When I was in elementary school, I loved (and still do) reading. I was thrilled when the brand new series, “American Girls” came out. I loved reading the stories of Molly, Samantha, and Kirsten. They transported us to another time and taught the girls of the 1980s what it might have been like to live in another era. But now? With their very own collection of exquisite dolls, their accompanying wardrobes, and nicer furniture than I have in my living room, the only place the American Girls transport you is the poor house. (Is that not okay to say? Credit counseling, then.)
These dolls ring up at over $100 a pop, and that doesn’t include the designer wardrobe that is downright essential for any upstanding American Girl doll owner. (Mother? Too much?) There are practically a dozen different dolls to choose from, though of course you can also design the doll to look exactly like your daughter.
I remember being perplexed last year to see a Facebook update that read, “WARNING: THE AMERICAN GIRL CATALOG IS IN TODAY’S MAIL!” Now I get it. I would have given anything to have intercepted that damn catalog before my over-zealous, eager-to-fit-in 2nd grader got her greedy little hands on it.
So of course she’s asked Santa for an American Girl Doll this year. I patted myself on the back for my quick thinking when, after I sputtered about how they were too expensive and she promptly countered with, “So what? Santa’s elves can make them!” I immediately dispensed with this thoughtful reply: “Santa doesn’t bring gifts that the children’s parents don’t think are appropriate.” Whew. Side-stepped that dream-crushing landmine. I’d used a similar rationale when explaining why Santa would not be bringing us a puppy the year that her sister was born. Unless he planned on also delivering a year’s supply of red wine, live-in puppy-sitter, and pharmaceutical regimen, Mommy would not be taking care of a new baby and a puppy.
But seriously, folks. $120 for a f*cking doll? I don’t think we’re in the Cabbage Patch anymore, Xavier Roberts. (Look it up.) And speaking of Cabbage Patch Dolls, may I present Exhibit A as to why there is no way in hell my seven year old will be receiving an American Girl Doll for Christmas. Last year she begged for a Cabbage Patch Doll, and this is how said doll spends much of her time these days:
I assure you, I did not disrupt the integrity of this scene by posing the doll.
Not only that, but she was so psyched about being a Cabbage Patch mama that she spent her Christmas money from her grandparents and bought a companion doll for her gift. That’s right- a second Cabbage Patch Kid. Do you think I have the vaguest idea where this prized possession is at this moment? Hell, no. I couldn’t even track her down for a second (completely unstaged, I promise) photo.
Here’s the thing: if I thought my daughter would cherish and care for an American Girl Doll, I would totally buy her one. (I think.) I would without a doubt buy seven year old me in 1985 an AGD. (Can we abbreviate now, please? I’m getting irritated just typing the words out at this point.) I would have adored her, given her a middle name, slept with her, and played with her daily. Let’s be honest- my 2nd grader is a far cry from the nurturing mama-in-training that I was when I was seven. And that is completely fine. I have no issue with the fact that fawning over dolls is not my daughter’s thing. But there is no way that I will spend that kind of money on a toy that isn’t really her thing. Unfortunately, after poring over the AGD catalog that arrived that ill-fated day, she’s decided they most definitely are her thing.
She has plastered her walls with posters from the AGD catalog.
Of course, she also has these Disney tween assclowns on her wall.
In my opinion, the only reason she wants one is because she believes that everyone else has one. And maybe they do. But our family has chosen to spend our money in other ways; for instance, for the price of one of those trendy doll frocks, I could buy myself a pair of shoes. I’m not kidding- I would think twice about buying myself an outfit that costs as much as some of those AGD outfits.
So unless I decide to buy the cast-off doll of another fickle child consumer off Craig’s List, the big guy will not be bringing a mini-me doll down the chimney this year. Of course, we could get those rip-off dolls from Kohl’s with one of our 30% off coupons…
***(Update: Santa brought the less expensive version of an AGD for Christmas, and my suspicions were confirmed. Here is a photo of “Julia,” my daughter’s cherished pseudo-AGD, in her new home, naked, on the top shelf of the closet. I rest my case.)
So what do you think? Are AGD dolls an American treasure or a ridiculous racket?
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Oy. This makes me kind of thankful mine is a boy. I know my sister is holding off all knowledge of AGD for my 5yo niece until – forever. Although I am sure I have spent at least that much in guns and legos, so who am I kidding.
Good luck with that. I bought a Polar Express Train for Santa to leave for the boy. He broke his model train from last year. Who’s the loser now?
Yeah, I’m sure if I had boys I’d be whining about video games or guns or something… I guess each gender has their share of crappy toys/traits! And ha- good luck with the new train…
REALLY? You have good reasons but you says that the things your kid loves is stupid. That is a horrible thing to say as a mother. If she loves dolls, you need to appreciate that and not go ranting of on a computer about it. And you said the posters on her walls were of tween assclowns. you are so mean! She likes disney. so what? You dont need to offend them just because she has a poster of them. If your daughter loves AGD respect that. I am so sad that there are terrible mothers in the world like you. You wont spend a little bit of money to make your child happy. I think this was an innaprorpriate and sad article. I feel bad for your daughter.
I agree the company behind these dolls are outrageous. It is not about my Daughter wanting a doll, it’s about this company taking advantage of a child’s wants and pushing their parents to spend a ridiculous amount on a doll let alone all the way over priced accessories. If these dolls were handmade in america instead of a factory in china, maybe there is value here but all I see is profit for the company. I would even consider buying one if it came with a carriage, 4 sets of clothing, a couple of books, but just a doll and 1 piece of clothing that is generic to all of them, nope! I have a hard time letting my daughter get build a bear stuffies at less than half of an American Girl Doll. I too will be buying a doll from another vendor for my daughter (qaulity is the same and price is way less)
Actually, I myself have a doll. Let me give you my inside information here.
I am 12, and I got my doll for Easter a few years ago. (Yes Easter, by the work of my grandma I am super soiled along with my little brother.) I saw the catalog and really wanted a doll. I did get THE American girl doll. I have to admit, I didn’t play with it very much. I did love designing the room though, so I loved getting furniture and accessories. After a year of gathering more AGD stuff, I eventually threw it into my closet, then into my brother’s closet, then set it up in his closet, then took it apart, then did the whole process over again. Eventually it ended up in my brothers room as he started to play with it. Don’t ask. Currently my younger friend has 3 dolls, (1 I got and gave her since I didn’t play with it) and she plays with it all the time. Except recently because she has discovered the internet. My AGD stuff is back in my big walk in closet, and I have redesigned the room and I love the way it looks. I am in to many other things but still play with it. I have noticed that AGD hair is better than the other cheaper doll hair. It has been in better shape than other dolls I have had. So I believe that the price of now $110 is overpriced, but their items have better durability. As another example: I have seen Our Generation doll things like their cars and furniture has more cheap plastic in it, so it beaks a lot easier and does not work as well. AGD furniture has wood and metal, and of course plastic, but it is made better. I do believe the quality is different from brands, but AGD stuff is still over priced. Another thing I have seen with the AGD stuff is that their magazines actually have good advise and they have books for girls that are very useful.
I wanted a doll because I loved the idea of a cute doll that I could make have a lifelike “house” and I would be able to change it easily. By the way, my room changes monthly because I love redesigning.
Judging from the pictures of what your daughter has done to her dolls , I’ll forewarn you. Do not let her know about Pullips. They are fashion dolls that can blink and move their eyes (magical but kinda creepy) and come with a price tag of around 200 in cold hard cash. They are expensive AND delicate, meant for ages 15+. The only reason my parents let me own one is because I bought mine with my first paycheck for my sewing classes at college
They are however, very well made and quite pretty to look at.
But never let a child come near it. My cousin broke mine and to this very day the right wrist joint is stiff from all the glue I used to glue it back on.
SRSLY!
I’m sorry AGD Lover….I couldn’t get past your poor spelling and horrific grammar. Stop blog-shaming. It’s a bit tacky.
Thank you. 🙂 🙂
You are so rude
I think these dolls are awesome if you are old enough to use them. Like, my friend made 100 dollars off a awesome doll video and I make realistic rooms for her videos too. I have beautiful doll rooms and love dolls. You jut have to be old enough to use them. I have 10 of them and a bunch of things for the, like 5 desks, 11 beds the extra is for my doll which is coming from the doll store soon, I also have 5 doll lockers, a table I built with a doll behind the counter handing out the doll lunches, 7 doll lunch trays with cheese sticks, I think sausages, milk, baby carrots, and burgers. I have a little area of my doll video making room with a hair styling chair, nail polish, shampoo, conditioner, and 2 dolls in there. I have more things for them to make my friends videos. She uses my dolls and all 25 of her dolls.
I thought it was pretty obvious that the poster was a child….
I agree
Sfir
First off the kid doesn’t even care about the doll and she only wants one because she thinks everyone does, did you see that offbrand doll
that is what would have happened to the ag doll, and second of all your acting like a drama queen”im so sad that there are horrible mothers in the world like you”WAH! But the mean disney comment is mean but true.
I agree American girl doll lover you should pay some money on something your daughter would probably love. Yes the knock off is stuffed somewhere but your daughter wants the real thing you can tell its not a real American girl doll. Plus those Disney actors work their butts off trying to please people. RESPECT THAT!!!!!
Maybe you should bring her to the store and give her a budget if she goes over $15.00 ground her for two days or something give her like a $250.00 give her a consequence for going over her budget.
Not to mention that these dolls are complete garbage, they can’t even make the African American dolls Look like African Americans, they look exactly like the white dolls only with dark skin! I had a black doll when I was a child, and I loved her, My mother bought her in Georgia and her facial features were black! She was beautiful and very special compared to my boring white dolls, who all looked similar to each other! Maybe if these dolls were better made I could justify the price, but these dolls are just overpriced garbage
Yeah AGDL I Agree To Call Disney Stars Words I Cannot Repeat Is Outrageous! As A Normal English Ten Year Old I Cant Get My Hands On AGD So How Do I Know What They Look Like. After Years Of Collecting Dolls And Caring For Them I Know What They Look Like And Them 2 Dolls Are In S**tcicle Condition! I Have A Designa Friend Shes Naked But In Brand New Condition
She is doing the right thing. My daughter had to collect everything! How to end it? We made her work for it. My daughter got a Journey girl (less expensive, and creepy) for her birthday. She loves it and takes care of it. You can get shoes, purses, dresses, glasses and more for $18! The amount for AGD is &90 for those listed above. When I see a shorts/shirt set for girls that was $80 I was shocked! My daughter was too. She said it would have taken her about a month to get a pair of shoes, 4 months to spend $80! Forget it! AGD is more for 11-13. It will make you broke. My daughter (11) makes better choices with her money than to buy AGD.
i agree
i totally agree with you american girl doll lover well said
“Terrible Mother?” “Feel bad for your daughter?”
Nasty. GTFO.
Wow, thats nice. You are happy to post all over the internet how the things your daughter love are f@cking stupid. disney tween assclowns on her wall. Really? Great parenting honey. GREAT parenting.
Congratulations! You win the “totally condescending, self-congratulatory, mean-spirited, ignorant, judgmental, absolute absence of any sense of humor whatsoever award!” The prize? An overinflated ego! Enjoy!
I am aware that this is an old thread..but i am here because my daughter has asked for one of these dolls and i am researching..I agree with Stephanie’s post. I don’t agree with you and American girl lover.
Maybe you have the funds to indulge your childs every whim,My daughter, like hers will probably not care for the doll and is not really a doll kid…being a good mother is about teaching your child to think,make good choices and be themselves.teach them the value of money..you can’t just throw a few hundred dollars of dolls and accesories at your child because she mentioned it label yourself a good mother and call it a day…I feel sorry for you because you will have some really entitled children to deal with soon.
Hey Stephanie…I do have a question for you. What brands do you like? As you type your rant on the despicable and outlandish prices charged by AG designers….what kind of computer are you assaulting with you venomous post? I hope it’s not an overpriced Mac….or the pjs your lounging in…I really hope they aren’t name brand and neither is the purse you carry. Hmm….Since you speak such hate against expensive name brands, I must only assume your belongings are self made or bought from small mom & pop shops, cheap and organic of coarse. I am sure though if you have any expensive name brand items…You deserved them… right or got them used and clipped a coupon. At least the Disney teens are working for a living and not hiding behind a computer earning their wages criticizing others. What does mommy do for a living….”Oh, mommy tells people their ideas are overpriced.” Hope your hand made sweater keeps you warm and comfy while you think how proud that’s gotta make you feel;)
Well that’s nice. So being a good mother is spoiling your child. Message recieved.
As a mother I wish to teach my children about the value of money and how important it is to know the difference between wants and needs. They also need to know that they may like many things, but they are not entitled and should not get it all. Parents are not genies, waiting to grant the wishes of their children, especially because what they like today will be replaced by something else tomorrow. Even if you can afford it, I don’t think it is wise to buy very expensive toys. Teaching them to be creative, even with simple things will help them to grow up to be creative adults that will contribute so much to the betterment of the world.
And yes, I do believe that parents have not only the right, but the responsibility to analyze what their children like and decide what is best for them or not, even if that includes expressing their disapproval of certain things. It is our responsibility as parents to teach that joy is more important than happiness and that material things will never and should never be the source or either joy nor happiness. If we send them the message that “if that makes you happy, then you should have it/do it” we are being terrible parents and should be hold accountable for it. If we want the world to be a better place, we need to start by teaching our children to find contentment, joy and happiness in things that matter, living selfless lives, that give, rather to expect to be the center of attention and recipients of whatever you wish.
agreed! could have talked her into a less expensive doll, or maybe just one american girl doll, and let her learn to make the dresses ect., use “it” as a learning experience, and my children’s toys were never left the way you let your daughter do in your photos, when my kids went off to college, their toys were sold and all who bought over ebay raved how they all were in like new condition, something my mom taught me, and my kids were taught. do i like what american girl doll is doing, its all about money, no…. but you could have used the whole “thing” as a learning experience….
I know! She’s being so rude! So what? Your daughter likes dolls, what else is new? I don’t see how you can say all these horrible things behind your daughter’s back. It’s just plain WRONG!
you are sooooo right!
I agree. Let her like what she wants to like. You are being extremly rude insulting your kids likes. Also, saying that her posters are assclowns? Really, why would somebody do that?
Well guess what. Money can’t buy happiness and it’s not very nice to call people bad mothers is it. You have no idea what the actual meaning of a bad mother is.
I also think there was no need to insult the poor guys on the poster xD but is true, our kids nowadays don’t appreciate toys anymore…is weird, i bought my boy a car track with a lot of accesories for 50 dlls, for christmas, and he really didn’t play with it, but got him a 5 dlls colouring set at the second hand and he just loved it! Next chistmas i will get him stuff cheap like that instead…
Didn’t you see what she did with the knock off doll would you really go out and spend $100 plus dollars on a doll your child isn’t going to play with so don’t you go go and judge her parenting like that just because you find the doll amazing
I think the dolls are a reasonable price. I love them. So do lots of kids around the world. I don’t agree with Stepanie.?
I’m sorry about this but as a mom I think I would buy it…and really! “Oh and just another thing that deist matter about AG dolls is…oh look of course she has the Disney tween ass clowns” (1.unrelated (2.respect your daughter (3.rude! I know we all have different parenting. But still if you really regret it sell it on Craigslist. Clean it up a bit and sell it…that easy Hun. I’m sorry it’s just I bought my daughter an AG doll for her birthday (and yes I am aware this comment is late) no…I’ll admit, she didnt even play with it. But then guess what? I sold it! I cleaned it up a bit and BOOM there it was…gone in like a month and a half. But really… I’m just saying.
I’m sorry about this but as a mom I think I would buy it…and really! “Oh and just another thing that doesn’t matter about AG dolls is…oh look of course she has the Disney tween ass clowns” (1.unrelated (2.respect your daughter (3.rude! I know we all have different parenting. But still if you really regret it sell it on Craigslist. Clean it up a bit and sell it…that easy Hun. I’m sorry it’s just I bought my daughter an AG doll for her birthday (and yes I am aware this comment is late) no…I’ll admit, she didnt even play with it. But then guess what? I sold it! I cleaned it up a bit and BOOM there it was…gone in like a month and a half. But really… I’m just saying.
We have one. My brother bought it for my daughter when she was one, and occasionally sends clothing. I just stash it all away in the closet because my daughter, at four, is definitely not into her yet. That’s the way to do AGD: have someone else buy it.
By the way, I had not idea CPKs still existed! Ugly little things. I loved mine to pieces, though.
YES! I would totally accept AGD gifts from wealthy relatives. And smart choice putting it away until she’s ready!
Wow to the cost of a frock!!! GoodNESS. We don’t make Christmas really huge because we travel and all of our birthdays are this month. So I have used something along the lines of what you said about what Santa doesn’t do. I don’t expect a girl mom to know right off the bat what a drone is (I didn’t know) but that’s the big birthday present, so there will not be a whatever the next xbox is under the tree. 😉
Good for you. That seems like the smart choice… And yeah, no clue what a drone is. 😉
u r just a hater I think ag dolls r great what did u do drink a sip of that haterade.
Is this a 10 year old girl borrowing her mother’s laptop to respond to a feed about American Girl Dolls? Seems like it…unless you just don’t understand basic English or teaching your daughter any scrap of morals, appreciation, or the value of expensive objects.
Wow
You can buy an agd on ebay for like forty bucks and fix it up your daughter will be surprised when she opens her presents on christmas and you can buy knock off brand furniture and clothes!?
AGD is a total racket!! I will say that the Our Generation Dolls from Target are identical and cost significantly less (like $26 for a doll). So something to consider. Both of my girls got Cabbage Patch Kids last year, and I could not tell you where they are nor have I seen them in months. I feel your pain!-Ashley
See?! I’m glad I’m not alone. And I’m pretty sure the big guy might have found a more reasonably-priced alternative doll. We’ll see what happens to HER this year!
Our generation dolls are nothing like AG quality. We own both and the OG dolls’ hair is horrible.
I loved the books. The illustrations, the way the paper on the cover felt. We got the catalog when I was a kid for AGD but I don’t remember dolls, I just remember the books being in there and dresses so you could dress up like them. I have no doubt one of these hussies will enter our house in a few years so I’ve told all the grandmas that they are not allowed to get her one until I do (hopefully stopping the onslaught).
We have the AGD store in Chicago and there’s something about the vision of seeing my husband sitting in that pinky-pink tea room that I really want to witness.
Oh, I would go into that store with my hubby for that reason, too. Nice. And I LOVED the books! Who knew they’d turn into a marketing scam someday? Jerks.
Did you know that the reason why AG is so different from the 80’s and today is because the person who started the company retired in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. She then gave her company to Mattel. Mattel now has created over the years what remains of the amazing company that had prices of common sense and real things to teach girls.
I agree. If we got one that I didn’t have to pay for, fine. But no way am I shelling out $100 I don’t have for a doll my kids will be interested in for a month. I already told them they won’t be getting the expensive items on their list (iPad, Digital Camera etc) because they can’t even take good care of the things we already have (DS, or even toys for that matter).
Exactly! A month! If that… I am with you- until my children start demonstrating better care and respect for personal belongings, my max for a gift is $30. OK, fine $40. Maybe.
I took my daughter and her friend to the AG store for her birthday this past year. We ate breakfast at their restaurant and enjoyed hours looking at each doll and accessories. It was a magical day. I will always remember that day together…she is growing so fast. I never took her there and paid for the doll with any intention of it being her most prized possession. I took her there to spend time together, to see her eyes light up, to hear her voice and explanation as to why she liked each one of the dolls. I wanted to know her and hopefully as she passes the doll thrown in her closet…she will think of our special day. Of coarse we have had countless magical times just playing in the sandbox too, anytime I spend with her is priceless! You can’t take money with you, it doesn’t mean anything..I am shown proof of that everyday. I am a nurse at a nursing home and have also worked hospice care. The poor and the wealthy get the same care, the same rooms, the same food but not everyone has the love of their family…many die alone or with only the comfort of the random nurse working that shift. Yes, someone is getting very wealthy for the AG dolls they created and I would pay the price over and over again to see the twinkle in my daughter’s eye…that is priceless, my time with her is priceless. You are focusing your energy and passion on the wrong thing.
OMG I’m laughing SO hard right now. I would have COVETED an AG doll as a kid. I adored my dolls. My daughter… meh, not so much. But I was totally suckered into buy one just a month ago, yes… just one month before Christmas. We went the store for a birthday party for a friend. My little bitty 5 year old totally got that there was a difference from her rip off doll from Target. Once she got the AG doll everything changed. I shouldn’t have bought it but I totally caved because I was totally thinking of my 5 year old self and how I would have died and went to heaven if my mom bought me a doll like that, at that moment in the store when she kept telling me over and over I needed to ask Santa. But yeah… I TOTALLY laughed and understand where you are coming from. BTW all the accessories are from Target or Walmart because Santa is now broke from buying a $110 doll. :/
Good call- buy the clothes at Target! Way to think outside the $50 box, lady! See, I totally deserved a $100 when I was a kid. And maybe yours does, too. I hope she cherishes it. Hope the lesser, cheaper doll mine gets goes over well!
Lol. My daughter, Ace, is 10 now and has never once asked for a doll in her life. My mom and wife tried and tried to get her into dresses and frilly things, but for whatever reason, it just has never been her thing. I’m secretely grateful and moreso now that there’s an American Girls store so close to the house.
Fine, rub it in, you bastard.
Your The Bastard Shitty Ass Face
Amber why are you replying to old ass comments bitch
Good for you, Steph! Nothing changes until consumers take a stand!!! Peer pressure runs rampant at ALL ages. Our society needs strong models that stick to their beliefs. Parents need to have firm backbones and support each other in drawing the line. I find this is true (maybe even truer) for grandparents. We need to know what stand our kids have taken, then support those stands with the grandchildren. More than once, I’ve had a pouting, crying, kicking grandson in a store as I’ve looked like the miserly grandmother who said “No, we’re not buying a toy today.” That doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when I buy them something that their parents would not have purchased. But I do still subscribe to the belief that NO means NO no matter what kind of tantrum they conjure!
Oh, how I love you. This was SO hilarious I was LOLing and snorting out loud through the whole thing. I loved your description of the dialogue with Izzy and how you’ve managed to deflect the AGD threat relying on previous mommy experience with puppy deflection. This was hilarious, one of my favourite posts by you, my friend!
Oh, now that is some high praise! I’m so glad this post didn’t disappoint you. I can’t wait to read yours- here I come!
I too was in love with these dolls as a child. I remember getting American Girl paper dolls and losing my mind. My daughter is two and we recently – randomly – received the catalog in the mail. I was shocked at the price points! Some of the little furniture is more expensive than our real furniture. The stories are great and so are the dolls, I wish they priced these reasonably – at least the clothes and accessories.
I know! The furniture! Are you kidding me?! So sad- I seriously loved those books. Perhaps we can buy them sans doll? I bet that’s not allowed. 🙁
This is hilarious! I love how you let us know the photo wasn’t staged. And the caption of the tween assclown poster. HA. My niece got an AGD for Christmas last year. I got her a skater outfit for $35 that looks like it should cost $!.75. Lame.
Wow, you are really nice. See what I mean- I’d take a second before I paid $35 for a shirt. I wish that was a lie.
When AGDs first emerged in my childhood consciousness, my parents made my 8 year old self work and save up for that then-$89 doll. Took me a whole year, too. You better believe I treasured that thing!
Back then, they were of educational value too, teaching us 1980s children what life was like back in 1850 Minnesota or similar. Now, it’s just a cash cow for those crafty AGD executives, and I applaud you for your restraint in not bowing to the AGD gods on high.
Side note: On my first trip to NYC six years ago, I DID visit the AGD store and had a nostalgia-fest with my childhood friend. Unfortunately, it’s not really the same company it was back then…
Yes! They were educational. Those books were great. It is SUCH a cash cow now. Not sure if I’m principled or just cheap. 😉
I don’t think I was ever happier than when my daughter saw an AG catalog and said “ew, those are creepy.” Thank you Baby Jesus!!!!
She was an avid reader of their magazine that was full of fun crafts (ew), stories (reading is good) and recipes (no, dear, we’re not making all 13 dessert recipes in that issue!).
btw, that Cabbage Patch doll is photogenic in a channeling-her-inner-Miley kind of way!!
Thank you Baby Jesus, indeed! And ha- Miley! You hit the nail on the head! 😀
My daughter wanted one for a few years, and she finally got one in fourth grade. We felt she was ready, and she was. She LOVED that doll and took care of it like it was real. Six years later it still looks great, and it was worth every penny. She was fine with getting the Target brand clothing, so that helped. She never got into all the madness that accompanies American Girl, but that’s just not her thing anyway. Oh, and I still have my Cabbage Patch doll 🙂
See, I can get on board with a 4th grader who cherishes her doll. Totally worth it in that case. And I’m glad she was cool with the Target clothes- whew, it adds up! I had 6 CPK dolls. I was insane. And I still remember all their first and middle names!
You had me at the title! I have two nieces who have them with all of the accoutrements. We are not there (yet), but I agree that they are highway robbery. I LOVE your responses to the suggestion that one be delivered under the tree. And “ass clowns”…HA! Loving this carnival! Happy to be a part of it. 🙂
I know, I was dying to incorporate “ass clowns” somehow! 😉 It is totally highway robbery. Grrr.
YOU MAKE ME SO SAD! ASSCLOWNS? You are such a bully! all of you! They are just doing their jobs! Even if you dont like the show you dont have to make fun of it! UGH so rude! You should think about getting a heart. 🙁 I feel bad for you.
She was not talking about them just the disney channel in general, disney, good movies, bad shows
Oh man. That picture of the cabbage patch doll made me laugh out loud! So hilarious. My daughter decided she wanted a baby doll. We recently got rid of her baby doll because she is 7 and NEVER played with it. But, I had resigned myself to getting her one until two weeks later she said she wanted an AG doll too! WHAT? How did she even know about them? She is getting an Our Generation (Target knockoff) doll (no baby doll), and luckily it is only like $30. Too bad she can read, but maybe I’ll just tell her Santa has to budget his money too. He spends less on kids that already have too many toys they don’t play with and more on children that really need something! Sound good?
Yep, knockoff here, too. We’ll just destroy the box, I think. 😉 I like your whole Santa budget angle… well played… And seriously- how do they find out about this stuff???
I had a friend whose family got her daughter a mini me American Girl Doll that now is locked up somewhere. Because she began to believe the doll was possessed it was so realistic she got nightmares. Yeah thanks I will pass. I also have boys but I still would not put that kind of money on a toy for pete’s sake
See- just one more reason why they are awful! 😉 Thanks for that!
My daughter has asked for one too. We got her one of the My Generation dolls from Target a few years ago, and she has actually played with that one quite a bit…. but we are on much more of a Target budget. We went to the American Girl Doll store at the Mall of America this summer (because kids eat free at the cafe!) and holy moly… they were SHOCKED that we did not bring our dolls with us to the restaurant. We had to BORROW dolls from the store, who then got their own highchairs, cups, utensils, plates, food, etc. for the kids to feed them.
But I know I would have been pining for one at age 7. And there’s the rub.
What? Borrow a doll to eat with? That is madness. Yes, I too would have pined for one. But as I said- I think it might have been a worthwhile expense for 2nd grade Stephanie. Maybe. 🙂
I wouldn’t say I hate them but I would say it is just another tool being used to get mothers and fathers to waste money on the latest fad. The prices are outrageous and I don’t care about the “experience” of going to NYC and having a tea party with them at the store.
Waste of money is my thought.
I concur- waste of money. 🙂
Stephanie: I have always thought the AGD was extremely bland looking and should cost about $10. Somebody is making pots of $$$$ for this overrated plaything and I believe in general that no child should have a $100 doll under the age of 10 (and should contribute to its purchase with her own babysitting money.) BTW – I am a doll lover, always have been and have a soft place in my heart for little girls who love their dolls but the price for this one is beyond acceptable. Cynical advertisers have manipulated little girls into guilt-tripping their parents into buying them with their hard-earned money.
Agreed! I have three girls and none of them have American Girl dolls. Last year, my middle daughter asked for one. She doesn’t even play with dolls. I made her a deal – told her that she could ask of the very similar, but much less expensive version at Target. I promised that if she played with it and took good care of it, we would get her the real thing for her birthday. She chose one and Santa brought it. She played with it and slept with it for about 3 days. Then it landed in a bin in her closet where it has been ever since! And, she hasn’t asked again.
Lisa, I think that is a great idea. We too will get a cheaper model this year and see what things look like a year from now- if the doll is a prized possession and well cared for, then we can revisit it next year. I’m pretty sure I know what’s going to happen, though… 🙂
I looked into getting my niece one of the bitty baby dolls from AG. $100 just for the doll!!! No fun baby accessories included. Uh, no.
I lucked out-I have the My Friend dolls from my childhood that I gave to my daughter. She loves them, and although I know she’d love an American Girl doll she’s perfectly happy recreating scenes out of the catalog using what she already has. Thank goodness. THat doll’s wardrobe costs more than mine!
This post is hilarious (and terrifying because it’s my future). My girl is 5 and doesn’t know about the AG collection… yet. But it’s only a matter of time. I love LOVE the pic of the abandoned Cabbage Patch Doll (can’t believe they STILL sell those, I remember waiting and waiting for my horrendously ugly and horribly named one – Phyllis Hortensia – no joke!). My daughter received what I like to call the $100 doll from her sucker, I mean her Daddy when she was 4 years old and it was beloved for about two days before mouldering on a shelf for months. Fortunately it is now a favorite (for now) with both my daughter and two year old son, but STILL. A hundred bucks for a DOLL ?! At least hers doesn’t require outfits and furniture, though. That IS a freaking racket.
-Dana
P.S. Your use of the word “assclowns” is also priceless.
I blame my mom. Really. She is the one that first gave Abby an AGD for her SECOND birthday!!! Then one every year since then. Last year Abby wanted the doll of the year, I made her use her own money (I’m mean). but it worked. This year for Christmas she told her grandmother that she didn’t really play with the dolls so not to waste her money! PHEW
On the upside, Abby does love the books. And that is the only freaking upside
Oh and have you been to the store? Holy crap! I saw some princess having her birthday party there. I asked the dad if he took out a second mortgage.
I will NEVER bow down to the retail deity that has become these American dolls. NEVAH! My kids aren’t at the age where they’re making ridiculous requests, though, so nothing is really off the table this year. We’re just trying to stick to a really strict budget because I’ll be on maternity leave for a few months and that doesn’t help finances 😉
Loved this Steph. The combination of your disgust and wit was perfect. 🙂 I hate American Girl Dolls and I don’t even have a daughter or a child of the appropriate age. I have to say, though, my sister and I played with our CPKs (abbrevs are ok, yah?) constantly growing up. Mostly I just turned all her dolls against her, but that’s fodder for another post.
I so get what you are saying. There are so many things that the kids “had” to have that never really got played with that much, and I hate wasting money!! My daughter does actually have several American Girl Dolls, courtesy of grandparents. She loved them, but she had the ones with the historical stories, and that was a big part of the draw for her. She never was interested in the lookalike or modern ones, which I guess is big these days. She’s outgrown them at this point (she’s in high school), but she packed everything away in the attic “for her own daughter.” She had no interest in selling them on ebay or anything like that.
I too love and hate American Girl dolls. Bought daughter a few AG dolls…the native American Kaya…was hher last doll.
Mattel makes huge profits from AG..see their annual reports for 2012 2013.
Now many knockoffs. Favorite…Madame Alexander version from Walmart…28-$30…looks better…Re-wig her for a superior and still much cheaper doll.
Am saving my collection of Hearts for Hearts 14″ girl multicultural dolls for future grandchild. Cost about $25. With small book about their life. Company gives $1 to charity for each doll purchased.
still grateful AG set the bar for quality dolls so high, but am glad there r cheaper better options
My stepdaughter owns 3 (or is it 4?) AGDs given to her by her mother and mother’s family…all of them complete with God knows how many outfits and accessories. My husband and I both cringe when we hear the words. My stepdaughter always acts confused and slightly crushed inside when she asks for ANOTHER doll for her birthday/Christmas/whatever and we try our best to explain to her that there is no way in hell she needs another…but alas, chances are her mother or someone on that side of her family will buy one for her to throw on the pile and WE will be the bad guys. F*** these dolls. Seriously.
My parents bought me a AGD for my 12th birthday, and even at that age I still trashed the poor thing. Thankfully I never bothered asking them for the outfits – I was the type of kid who had more fun trying to sew my own doll clothes.
I know it’s a little late to post this but I had the Molly doll and the books so that me and my friends could put on a play. I remember getting the catalog and pouring over it with my older sister. The Molly doll was a hand me down from a cousin. My mom passed it on to a younger cousin a few years later. (Who also has the Samantha doll. Her mom gave it to her on her 8th birthday with a warning about it’s value.) To this day it still sits next to my Molly doll on her dresser in perfect condition.
My daughter is 13 and has two AG dolls. She paided for both of them (including shipping) by doing loads of chores which was great. I had been thinking of hiring a cleaner but then all of a sudden she was happy to scrub at toleits and floors. She is still really open to working hard and and knows the value of a dollar. She really is the mini-mama type though. She cooks up a delicious lemon curd pie, and her baby cousins love her. Not every kid is like that though, and while that’s fine, it’s important to let them have the right toy at the right time. ~Lillian S
‘Assclowns’ LMAO
I agree. I’ve also learned that AG dolls cost less then $10 for the raw materials.
P.S. I love what you did with the disney poster
Ha! Thanks! Some of the other commenters weren’t quite so impressed! 😉
Now, you have new traffic to this post. 😉 I get it! My daughter loves American Girls. I would probably consider getting her one of the dolls some time. But, only because she’s 16 years old and has a doll collection (most are porcelain). Thankfully, she’s always been happy with looking at the catalog. A lot like me looking at catalogs of furniture and clothes I wouldn’t want to overspend on.
I was against getting a doll for my 5 or 6 yr old (I can’t remember exactly how old she was). In spite of that, my mom got it for her, not against my wishes but I told her I could not afford to buy all that stuff and have her ‘into’ all that. My daughter had never played with dolls despite them being given to her as gifts, baby dolls, Barbies, Little People, they all sat dormant. It turned out I had nothing to fear except running out of storage space. She has, on and off, returned to her dolls (she now has 4 of them, all of them gifts) and has built a world for them.
Cardboard became beds, houses, clubs, desks, backgrounds, you name it. I found the dolls helped to kindle creativity, art-related projects, and even helped my daughter write. She became a “teacher” to her dolls, created classrooms, doll homework assignments, and later on, doll plays. Now she is making doll careers and businesses with her friends. I find it terrifically amusing that she still enjoys involving the dolls in her play activities.
Six years later and a roomful of accessories and other dolls, this girl-who is a big tomboy, loves sports, history, science and literature and her AG stuff – has never wanted to play with much else. So, while I was ‘against’ the marketing of Mattel from the get-go, I did try to use it as a learning opportunity with the historical dolls, and played that aspect up more than anything else. Now my daughter is very much aware of the Depression (from the Kit hook), to WWII (Molly), and we have read books and watched shows related to both of those eras, and the people in them.
Finally, the American Girl represents a truer, simpler side than Disney characters, both from the channel and the films – especially now with the Disney ‘strong’ girls who are completely fantastical. By contrast, AG seems based in reality: They aren’t wizards, they don’t live in the frozen tundra, they don’t have super-gadgets to make them fly or fight bad guys, and there are no wings on them. So they are real, they have potentially real adventures, and they are ‘relatable’ to most girls.
The biggest problem the AGs have is the lack of diversity. Where is the filipino-american doll, the korean-american doll, these are our biggest immigrant populations these days, and there just doesn’t seem to be any representation of them anywhere in the lineup. Mattel seems to be missing the mark here, but I’m not the one to tell them.
For what it’s worth, which isn’t much at all, that’s my take on it.
It sounds like your daughter was the perfect candidate for an AG doll. I’m glad she cherishes it so much; if I thought my daughter would devote any of that time or energy to one, I would consider buying her one as well!
And btw, about the cost – you can complain all you want. I can’t afford them, but obviously, people can and do buy them, despite the cost.
And the quality of the product is certainly not what it once was, especially the clothes and accessories.
Mattel is clearly attempting to swab the decks of AG historical dolls (too costly! Why ‘teach’ when you can just make money from ‘fashion’?) by ‘retiring’ the accessories and not adding new ones, and saying they are bringing out ‘new’ historical dolls while not making hardly any artifacts to go along with the ‘historical’ dolls they release (where are Caroline’s new books, why is the almost nothing to go with the newer New Orleans doll?). I’m convinced they are attempting to stamp out the long-lived aftermarket of these dolls and their books/accessories by retiring them and their accessories. Many of the dolls have been retired since Pleasant Co. sold to Mattel. I’m sad about the recent loss of Molly and Emily and all the amazing books, games, and puzzles that were built around them, but at least for now I can pick up all this stuff at yard sales and on Ebay, which is kind of a fun trip in itself. But in a few years that will be harder to find at all.
I don’t find your blog funny at all. In fact, it’s pretty sad on how you view your daughters “like’s” & “want’s”. Just because you can’t afford AG Dolls & their accessories, does not mean you should have sour lemons against AG or those who can afford the dolls & their accessories. My daughter is 5 and she has three AG Dolls, AG Pets & AG Accessories. Each year we make an annual trip to the AG Store & we enjoy lunch at the store’s bistro & a day of browsing & shopping in the store. I will never forget the first time my daughter stepped into the AG Store & her face lit up! Imagine being a little girl & walking into a giant doll store or have you forgotten what’s it’s like to be a little girl? Each of us have our priorities on what we choose to spend our money on. There are parents who enjoy spending their money on themselves then there are parents who prefer to spend it on their children bringing their childhood dreams alive. So the next time you put on those new trendy shoes you bought yourself, enjoy the memories you make wearing them.
That’s lovely that your child enjoys AG dolls so much. FYI- I don’t have trendy shoes, but thanks for making that point. Of course we all have things we prioritize spending money on- I believe I made it clear that my daughter doesn’t really play with dolls very much and it would be a waste of our money. As for the rest, lighten up. It’s all in good fun, and was certainly not intended to be “mean-spirited.” This is a humor blog. Generally when I don’t find something amusing, I keep on scrolling, roll my eyes, and move on, rather than leaving an unpleasant comment.
This response is perfect!
My niece recently gave her 80’s version of the AG Bitty Baby to her almost 3-yr old….who was initially terrified of it. Now she loves it – and is obsessive about putting pajamas on her in the evening…and then dressing her in the morning.
Baby was definitely a good investment.
Of course she sleeps in a bread basket and only has 2 outfits…so technically she is more of a minimalist.
My dauther has 4 AG Dolls & their accessories. She is now 14 and I wish I could go back in time. Those things have been sitting on a shelf in another room for YEARS. It’s not about sour lemons and who can afford what, it’s about what we’re teaching our children. Seriously FOUR AG dolls? She has also been to the AG store multiple times and I’ve seen her face light up with excitement so I get that. Granted, I did not personally buy all of her dall and one is a bitty baby but it’s excessive. Fortunately, I have always taught her the value of helping others and she is now thinking of a way to donate her dolls to either help a cause or give them to MULTIPLE girls who would appreciate them. You sound very angry and I ‘m not sure why. I can also afford the dolls but I don’t feel the need to attack those who can’t or who don’t have the same interests? I’m not sure you actually read the whole post before you jusmped to conclusions. Did you see the part where she said that if she thought her daughter would cherish and value the doll she’d buy her one?
I bought all three of my kids American Girl dolls when my oldest was the right age. I had a talented hair dresser turn a Kirsten into Thomas for my son who was in pre-school so he could play with his sisters too. It was not his first doll. (They also played tools and legos with him – we didn’t designate gender assignment to toys). All three kids kept all three dolls PERFECTLY. They were loved and well treated. My niece, on the other hand, couldn’t handle properly brushing the hair of the knock offs I bought her and broke the arm in half on one and SHE’s the one who “loved” dolls. As I child, they would have been wasted on me (total tomboy) but I love my Kimberly doll who was more durable (and only slightly smaller). Mostly, it was because my grandmother made her fun by making her clothes out of sleeves and pillowcases she didn’t need. My mother taught me about salt dough which we used to make food and my dad tried making her furniture and other things.
It’s always going to the play that’s important not the toy. Good for you for seeing your daughter’s abilities and your own when considering purchase. You’re teaching her that that money isn’t the root of happiness nor is waste. 😉
I have 3 daughters and the older 2 of the 3 have been asking for AG dolls for months. Not happening…at least until they learn to appreciate their things. About 90% of the dolls they just “had to have” have been decapitated. I laughed hard at the picture of the CPD…ours looks like that too. No clothes, nappy hair….possibly ravaged by a bear in the wilderness (just a guess from the looks of it). Ha! That said, I don’t necessarily have a hatred for AGD, but who are they kidding? It’s not so much the cost of the doll itself (which are still expensive but do “look” quality made) as it is the cost of the 8 million accessories….and the extra room I’d have to build on to my house to store it. LOL
My daughter has three. She got the first one in 4th grade for Christmas and takes fabulous care of them. Her other ones, she worked and saved money for them herself. She herself says the clothes are not worth the money they want.
She prefers the clothes I sew for her dolls. She likes those better because she can choose fabrics and colors herself then. Now in sixth grade she doesn’t really play with them, but likes to dress them up in clothes and pose them for pictures and such.
We went into the AG store one time, on vacation, and my daughter was horrified at the condition of some of the dolls (in the line to get the dolls hair done). Ink on the dolls faces and bodies, hair a large tangled mass. She told me she worked hard for her dolls and she was not going to ever let them look that bad.
My daughter has a Journey Girl doll that looks like her and shares her name. She may not be able to go to AG tea parties, but we love her!
As someone who grew up loving the dolls and playing with them I understand the value of the dolls! But I wouldn’t buy them for my daughter unless I knew she would love and cherish them as I did. My mom had us read the entire series for the girl we wanted. We played them for hours! I appreciate your honesty for reasons to not buy. If my daughter is like that she won’t be getting them!
I can’t stand these dolls! American Girl will always be about the books for me, I grew up on those books and loved them so much, Samantha was my favorite! It’s sad how commercialized they became….money scam for sure! My daughter built her own build a bear for her 7th birthday two years ago (they’re not as expensive if you choose the plainer bear choices) and being that my daughter is now 9 and does chores, she buys her own build a bear clothing/accessories. She’ll ask for larger items for her bday (like the closet or a bed – which are still so much cheaper than American Girl) which I’m ok with because she really takes good care of that bear and it’s largely due to having to spend her own money. She loves it and I’m so happy it’s kept her distracted from AGDs!!!
I have two girls, age 10 and 6. My oldest got her first AG doll from Santa when she was 7. She was never much of a doll kid either, and I wasn’t sure buying her the AG doll was a good idea, but she loved it! At age 10, she now has 4 of them- 2 came from Santa, and the other two she bought herself. For the past 3 years, that is pretty much all she has asked for for Christmas and birthdays. She really only plays with AG dolls and Lego Friends now. Because of her older sister, my youngest became interested in AG dolls at a much younger age. At age 3 she got a Bitty Baby- she played with it for awhile, but not for long. At age 4, she got a Kohl’s version and last year she got a Target version. She does play with them all the time. For her birthday this year, one of her little friends from school (yes, you read that right!) got her a real AG look-alike doll. She LOVES it! Yes, they are expensive, but I can tell you without reservation that the quality of the AG doll is far superior to the two knock-offs. I would not ever buy my girls a knock-off again. As for the clothing, accessories and furniture- knockoffs work just as well for much less. They each get one or two real AG accessories for gifts, but that’s about it.
I’d rather teach my kids about value, and not just buying the most expensive thing to make them happy. They aren’t that well made in comparison to their target knock offs anyway. So my daughter knows, just because the label says AGD doesnt mean it’s any better. For the price of one single AGD, she could have the less expensive target version AND a trip to the aquarium or several outfits to accompany her new doll. Seems like a no brainer to me. AGD are a total waste of money.
We bought my daughter one many years ago at the AG store in New York. We went for her birthday and had no idea how much they cost. We got sucked in by birthday guilt and the fact we were moving out of the country for many years. I have to say, my daughter LOVES that doll! After the first catalog we decided to never by any accessories from that place. Do you know they actually had a $300 dollar Volkswagen bug for the DOLL?! Ironically, that is about what we paid for our actual car when we lived in Japan…..
My rule is simple. There will be no dolls in the house with a better and more expensive wardrobe than mine. Period. My daughter has a generic doll that is now languishing in the closet, naked, contorted similarly. I will check this as a win in my mommy column.
Dear American Doll Lover,
Really? She must not love her daughter because she wont spend the money on a needless and yes over priced doll. Since when do you have to bye your child something in order to love them? If you truly read the article you would have paid attention to the fact that her daughter isn’t really a doll person and is only trying to fit in. She has other dolls that she doesn’t take care of. Did you see the pictures?! I wouldn’t spend that kind of money on a doll either.
Maybe when they start being interested in them parents could teach them about money, have them work for it and save up half and you can pay the rest. I think they would play with it longer. I read an article I’m a magazine about how one parent also made a credit system with her child. So cute amd a great idea! Also I wanted and AGD when I was a child. But I never dared asked when I saw the prices in the catalog.lol
I agree that it totally depends on the kid… My daughter turned 6 this week and had been asking for an AG doll for nearly a year, and we did buy her one for her birthday, along with a few outfits (there is a “sale” menu on the website, and we bought a few things on clearance… Still not cheap, but better than full price.) She has been attached to that doll at the hip… Changing her clothes and earrings, keeping her hair perfectly styled and sleeping with her every night. She has been a little hard on her dolls historically, but she knows this one is different and was very expensive. I will probably never pay full price for any of the clothing or accessories, but I have to admit that even I think some this stuff is pretty cool. To each their own. The fact that they are now made in China pisses me off, but unfortunately, most things are nowadays. To each their own!
“Disney tween assclowns” lol I’m still laughing. This whole this is very true!
My daughter wanted an AG doll for her 7th b’day. We told everyone to give her money that asked what she wanted. At her party as she opened all her cards, everyone kept count until she had enough money. Everybody cheered when she got to her goal! She took very good care of her AG doll. She is 15 now and even though it is not played with, she has a doll bed she is always in.Laying nice and pretty 🙂
She sounds like the perfect candidate for an AGD! 🙂
I think $120 for a doll for a small child is ludicrous. Maybe for a child 8 and older, but for a 5 year old, no way. By the time I thought my daughter was old enough to take care of an expensive doll like that, she was no longer interested.
We keep holiday and birthday gifts pretty low key around here. I spend $100 or less per child for Christmas, and less than $50 per child for birthdays.
The only American Girl products that I love and recommend to all my friends with girls are The Care and Keeping of You books.
For everyone worried about getting the Target Our Generation knockoff, here’s what you do, and it works wonders with younger kids, especially:
Take the doll out of the box and get rid of the box.
On Christmas Eve, or after she’s gone to bed on Birthday Eve, whatever the occasion, set the doll up in an attractive way. Buy a little chair or bed accompaniment and place the doll in it. Surround her with a few attractive outfits.
Set up some kind of curtain device. When she gets up and a big deal is made of drawing back the curtain to reveal a pretty doll in a bed, surrounded by cute outfits, the reaction is ALWAYS a gasp of pleasure. They will never ask if its the real thing.
Try it. I promise, neither of you will be disappointed.
Genius idea!
I would never spend that much on a doll. Luckily, my child’s friend next door has a couple and lets my daughter borrow them sometimes (for a weekend). That’s usually enough of a fix for my daughter, who usually prefers dirt and dump trucks over dolls anyways.
I love your sense of humor and love how u respond to someone who accused u of “blog shaming” is that even a thing now? funny stuff. we need more bloggers that r able to laugh at life
no . not a fan of any dolls bc i was a tom.boy. but I have a girl too and she loves all dat . American dolls r overpriced. I tell my baby girl she should save her money for overpriced designer clothes of her own.
I’m glad you put your foot down and purchased the “faux” AGD, since the update photo speaks for itself.
Your blog post reminds me of some obscure article written by a mother back in the 80’s, whose daughter was clamoring for a Cabbage Patch doll. Like you, her mother did not see the point of purchasing the doll, since the girl’s current doll collection was in the same state of neglect your daughter’s dolls appear to be in (no matter how things change, they still remain the same).
It makes me glad I was only interested in Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony, since even back then, I had as much scorn for little girls who went bonkers for those ugly dolls back then as I do for the sheep who stood outside the wireless store yesterday morning to buy a phone whose worth I could easily buy a whole new autumn wardrobe for!
The “Santa’s Elves” excuse your daughter gave you also reminded me of the “brainwashing” from Xavier Roberts, since the mother mentioned she and her husband grew cabbages, and her little girl had had one picked out for her baby-she would water and sing to this particular cabbage in hopes that she would be blessed with a doll. I am not sure how the article ended, but you can rest asure there are mothers out there who feel your pain.
While wer are on the subject of children and their toys, here is a great blog post regarding how one mom took care of her children’s toy clutter:
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/why-i-took-all-my-kids-toys-away-why-they-wont-get-them-back/
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Just buy the kid the doll and get over yourself. At least it’s not a video game. Every girl wants a special doll. Will she play with it until she is 20? No but who cares let her be 7.
Gee, I had no idea you could not be a happy 7yo without a $100 doll.
My daughter has 11 of them, not all of them were brand new. We love AG in our house. I agree the prices are ridiculous… But if she wasn’t in to AG it would be some other over prices item..
Priced item.
Your wrong. American Girl is amazing! I agree that if your daughter loses interest in them in a few months then it might not be best to buy it. And yes they are expensive. But they are defiantly worthwhile. I have a AG doll from when I was 1 years old and I still have her in great condition. So they are defiantly worthwhile and also very sturdy and hold up for a long time.
You probably should’ve bought the doll when she was 11 or 12. Every Christmas you could buy her a bed or couch or a kitchen from the American girl doll catalog. Once she is old enough she will have the doll and the set. Then everyone is happy. (Hopefully) 🙂
I understand your refusal to buy something that expensive for a child that won’t take care of it. I bought my 4 year old one for Christmas. She is blatantly honest with me when we talk about it (she hasn’t gotten it yet but she has seen it). She tells me all the time that she doesn’t know how to take care of the doll. BUT she has asked me if I will help her take care of her doll and teach her. No, she doesn’t take very good care of her other toys but she DOES take care of her Barbies she has gotten (well the best care a 4 year old can without help from me). She keeps them packed in a zip up bag unless she’s playing with them and their doll house. I think she will take care of the AGD and if she has questions I will teach her. My youngest will be 2 by Christmas and she is getting Bitty Baby and it’s all she talks about when I mention Christmas. She says the word baby and just lights up all over. However, I do agree that the the AGD accessories and furniture as SO overpriced. We have bought some clothing and accessories at Wal Mart and Target because let’s face it, my daughter is four. She’s not going to care or be able to tell if it’s knock off. The doll is AG. I also got her a knock off for her birthday, which is in January because her doll needs a friend, she said. But I wasn’t spending another 100 just a month after Christmas when I’m not sure how into this she will be right away. If she shows interest, next Christmas we will get another doll. If not I will wait until she does. My mom has sewed lots of clothing for the doll as well, so she will have no lack of clothing. I already had a bed from my AGD, although where the doll is is currently unknown as I have moved about four times since I saw her last. Once she is located, however, I will give her to my daughter as well. What I don’t agree with that you said is calling your daughter’s interests names such as the reference to the Disney actors and actresses. Maybe the shows aren’t the best or don’t catch YOUR interest but if your daughter loves them you really should be more supportive. I do slightly feel bad for your daughter because of the way you seem to treat her interests. I try to support whatever my kids are into even if I don’t like it…
I really appreciate your comment- thanks for taking the time to write such in-depth, thoughtful things. I take objection to only ONE thing you wrote. Yes, I wrote that my daughter’s TV show favorites were “tween asshats” or something like that. However, this is a humorous blog post- let’s not forget. I would never say those things to my daughter’s face. I act excited when a new episode of Austin and Ally comes out, and I always ask about the boy she has a crush on on her other favorite show. We watch them together. I would NEVER disrespect her interests to her face. Please appreciate the distinction between a blogger writing something funny for effect in a humor post, and the reality of how they actually parent their children. Thanks again for commenting!
I totally agree that it depends on the child. I loved dolls when I was a kid. (Okay, I still do!) But my one-year-younger sister didn’t. She liked the idea of dolls, and didn’t like not getting what I got, so she had dolls – in a tangled heap in a closet. I was an adult before AG dolls came out, and like others have said, thought the original idea, the historical dolls, was cool. And I loved the accessories. Someday I will buy a carriage or a sled for my ‘Johnny West’ horses. And, Kit’s bed, with the fold-out trundle.
But, if I had a child who didn’t take care of the dolls she already has, no way would I spend >$100.00 for a doll that will be tossed aside once the novelty wears off. Get a pretty knock-off in the same size, because if you’re at all handy, there are a ton of patterns for clothes, and some for furniture. And, lots of people on E-Bay and Etsy that sell both. (And, if you don’t want to buy clothes patterns, check out your public library – they frequently have pattern books.)
Did my Barbies have Mattel wardrobes? They did not – maybe a piece or two, but most of it was Mama-made. Dad made furniture out of wood and cardboard. Those dolls are what I learned to sew on, and to make stuff: food for the store-bought dishes, bedding, etc.
If you’re not personally crafty, ask people to make stuff instead of buying pricy outfits. Or, if it’s people who are nearby, or you see for chunks of time, grandparents, or other relatives, ask them to teach the child. If a girl can hold a pencil, she can learn to make stuff.
(I say ‘girl’ because that’s the main market for this stuff, but as somebody upthread said, it’s not hard to convert an AG to a boy. And there are lots of patterns that would work just fine for a boy.)
I’m always amazed at people who don’t get that venting on a blog, calling your kid an asshat over something, or calling something they like stupid is not the same thing as calling THEM an asshat to their faces, lol!
Mine is now a teen, but has done asshat things daily, like I know I did – and still do.
As for the ongoing AG debate, mine received one on her 5th birthday from my wealthy sister, though I had begged her not to. My daughter is a total bull in a china shop (still is, btw). I took a deep breath and had the talk with my little one about how the doll was special – not to be dragged into the bathtub or into the yard for a mud fight. I even put the AG on a high shelf and said she needed to ask me if she wanted to play with her. For all the good it did. Within a month, the hair was matted and the doll looked like a refugee from a booby hatch. Why? Because, as soon as my back was turned, she ended up in the bathtub. Plus, I had one of those giant Barbie heads for my daughter where you could style or color the hair or put makeup on it. So, guess which doll got its hair styled and “colored,” and whose face looked like it ran into Tammy Faye at the mall?
Yep. We know our kids. There’s a reason some should not own an AG doll. This way, your heart doesn’t do a sickening flip when they tart up a knock-off from Target instead of a $100 AG doll.
how dare you i have one and you shuld shut you re yaps if i where you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! becuse you ahte them doesnt mean youre dauter cant have one !!!!! and they have a doll hospital so ya ……. and almost all close is as much as americna girl dolls is ( 20 $ ) andif you buy one off ebay you an get one for 50 dollers so ya get her one or i will .
o ya im 8
and i got mine when i was 5 so she whould take care of it . and she puts them in closets becuse there RIP OFFS YOURE NOT A GOOD MOTHER
Little Girl, put your money where your mouth is and go buy a GRAMMAR BOOK because your ENGLISH is HORRIBLE. And where is YOUR MOTHER, BTW? Not monitoring your rotten responses to adults that’s for sure. Maybe YOUR MOMMY is NOT A GOOD MOTHER at all.
I was of this mindset when my 5 turned 6 turned 7 year old daughter continually begged for one. I scoffed at the mothers spending $125 on a doll and especially on matching outfits that are 3x as much as I would EVER spend on my own clothes as a thrift-store mama! I finally told her that if she wanted one, she’d have to use her piggy bank money that she had really been saving since birth, I guess.. It’s hard for me to believe, but I have become an AG fan. Three reasons:
1) The resale on these things is INCREDIBLE for toys and in perfectly horrible condition as well. I think about it this way — she has $100’s of dollars worth of barbies, disney princess, faries dolls and those things are trash — their hair gets matted and no one wants them. I’d be lucky to sell them for 10% of their original value at a garage sale. These AG dolls, however, have a resale market honestly no matter what your kid does to them. People actually fix these dolls and even the ones that your kid drew all over and gave a custom haircut is still worth $40. Ebay it — true story. I’d hardly call them an investment, but when you’re buying a kid toys anyhow, you know the other dolls have nil value on resale.
2) They’re quality. When my daughter was about 3, I actually found a Samantha doll at the thrift store for around $5. I snatched her up, despite the fact that she was dirty and had dried out and dull looking hair. She wasn’t super appealing to my daughter, and didn’t get any play. Then, when my 7 year old bought herself a brand new Rebecca doll, I feared what my 4 year old would say. I spent some time with a magic eraser and a low heat flat iron and I transformed that Samantha. There’s no way that any $30 knock off would be able to be cleaned up like that, especially the hairstyling piece. It was a huge transformation. Youtube this — lots of sweet little girls showing AG doll makeovers.
3) They’re wholesome. At 7, the competition for my daughter’s attention in the doll department are Monster High and Ever After High dolls. I can’t stand their hooch platform heels, mini skirts, and makeup caked faces. AG dolls are good role models — allowing little girls to be little girls. MH and EAH TV shows are all about conflict and boy troubles. When my daughter plays with those, her make-believe talk is related to conflict and boy troubles. AG dolls NEVER have boy troubles — they’re just sweet girls. This is HUGE to me. I’m now asking all family members to avoid buying the “teenager” dolls (that I refused to buy from the get-go).
…Now, my girls have 3 AG dolls – the one my daughter saved for, the one I scored for $5, and a Julie that I bought on craigslist in perfect condition for $50 (there are deals out there, they just go so fast that you kind of have to stalk the listings or have an alert on a craigslist app). I feel good about my girls playing with these and quite frankly, I barely missed out on a lot of 3 AG dolls on craigslist for $120. I would have snatched them up as well!
…Again, I took the time to write all of this because I was once like you, mother. But I’ve changed my ways. I am an AG mom – a smart craigslist stalking and target accessories AG mom, but an AG mom nonetheless.
I have a doll and I think you have the wrong idea.
I just turned 9 on Nov. 14 2014. Not very long ago. I got my first doll when I was 8, on Christmas last year in 2013. It was a look alike. She was very pretty with long hair. In May of 2014, I got another doll on my mother’s birthday when we actually went to the store near Boston. (Yes. I am very spoiled and loved) I got Marie-grace, a young girl who lived in the time of slavery. She also loved to sing. I loved her book. Now, on Christmas of 2014, I got the girl of the year 2014. Her name is Isabelle, an inspired dancer who loves to sew. I have all 3 of her books. If you get you child a look alike, she’ll care for her. If she likes hair styling, get her a long haired doll. If you get her a historical, I totally recommend Kaya, because she has long hair and is to pretty to not love. The historical dolls have a book that come with them. If you are going to get her a doll, get her a wire bristled AG doll brush to go with her. You need a brush like that because the doll’s hair will get ruined with an ordinary brush. I think she is doing a protest with all the other dolls because she wants an American girl doll that much. She will not rest taking bad care of her dolls until you let her get an AG. I love my 3 AG dolls, and I think your kid will to! see how she does with 1, and then go on from there. I think you will be impressed and delightfully surprised. I hope I helped!
Let me just say as an antique doll collector and doll restorer of 30 years, that the AGD is a major rip off. $120 for cheap plastic, cheap stuffing and cheap fabric is a waste of money. You’re not teaching your kid the value of anything. This is also not doll collecting of any kind either. There are many more collectible dolls in the world (Jumean, Bru, Handwerk, Kestner, Simon & Halbig, Classic, Armand Marseilles) than this one that are worth more and made of much better materials than the AGD. The accessories are better as well. I liken the AGD craze to that of Beanie Babies back in 1990s – You pay top dollar for them in 1990 and then 20+ years later, you can’t give a garbage bag full them away at a yard sale.
You want a real American doll? Then go buy an early Madame Alexander, Horsman or Effandbee doll. Sink $120 there. At least these dolls hold their value.
Too true! There are so many dolls that hold financial value! AG are currently marketed as play dolls but marketed at collectors. It’s crazy!
I LOVE American Girl Dolls! I still have three from when I was younger! But on the other hand, I remember when I just had two, writing to “Santa” And asking him to NOT bring me another American Girl Doll and to bring me a bike instead! That did not last long because what happened was I got a bike but I also got another American Girl Doll and a doll sized bike! It was funny though I had two other dolls that I loved (I will just say it) even more then the American Girl Dolls and they where off-brand!
First of all:
The reason AG dolls have always been pricey is because they were originally HAND-MADE, in West Germany. (West Germany, yes, this was many moons ago). The company was sold to matel (sp?) in the late 90s so now the dolls are machine-made (I can see the difference in my 23-year-old Kirsten and my niece’s now 3-year-old Julie. Being in the marketing field, I can also tell that quality has been forsaken for the sake of keeping the dolls the same price they were 25 years ago, otherwise they would have gone up, like everything else (how much did a coke cost you 25 years ago?).
Here’s the main reason I love AG: The dolls range in ages from 9-10, the same age as the girl playing with them. Barbies and the majority of other dolls on the market, on the other hand, all have the bodies of 19-year-olds with too much make-up and unrealistic proportions. This, I see, sends messages to little girls that they need to grow up as fast as possible so they cane wear makeup and shot skirts and go on dates just like Barbie (hence all the 6-year-olds carrying purses and watching tween shows), so they end up doing things in middle school our generation would have never even dreamed of until college, and when they get into high school, their bored, and find ways to get into more trouble. I repeat the founder of Pleasant Company for seeing where these things were going, and for creating a line of dolls that were actual little girls, and not teenagers (and if you’re still held back by the cost, hit up used bookstores and find copies of the books for a dime, and hear this: I found a mint-condition AG girl of today doll at a yard sale once, 50 cents). As for worrying if the girl you’re buying for will actually appreciate them, that depends on the fact how spoiled they are. The AG dolls were all I ever got for Christmas, because it’s all I asked for. I never had a zillion presents. If kids get cheap plastic from the dollar store, they will treat everything as such. I loved and cherished my dolls, and respected the toys I had. Those dolls were my absolute childhood, and I’m so appreciative of my parents for giving me the best ever. Even as I grew too old to play I continued collecting (and they are perfectly arranged on a special shelf). And accessories were not cheap either, I know, but: a miniature wooden pram, a doll sized ice cream maker that actually made ice cream? Do they MAKE toys like that anymore? Certainly not. Not even AG now has the accessories it used to.
Third and final reason I’m an avid AG lover: Imagination. Dolls create so much more than giving your child an iPad to keep her out of your hair for three hours while she watches mindless videos. (Which by the way, we didn’t have iPads when I was little. There was this thing called OUTSIDE.)
I did not know that
*respect, not repeat
I think the way you talk about your daughter is ridiculous. You act as if she is supposed to be thirteen. Let her be young and enjoy her life as it is. American girl dolls are very good quality and I have relatives that have them that are over thirty years old and still in great condition. You need to think about the upsides, how giving her an american girl doll could also teach her some things, and discipline of taking care of it. AG lets the imagination run! It lets kids have a good time without thinking they need to play on a electrical device.
I got mine when I was three! Yes three. At the time I didn’t really know what to do with it, but after a couple of months I was always playing with it! I loved that thing and now it is still in great condition. I wish you would research and think through things before you emotionally paste your words on the internet, and talk rudely behind your own child’s back.
your right
I agree that your daughter was not ready for an AG doll…however AG dolls are very well made. They are not overpriced.
Considering the quality of most dolls, they are very well made and very durable. It’s rare to find a high quality product like them now adays, mostly because the current belief is to chuck things in the garbage. However, if you value things, and want to keep something for a long time, an AG doll is worth expense.
Compared to other dolls, they have quality hair, and they are wigs so they can be replaced if needed. The bodies are well designed, and stuffed so that the dolls can easily stand, and their face molds are perfect for children.
I had an AG doll as a little girl-I believe I got her when I was 10. My parents were not “rich” it was the only thing I got for Christmas that year. I loved her, and played with her daily for years. When her arm fell off from overplay, we sent her to the AG hospital, and they didn’t even charge us to fix her up. I would still have it now, except I decided to give it to a little girl when I was 14 or so, because she really wanted one.
Of course, I took very good care of my doll. Maybe you should teach your daughter how to care for her toys-otherwise, when she is older and starts wanting more expensive things, she will treat them the exact same way.
I can’t believe that you would type this on the internet. In fact, I have two from when I was little and I got both my girls one for their birthdays. When I got my first, it was a present and I saved money up to buy the second. I think you are ridiculous to say that you would never spend the money to buy one. If your daughter loves them, why not buy one or have family contribute money to buy one.
I took my girls for their birthday to the AGD store and let me say that there was no greater joy than watching them discover and find a new friend. Next te think about your daughter and the new friend she would have before writing something this harsh.
I have four American Girl Dolls I don’t play with them much (I’m 13) but I still love them so much and when my step-sister (she’s 10 and has two AG dolls) comes to visit her dad that’s when I play with them. Plus you don’t have buy outfits from AG you could go on Etsy or make outfits of your own. I have been collecting AG stuff for four years. I have plenty of stuff that I make and find and use. I do think they are expensive but definitely worth it. But you should wait a few years before you could get her one if she’s younger…….if she still wants an AG doll when she’s a bit older then get her one. I got my first doll when I was nine because I begged for one for so long and I was responsible enough with other dolls.
My Isabelle Dolls Head is falling off, I am 12 years old I am very careful with my dolls and I didn’t do anything to cause this. She is not a super old doll. Why should I pay for something that never should have happened. My parents paid a lot of money for all my American Girl doll stuff, when things break or come off, American girl doll should pay.
Yes, AG dolls are just as overaccessorized as any ghastly fashion doll! But they are large, well made, and they do come with a library of nice fiction and activity books. Dolls are about playing, modeling real life through play. If your life is shopping and discarding thngs when you are bored with them, that’s going to be the fate of your AG doll 🙁
But if your life is about doing and creating, consider making clothes and accessories for your doll with your child, note the zillions of how to videos and maker pages. Or support your local crafters who produce these items. Do you have a friend or relative who sews or does woodworking? Purchase AG dolls and accessories used and support recycling of these items. Make a challenge out of visiting yard sales and thrift shops to look for items that can be used for your doll, and support these businesses. What is very sad is that time-stressed parents buy toys but cannot spend time teaching their children to play, to imagine scenarios and act out stories with dolls. Doll play should build empathy, teaching children to look after others, and to care about their miniature possessions in preparation for having their own clothes, shoes, and furnishings.
I agree with you. They are only dolls and they are very overpriced. Some of the accessories are way more expensive than actual products that we could buy for ourselves. I am very into dolls myself, as a 13 year old, but I definitely am not crazy about these. They are way too big for my liking and I don’t see how anyone could “play” with them. Most of my dolls are from thrift stores and the ones that I have that are a higher price are below $25.00. I do admit that these specific dolls are sitting in a corner of my room, barely played with, but I have them displayed neatly on their doll stands, next to their boxes. The less expensive dolls I have are the ones I touch more often.
hello… i received my first agd at the age of 6… honestly i wasnt to into the doll until i was about 8. after that i was head over heels for this doll and the next year received another doll. when i turned 10 and began getting allowance i worked extremely hard raising money and doing chores so i could buy myself doll clothes, furniture, and more dolls. it taught me so much about saving, spending, rationing, and working hard for things i wanted. my parents never bought me a single thing from american girl except the first two dolls, i think that was a smart move, it taught me alot about being thankful for what i do get and being reliant on myself for things i wanted and not expecting everyone else to buy me those things and please me. its been 8 years and im still collecting and loving my (now 10) american girl dolls. the reason ive said all this is because i think its all about your approach… dont blame the company… blame the parents who buy their kids everything that they ask for and let their kids run their wallets.
I received my first doll at seven and yeah her hair now is not the greatest but that’s why there is a doll hospital just in case! I have 6 now and my parents don’t care they want me to be happy, not sad to the point where my mom thinks Disney people are something I can’t repeat!!!! Geez lay off girl let your daughter be happy!!! Also you should not be offensive like this I agree with AGDL!!
i think she needs to see a kids point of veiw great job
As an adult collector with thirteen of these beauties, I’m always viewing tutorials and blogs for ways to make my own to-scale accessories. If I could sew, I might attempt clothing for the dolls. I don’t feel that these well-made dolls are too expensive, but their school and dining sets can be… And I always like to see young girls being resourceful and creative, especially as they may not be able to afford the sets from the AG store. I would rather find used ones in good condition, or craft some pieces, because the alternatives from Our Generation look like what they are: budget playthings. The plastic shoes are particularly ugly, and the accessories look cheap and too small. The dolls themselves are pretty enough, and buying one would be a good way to see whether its owner values it enough to take care of an AG doll later. As for musical tastes, I roll my eyes at the Disney teen idols but would be very grateful my daughter doesn’t worship Lady Gaga or Ke$ha.
I have to say thanks for the laugh. I just loved your blog about AGD. My 6 almost 7 year old daughter wants one, but there’s no way on this earth I’m paying $100.00 plus for the thing, she’s going to be getting a generic this year 😀
Reading through the comments, it seems you’re one of the few who appreciates the humor in this. So thanks! 😉
I think some of it had some humor
I know right it is ridiculous my daughter wanted a Our Generation doll and that cost about $30 dollars so I got her that and when she showed me an Ag doll I looked at the price of the doll and then the acsessories and I said No so she got an OG doll and is way more happier with that. 🙂
I would say no to but you can find better stuff on the internet for sale thats cheaper
As far as the dolls go, I’ve had mine since I was seven years old and I love her. I cute her hair because I had and once i turned 18 I went to the store and got her fixed. I dont think other dolls can be sent out to be fixed. I understand they are over priced but the truth of the matter is they are made with better materials then most 18 inch dolls that are out there. They are expensive because they come with a book or game depending on the doll. If you have ever gone to a store you will realize at first how ridiculous they are for having a hair salon and restaurant but I would hope at the same time how much fun your child is having. The original creator of the company Pleasant Rowland created these dolls to educate young girls and create an experience.
To Stephanie, I appreciate your opinion on your personal blog where I cant judge you for the kind of person I think you are, but I think its important to point out how unkind it was to disregardful what your child likes and finds as inspiration, you are an adult and a mother. You should be encouraging your daughter to earn and value what she wants, not put it down completely. I understand she is young and definitely not ready to commit to an expensive doll, and I even think getting her a cheaper doll in the meantime is smart, but again, its not healthy to you or you sweet child how is in 2nd grade to rant about how much you hate a product that does nothing but promote a healthy life style for girls.
This blog is rediculous I love American girl dolls! This is horrible! And Disney Channel is amazing and so of those “tweens” would be very offended. You should think before you post mean things like that.
I think the ag stuff is cool but i craft my own stuff. My sister has a cheaper verson and i have a mga doll that i got from my cousin but i craft my own becouse i cant aforrd the real thing but i get the catalog and craft stuff from there. Some youtubers that craft stuff to is american girl ideas,myfroggystuff and agosf they are awsome but if they cua more of an issue to you just stop them from watching it im here to help people but i probly look like a dork right now sorry.
For my youngest I hope to buy an Australian Girl Doll. Yep, you read right – Australian! Their dolls are similar, but prettier, and they are really nice to deal with (I bought some accessories from them for an existing American G D that we bought a few years ago. Mattel has ruined AGD anyway, and I want something better for my littlest girl than what they do now.) So Australian Girl Dolls is my preference from now on.
No matter what anyone says, the AGD is far and above the disgusting ‘street’ profiling and look of the Bratz doll collections.
AND people wonder why our 10-12 year old girls think they are
20-somethings and entitled. Come on, its a doll – Its intended as a collectable. No one is forcing you to buy all the accessories.
This cracks me up! And so do the haters on here! So this girl doll “lover” and all her sheeple supporters: not spending ridiculous amounts of money on a doll does not make you a bad mom! Young American kids used to make rag dolls. Ya know, out of rags! That, if we were being historical accurate, is the true American Girl Doll. I don’t feel bad for kids who can’t get their $100 doll. In Ethiopia families wait in line for days with jugs for fresh water trucks to come. 100 years ago my 5 and 10 year olds would be out hunting with their dad. A bad mom because she won’t buy into the marketing for this overpriced product? Please! This is why we have a generation of entitled, easily offended people. Kids need boundaries and saying no to a doll (which this mom KNOWS intuitively won’t be cared for) is NOT a big deal. Oh yeah, and what did the world ever do before we had tweens dancing on Disney? Yeah, they’re awesome role models. The world needs more Miley Cyruses. *eyeroll*
Overprotective, coddling mothers like the ones in the comments here are why kids today lack resilience. I admire OP’s blog and am relieved that there are parents out there like her.
And yes, Disney tweens *are* assclowns.
Quit spoiling your kids. They’ll just grow up to be these whiny “safe space” entitled college students who think censorship is a pretty cool idea.
*facepalm*
Thank you. You’re my favorite.
Not quite how I’d put it, but I concur with the sentiment.
Ok first off I have grown up my whole life with American girl dolls and I am definitely far from “spoiled” kid. American Gorl dolls helped me through tough situations and helped me look toward my future. They inspired me
I begged for one of these (a Kirsten doll, in particular) in the early 90s. I did not get one. Instead, (I was about 10) and received a knockoff doll from Target with ash blonde hair. Nice try Mom. I KNEW she was a knock off and for Christmas, was terribly disappointed. I wasn’t the sort of child who showed that though. So I faked excitement. All my cousins got the real thing. It was OK though. I spent the next year taking really good care of my knock off. The next year, I asked again. My mom laughed and asked me if I really needed one, after all, I was almost in Jr. High. Well played Mom. So I stopped asking and never got one. I just had my first child 3 months ago. The day I found out she was a girl, I went on Ebay and bought a NRFB Samantha. I am 32. Sure, it’s for my “daughter”. Hahaha, maybe when she is 12. 🙂
I think you had a good idea of buying the fake doll first. I love American Girl they absolutely made up my childhood. It inspired my job, taught me knew things, and I have learned lots about the past. It’s also possible to get dolls for.Cheaper online on eBay or Craigslist for half the price or less.Some of my doll I have got for 50$ or less! I can’t wait till I get to share my exprience with my kids one day. I’m just saying I may have wasted 1,000 of my money on 15 American girl dolls but I don’t know where I would be without them.
I think it depends on your kid. The original dolls were meant as a way to engage girls in history because for most females it’s hard to get into the parts of history where all we were was a cook and bottle washer in the background but learning the history through the eyes of a child living through it is more captivating. That was the original plan. The company grew too large too fast the German manufacturer could not keep up with demand and this is where China comes into it. Then people wanted dolls to look like their kids and the modern stuff happened. All the books are well written, and it is a literacy tool. Some kids don’t enjoy reading and this is what it takes. It’s more than just a doll, it does require a child to use imagination. A 7 yo isn’t old enough to care for one without parental support. My Sis in law has 4 kids but she still helps her 3 daughters with their dolls hair care. Her oldest is legally blind. The 18″ dolls are the only thing this kid can see the face on other than her Cabbage Patch. She loved her babies to death and did get one younger, at about 7. Her sister got one at the same age and ignored it until she hit 10. My best friends daughter didn’t get one until she was 12 she’s got 3 and paid for 2 completely on her own. She is now 14 and still collecting pieces for them. She dresses them and does photo shoots and for her it’s about expresion of her fashion tastes. Just because you aren’t a fan it doesn’t make the toy evil. Try shelling out $200 for a Lego set of which you loose one brick that’s not a common piece and it’s garbage. Any toy in a child’s had can be turned into trash but it’s up to you as the parent to educate your child on how to care for their things. You can bet I trained my boys. The legos get disassembled and properly stored in their plastic containers.
This is an amazing post shared it with my sister who loves these things, they are despised by me.
How’s the daughter these days about American Girl dolls? My daughter got her first doll when she turned 6. Cost less than the video games of one brother and less than the Lego set of the other. Even with PJs and an extra outfit. She understood this was an expensive doll and has taken really good care of it, collecting less expensive things from Walmart, Target, Michael’s for the doll as well as Dollar Shop and just foraging around the house. Since then, she’s asked for American girl items and other dolls, and so she has several of these dolls and accessories, furniture instead of a lot of plastic junk in her room. I like it better that way. Had she trashed the first doll, that would have been the end of anything in that price range for a while.
I was at a garage sale that was being held, and the junky toys of that girl who is the same age as my daughter was astounding. All going for very little. But there had to have been thousands spent over the years on those toys, reduced to trash , where a lot of the things ended up when they couldn’t even give the stuff away. In contrast, the money spent on American Girl dolls for my daughter is kept in a orderly way, and we could get at least half, maybe even as much as we spent if we sold this stuff on Ebay even in used condition, though gently so. I don’t think we spent as much even as this family has on toys as I remember the birthday and Christmas gifts galore that their kids got, mostly reduced to junk. And this mother will swear that American Girl is too expensive, even as she spends more on lots of junk than we had on American girl.
So if your budget doesn’t allow for American girl doll, by all means don’t bust it to buy one. But if you are going to be spending a couple of hundred dollars on toys. better on good quality, long lasting things, than on a bunch of plastic that is going to end up in the junk heap. But one does have to work with the kids in taking care of such things. Your daughter is not there yet.
I love that this post was interesting enough to go on for years. My daughter has 4 AG dolls…all found for $5.99 at the salvation army store in original shoes and outfits.
My girls love AG dolls. My older one got the bitty baby at 18 months and my younger one got her bitty twin at two. They were taught to treat the 18 inch dolls nicely by playing with a cheaper 18 inch doll around 3-4 and by playing with my old dolls (Samantha, Kirsten and felicity). Now, we are up to 13 18 inch dolls. I have my three that they play with, my six yr old has three, and my nine yr old has 7 as well as the twin, bitty baby, mini dolls and clothing. They love them and play with them often. For birthdays and Christmas, they get AG dolls and other AG items. If you don’t like AG, that’s fine, but don’t shame parents who do big gifts instead of a bunch of smaller things doomed for the trash. My son has a ton of Legos that weren’t cheap either
My daughter is eight and she has an american doll. It has beautiful red hair and she named it Blossom. She CHERISHED them. I do agree they are really overpriced but my daughter would take care of them and play with them daily. The problem is that she was VERY overprotective. My daughter goes to ******** Elementary. It’s a strict school and they would NOT allow dolls. Anyway, I invited DD’s friend over for a surprise. I came to her room and told her that her friend was coming. I was surprised at her reaction.
”But Mummy, I wanna play with Blossom.” So I said, ”You and your friend can both play with Blossom.” Then she said, ”Only I can play with Blossom.” As a parent I was very angry and did not cancel the playdate. So when my DD’s friend arrived rushing up to DD’s bedroom, I smiled. Perhaps DD would forget about her American Girl doll for a bit and play with her friend. Half an hour later I heard screaming and crying. I rushed up to see what was going on. I learnt that DD friend had tripped and fallen on top of the American Girl dollhouse. Some of the furniture fell out and the mini table legs were loosening. You wouldn’t BElIEVE what DD did! She had slapped her friend out of anger called her a careless, useless fool. Her friend obviously burst into tears. Not once did my DD think about her friend’s bruises after falling on the dollhouse. Her crying friend was picked up early and I grounded my DD. I gave her a good scolding. The next day was school and she had a suspiciously happy look on her face. I shrugged and went to work. Halfway through the day, I got a call from DD’s School. Remember what I said about her school being strict about bringing dolls and toys. Well, DD had brought Blossom to school and skipped Maths so she can wash Blossom’s hair in the bathroom. Also, she took a picture of her broken American Doll table and combined it with a photo of DD’s friend. Underneath she had written, THE WORK OF A CARELESS, USELESS FOOL. I was SHOCKED when I heard. Absolutely FLABBERGASTED. My DD would never do that. Then I remembered Blossom. All because of American girl dolls, my DD was suspended. American Doll Stores make american girls seem better than a real friend. I took the doll, packed up all the furniture and clothes, and sold it on Ebay. She was sobbing and a felt a bit sorry for her. But the selling of the doll did the trick and now she’s back to her old self. She apologized to her friend, of course. Now, she is totally against AGD. She’s thrown away her posters. Phew!
My daughter has learnt her lesson. She is now playing with my old CPKs. I really think AGD is too expensive. My other daughter (14) used to watch Sam and Cat. One of the episodes is called FresnoGirl- a mockery of American Girl Dolls. It is extremely funny. Now, my 8 year old is learning how to saw wood and her and my husband are making a nice house for the CPK. Never going to AGD store. American Girl Dolls took over my daughter. My daughter would hate to take over American Girl Dolls. But here’s the bad thing. Her friend got an American Doll and excitedly told my DD about it and how they can both play together. This is making my DD feel extremely guilty and ashamed. Now she’s having nightmares about American Girl Dolls. What should I do?
Also, I can’t believe a bitty baby is $100! You can get a Baby Alive for $44! And a baby alive actually does something unlike bitty baby.
This is NOT to do with American Girl dolls by the way! I am just telling you a time when my mother was ungrateful. So I was eight. It was nearly Christmas and because I couldn’t shop by myself, I decided to make something for my Mum. I had already made my dad a drawing book. I spent ages making a binder and decorating it with elaborate designs. This was a poetry book. I wrote out in my best handwriting 20 poems that I made up. It was delightful and I knew she would be pleased with it. So on Christmas Day, I presented her with my Poetry Book. She just nodded. ”Yeah… nice.” I was hoping she would read my poems so I smiled. She flicked through the pages and merely said, ” You probably rushed this overnight! My jaw dropped. Quietly, I opened her present- a pair of socks. I pulled them on, only to realize that my mum had given me my dad’s old socks. “This is a very good poetry book!” my mum soon said. I smiled. So she did appreciate my work. Months and months later, I was trying to find something so I looked under the coffee table. The poetry book was stuffed in the envelope and shoved under the table. The binder was weakening and the pages had coffee all over them!
I know I’m reviving an old thread, but I’m going to say what most people are probably thinking: American Girl dolls are not meant for children. Oh, older more responsible girls can probably have them for a once only Christmas gift, once they can prove they are able to take care of their dolls. But no, what I am talking about is Doll Collectors.
Like Tonner Dolls and other high end fashion dolls, American Girl dolls are designed the way collectible dolls are. In display in box they are fully clothed and nice to look at and could be collectible that way. For collectors who unbox and play with their dolls they have a full wardrobe of high quality clothing, and true enough, there is a large population of American Girl doll collectors. They take pictures, and make videos of their doll unboxings, and all the outfits they buy. Some of them refer to their head mold types, and mention all the prices in their videos as if the prices were nothing. Doll collectors spend their money on their dolls, invest large amount of their living space to the dolls and keep their collections, buy and sell, trade, and basically have a collection that could pay for their retirement by the time they actually DO retire.
I should know. I collect dolls. 😉 So no worries mothers, you may gently tell your girls that when they are older and can show they can take care of their dolls, (and have saved up their own money for it) they can have a doll, but for now they aren’t old enough for such nice dolls. The Santa explanation is nice too. But to add to it, Santa gives the really nice dolls only to girls who takes good care of their dolls.
Yikes to some of these comments! I am generally in agreement with your sentiments as they apply to expensive toys for young children. I want my daughters to value experiences and family more than material things. That being said, my oldest treats her baby dolls as though they are members of the family. She is nurturing and caring and has an American Girl doll. She loves her doll, sleeps with her and brings her everywhere with her. Today her baby is her “show and tell” at school, not because she is a fancy doll (my daughter has no idea to be honest) but because Gracie is her most special possession. That being said, you have every right not to spend money on something your daughter doesn’t truly desire or will not be able to care for appropriately. And at the end of the day, you’re the mom so who cares what your reasons? Merry Christmas! 🙂
I think you don’t hate American Girl Dolls. You just don’t like the fact that your daughter, specifically, won’t take care of hers correctly. As you said that you would have got yourself a doll at when you were younger. So, I think you should calm down a little and think about that maybe your daughter will treat her doll the same way you would’ve treated yours. 🙂
My 3 granddaughters…age 5, 6 and 7 have the American doll. Lately I’ve noticed they don’t really play with them. They dress them and then sit them there or put them to bed. When we were kids (1950s) most girls interacted with the dolls either by talking to them and pretending they talked back or by mental telepathy (that’s what I did). I would spend hours and hours playing with dolls. So my point is that I am really getting a kick out of sewing outfits for these dolls. I’ve been a seamstress for many years. Am I waisting my time? Handmade doll clothes seem to be selling all over and doing quite well or aread they? I would love to make some extra money making them but not if it’s not worth my while.
What the heck? I shouldn’t hate age just because your daughter can’t take care of them. Plus, the beauty of collecting is the cost. Why hate?
*You
I agree you don’t hate American Girl you hate the cost of them. American girl dolls are an experience. I did everything with my dolls