerbread88]

This is coming from the "I don't have kids" perspective, but I always assumed that when I DID have a girl, the AG doll and her box set (as well as 1 outfit) would be a Christmas gift. Then for birthday she would get an outfit or accessory, and for Christmas, outfit from Santa and accessory from us...

:: shrugs :: that may change eventually, but that's how I've always seen it in my head growing up when I swore my daughter would get an AG.

[Balinda]

My DD got Felicity 2 years ago when she was 11. She wanted her because of her story. She didn't really "play" with her at her age but she read the book that came with her from cover to cover and the doll sits in a very special spot on her book shelf. BTW, it was a Christmas present and she knew it was a very special doll that would not have been gotton any other way.

[MamaBee]

I never had one... didn't know they existed... I did get a My Twinn when I was probably 16 or so? I still think it's pretty cool that it looks like me... even when my son sees it, he says, "That's mama!" So... no AG... but I do have a ton of Barbies... at one point I had over 200 (95% are never removed from the box, collector edition)... I've given away like 1/2 of them to charity since I can't even sell them at rummage sale. So, sick to my stomach that I and my parents spent all that money on them. Maybe when Daddy is at work, kiddo and I will get them out to play with...

Oh, I believe they have AG outlet stores... probably not a huge savings, but it would at least be something.

[adrianka]

A doll that looks like me would creep me out even more than a normal doll. Think Stepford wives. O_o