American Girls Dolls
 

What do y'all think?

http://www.americangirl.com

When I was growing up I had Kirsten (of the traditional historical series--at that point it was just Molly, Samantha, and Kirsten. Next came Felicity, then Addy and then Josefina... I think there is a Native American one too), but I think if I were little now I'd probably have chosen a different one, or one of the modern girls. They're so cool because you can get one to match YOU! See below for what I mean.

http://www.americangirlstore.com/pls...d?catid=375798

It sucks that they're kinda overpriced but they are good quality dolls... And not sexualized or anything. Plus, they have the easy reader books to go with them for young girls!

I had Kirsten too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I even had a couple of her outfits for myself to match, and even had a couple of professional pictures made in them with Kirsten in our matching outfits.
My sister had Samantha, along with the girl down the street. The girl across the street had Felicity (we with our families went to that elegant tea party in Williamsburg,VA when Felicity first came out--tons of fun!) and my friend had Molly.

We love 'em here--except for the price! We have several of the Bitty Babies, including the twins, and one daughter chose the American girl doll with her own coloring.

Ballerina won the Christmas dress set for Josefina at a raffle. Now we need to get Josefina!

another thought

I agree that they are not sexualized and are of good quality and value. I also believe that the books are of good value as well and does teach to a certain extent about those time periods---as do the dolls and their collections do.

I also like the fact that they are not marketed to children by way of tv commercials, and if they are still around and kicking when i had lil girls of my own, I'll buy them for them as well eventhough i've saved all my Kirsten stuff for that reason :)

I love them and can't wait to have a daughter so that I may shower her with one. I really like the books that accompany the doll as well. Each one has a great story.

I was too old for the dolls when they came out, but I did read every single one of the Molly, Samantha, Kirsten, and Felicity books. My younger sister had a couple of the dolls, though, and I played with them too. ;) I love all the new ones they've come out with, especially the "Girls of Many Lands."

I collected all of the dolls way after I was too *old* to be collecting dolls- there are 2 new ones I don't have though. I love them! I boxed them up to give to my little girl, but unless this one I'm carrying now is a legacy, I might be selling them on ebay:( (I find out Nov 14th - send girl vibes!!)

I had the books for Kirsten and Molly.

Loved em.

Would have given an arm for the doll and a pink canopy bed.;)

I LOVED the American Girl books!

I always wanted the dolls- Samantha in particular- but my parents said they were too expensive. :(

Oh, well, should I ever have a little girl, I know what she'll be getting for Christmas. :)

Sending over "girl vibes" and prayers................. :)

I got Samantha when I was really young, and Kirsten a few years after that. My sister had Molly. (This was back when they were the only three dolls that the company made.) The company that made them was located (and maybe still is) just outside of Madison, where I live, and my grandmother was a huge fan of the dolls, so we ALWAYS got AG stuff for Christmas and our birthdays. (I had ALL of the Samantha stuff, and a lot of the Kirsten stuff.)

One of the girls I babysat for a couple times -- her parents did some of the historical research for the books (either Felicity or Addy, I can't remember which).

I read and loved the books, and wanted Samantha, but my parents said they were too expensive...

then who got Samantha? My little sister... and they got her a bitty baby too... and all kinds of accessories... and she hasn't even read the books!! Kids these days! Seriously!

Maybe I'll just have to buy myself one!

Hmmm, I'm feeling generous this Christmas. Maybe I'll get my niece one. :)

They just opened "American Girl Village" or something like that in Manhattan. It's like a clubhouse for American Girl fans.

I had Kirsten, Samantha, Addy, and Molly. I was OBSESSED with these dolls, they were my favorite! My best friend Sara and I always would compete over who could get the most stuff and the cutest stuff for each of their dolls. I loved the books too!!! :D

OMG! I LOVED American Girl -- I started reading the books first, and read all of them that were out at the time (up to Abby). I really really wanted Felicity, and I got her for one Christmas. I was so obsessed with getting her that I measured the wrapped box under the tree to see how long it was -- the dolls are about 18" and so the box would be a little bigger than that...
I definitely love the books' portrayal of "American Girls", and the example the girls in the books set -- they're full of spirit and spunk! I saved my books and doll for future daughters (if I have any).

I had Samantha and all of the books and some of the outfits for her. Actually I still have her in my closet somewhere. LOL. I used to love the books they were great. The dolls were great but they were way too pricey. It's not like every girl out there can afford a $100 doll with $30 outfits to go with it.

Maybe one day, the price will go down some.
Remember those dag on Cabbage Patch dolls!

I have Sam, though mine wasn't taken care of like it should have and I would have perfered having them when I was younger and still having tea parties ( I got mine in 4th grade and I hit the TOM BOY PHASE).

I'm thinking about getting my mom one of the look alikes.

<<<<<<Legacy vibes >>>>>>

The hospital here had a Pleasant Company-sponsored "Welcome, Josefina!" fundraiser and asked me to hostess it. This was a giant party that rich women and their daughters paid big bucks to come to and participate in all kinds of related activities.

After I agreed, I found out that they wanted me to wear a Mexican dress and do the spiel with an accent Arg. People I knew were staring at me, like, "Where'd THAT accent come from?" Oh well, they made a ton of money and it was fun.

OMG, I loved American Girls!! I had Molly and all her books, and every week I would like, BEG my mother to buy me more of her stuff!! God only knows what happened to all that stuff I had... :p

I am soooooooooo thankful I have boys!!!!
I decided this after I went shopping at the American Girl doll store in Chicago. The store was insane!!!! The resturant, the tea parties, the fashion show, the portrait studio, the beauty parlor for the dolls.... truly insane.
But yes, while there, I bought my 2month old neice a bitty baby!!!
My husband and I walked through with a friend who was shopping for her daughter. We have never been so thankful we didn't have a girl. (especially after the lady in front of us spent $1500--saleswomen knew her-they said she came in every week to spend $$$)


-wendi

My girls all have a bitty baby, and the older two have Lindsay and Kit. The oldest wants the newest doll (can't think of her name right this moment), and the middle wants Molly! They have already written their letters to "Santa", LOL!

Mr. AXO_MOM_3 and I have been to the store in Chicago a few times. We go every March for a business expo, and always get our gifts from there. They do put stuff on sale, and it makes it a tad more affordable! We are planning a trip for next year (once the youngest is 4), and me and the girls will be hanging out at the American Doll store doing the luncheon/tea party thing, and the "theatre" with our dolls! Should be an experience!

Re: American Girls Dolls
 

Okay, I'll risk being the only guy to post to this thread.

As the dad of a girl who loves her Bitty Baby and other American Girl items, and as one who sees the catalog come into the house regularly, I'll have to say that American Girl merchandise is, imo, way overpriced and only of medium quality. Bitty Baby has held up fairly well -- although I'm not sure she has any eyelashes anymore -- but the accessories (crib, quilts, clothes, etc.) are only mediocre quality and ridiculously priced.

I wish my dad was still around. When my nieces were into American Girl stuff, he made cribs and other furniture for them that was better quality (wood, not plastic that breaks when you put the toy together) and a lot cheaper.

I received a current American Girls Dolls catalogue. I might just purchase one for my daughter for Christmas. The Hallmark store next door to my job sells some of the AG merchandise as well. :)

i had kristen, felicity and one to match me, including a stupid bunk bed that i saved all my own money for...lol i was very proud of that accomplishment...i love those dolls they are great and i wish i had em all hehe....yeah i'm a dork but i kinda collect dolls anyways its great how they have all kinds of nationalities now when i first started checking them out they never had a hispanic one so i got one to match me cause that was the closest i could get...then a few years later when i was prolly in high school they got josefina and i really really wanted it but i never got it oh well...

Wow... I had never seen these before, but they seem like a really good item for grade school girls.

Pricey, though - like the others had been saying!

yeah the first thing I thought of when our found out AGD's centennial convention was in Chicago "ooooh I can go to the American Girl Store!"

always stay young at heart :D

Oh man. I remember when the catalogs first came out with just three dolls. I was on the brink of "too old" but I got Kirsten anyway. My sister got Molly, and she has more accessories & so on because she was still young enough to play with her. She even got the girl-sized Christmas dress! I'm glad they've expanded the range of dolls to encompass more of America.

And I am soooo excited they are reissuing the "Angelina Ballerina" books!

Re: Re: American Girls Dolls
 

My granddaddy used to make me furniture for my dolls too! And my grandma would sew them clothes. They had some really cute stuff.

I think the American girl dolls themselves are of fairly good quality, but the furniture and accessories are touch and go. Some of it is quite good and others are only so-so. But one reason for that, I think, is that the dolls are aimed at an older crowd of girls than most dolls -- the girl that has started to read chapter books already, but hasn't stopped playing with dolls yet. I think the youngest on the recommended age scale is 7 or 8 (this was actually the primary design of the company, I believe -- to target that in-between age AND promoting reading by getting girls who might normally be more interested in playing with toys). A lot of parents give the dolls to girls who are younger and thus more messy and less careful with their dolls, when they aren't really designed for that age.

I think the baby dolls (at least the ones that were around when I was a kid ) were made of tougher stuff than the AG dolls, just because they were aimed at a younger age.

Yeah! I loved these dolls! I had Samantha and some of her outfits when I was young. It was very cool how they had the real girl clothes to match the dolls. My mom would never buy them for me though.

I always wanted one but my family never had the money. Two of my friends growing up had them tho and always loved to exclude me by playing with them when we got together. My two younger sisters have them, thanks to their penny saving. Why didn't I think of that???

A new store is opening up in NYC the beginning of November and I cannot wait. I really think they are a great way to get girls interested in History in a fun way with reading and the dolls.

Are AG dolls the equivalent of like . . G.I. Joes for girls?

G.I. Joes had accessories, books, a cartoon, and boys loved them.

Don't forget about He Man - He-Man had all that stuff too.

I never had an American Girls doll, though I ogled them in the catalog that came to my house!!

i had samanatha and i absolutely adored her..i had a couple of her outfits and accesories and such too. I also read all of the books for the three of them(back then it was only kirsten, samantha and molly) and was so sad when i read the very last book because there weren't any more. most of my friends had one of the AG dolls, but i got her right as i was outgrowing playing with dolls, one day i cut her hair because it started to get really scraggly :eek:

I never had any of the dolls, but I did have a TON of the books. I loved them.

I was one of those kids that thought I was too grown-up to play with dolls when I was about 4 years old.

Though, my mom DID dress me like a doll much of the time in little velvet dresses and sailor dresses.

Target has a brand similar to the American Girl Dolls - most of the clothes fit (except the shoes), and they have cute furniture and toys at a much more reasonable price! They also have the horses and vehicles too!

I received Molly for my 4th grade birthday and was soooooooo ecstatic and received a couple of outfits over the years for her.

When my niece turned 5 I took her up to Chicago to visit the store and pick out her first doll, she chose adorable Kit! The following year for her 6th birthday I took her to the store again and let her pick out another doll and she bought the girl you choose eyes, and hair.

Whenever me and my parents go up to Chicago we buy the dolls a couple of outfits and she just adores them! She marked the bottom of their feet with her name, scared me when I realized that she was damaging them but I think it's cute now since she's marked them hers.

Received the new catalogue last week and was oogling at all the new stuff. I want a new doll!

I got a Bitty Baby for my daughter's 2nd birthday this year in March, and she loves it. I'm going to upgrade her to the bigger dolls one day.

The thing was expensive though. And me being a spoiler with money at the time, bought the starter set, and the garden fairy dress set with the matching big girl dress. She wore it for Easter, its too adorable.

I had Samantha (and almost all the accessories and all the outfits because my mom bought the patterns and made most of them-she's a really good seamstress), and the other girls with AG Dolls had Molly. It was really funny, because I looked like the doll when I was younger!

I still have her too, and I collect dolls. When I make my first million, I'll buy some more. :)