I loved American Girl!!!!! My little sister and I used to go all the local book events, and dress up days, and doll teas that the local library put on (Our mom worked there and helped to set them up!)

I had straight, brown hair (Though it turned curly after puberty), and I had ugly, coke bottle glasses....Thank god for contacts!!! I had the Molly doll, and used to dress up with the matching outfits!!! We would usually buy a similar outfit at another store because it was expensive to buy it from AG. I still have a picture of me and my doll in the matching green, velvet, Christmas dresses from when I was 8 or 9.

My sister had straight, blond hair, and since we are of Swedish descent, she was a natural for Kristen! Awwwwww.....The good old days....

I have never even heard of some of these new dolls....I think I grew out of AG shortly after Kit.

I will have to check out the website!

Update: So I looking at the AG website....what is up with the side kicks??? I knew Nellie was in the stories, but since when are the side kicks actual dolls?

Bumping this to sadly report the impending retirement of Felicity.

Apparently Kirsten is gone too. Those were the two I had, and I'm kinda sad they're gone.

shame, felicity had the best bed by far

FELICITY?!?!?! WHAT? Are they stupid? I feel like Felicity is probably their most popular doll.

I knew about Kirsten. I was in NYC last fall and went to American Girl Place and one of the associates broke the news to me.

:(

ETA: Most of my AG books were ruined when the pipes burst in the basement on Christmas Eve, 2009. I was really sad because I thought they were fine (in a plastic bin) but the bin had holes, and my AG books took most of the water. I guess I should be glad that the pictures and whatnot were fine, since the books are replaceable, but I'm still really sad about it.

Oh well - I'm sure I can pick them up on Amazon for pretty cheap.

I'm going to sound like a smart ass, but I suspect she wasn't their most popular doll if they're retiring her. That or they intend to bring them back later ala the Disney vault.

I grew up with Kirsten (and Samantha and Molly!) but Addy has been my favorite for a long time and I feel like the newer ones are even easier to relate to.

My sister has a Samantha and a Kit, she loved them growing up. She wants to give my daughter Kit since they look alike once my daughter gets old enough to read. I need to find a way to recondition their hair. After a childhood with my sister and the last 5 years in the closet, they need a make-over.

I think it's the latter. IMO, Samantha was the most popular...but that's just based on the fact that the overwhelming majority of my friends who had AG girls had her, and she was first to go.

I was the same way, that's why I got Molly. She was the most recent at the time.

Just checked their website...if I were to get one now, I'd TOTALLY get the 70's girl, Julie.

Yeah but we're not the target market anymore! The originals are also the oldest so if you have to cycle them out it makes sense to choose those.
I haven't read Julie, I've read Kit though! I need to find the books. The librarians are going to think that I'm either really immature or that I have six year olds!

Felicity has always been one of the more popular dolls in the line. I suspect it was just her time to retire, like most of the other "historic" dolls. I also doubt they will ever bring a retired doll back.

Honestly, I've gotten rid of 99% of my childhood toys over the past few years. My American Girl dolls were the 1% that I couldn't bear to part with.

I also had a Bitty Baby, and am glad to see they are still around.

But what will Williamsburg do without the Felicity stuff?

IMHO, and I own none of these dolls, cutting Felicity may come back to haunt them. Didn't she have a friend?

ETA: Her friend is Elizabeth. They represent the richer & poorer parts of Williamsburg. I guess more little girls wanted to be Elizabeth than Felicity. For comparison's sake:

Felicity's bed:
http://store.americangirl.com/images/EB_main_1.jpg

Elizabeth's bed:
http://store.americangirl.com/images/XB_main_1.jpg

Aww I had/have Samantha (she looks most like me) and I was obsessed with that time period.
She is such a beautiful doll. I didn't even know they retired her. I'm very sad.

Personally, I like Felicity's bed better.

I better make sure I still have all my Samantha stuff safely packed to save for posterity.

She was the only doll I ever played with because I preferred stuffed animals...I had the trunk and million outfits and everything.