American Girl GOTY...(irritated)

[BellsFam]

If you buy American Girl maybe you can relate...

I get that it's a "Girl of the Year" and that the year starts on Jan1... HOWEVER...

It would be great if you know she was introduced on DEC 1 in say, the Christmas catalog that arrives at my house! Now DD wants Grace for Christmas and ALL her stuff is sold out and in a week will be retired...So we have a doll but nothing to go with it...

Dumb marketing ploy!

Sorry, vent over!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If you buy American Girl maybe you can relate...

I get that it's a "Girl of the Year" and that the year starts on Jan1... HOWEVER...

It would be great if you know she was introduced on DEC 1 in say, the Christmas catalog that arrives at my house! Now DD wants Grace for Christmas and ALL her stuff is sold out and in a week will be retired...So we have a doll but nothing to go with it...

Dumb marketing ploy!

Sorry, vent over!

This is why I personally don't like GOTY. And it is because it is a great marketing ploy.

We only have 1 and for said child who requested it for Christmas that year, I told her point blank that we could not get more than one or two "accessories". I actually ended up getting one item on ebay paying maybe 25% more. (Just an outfit. It was for Mia.)

But we otherwise purpose to avoid them. I like being able to add to a doll over the years.

(And we try to do lists by Thanksgiving so we at least have a little time to get hard to get items.)

Check resale pages and you *might* have some luck. So sorry about not being able to otherwise get anything for Grace.

 

[poohfriend77]

I've been there in our early AG days! DH spent weeks on eBay, watching prices go up and up, while I tried to convince him we did not need to spend double the already outrageous price for a doll camper. I honestly thought it would "magically" show up under our tree, because he was so obsessed.

But it didn't, and she barely even noticed. And the next year we ordered GOTY stuff very early. Lesson learned! You can always return it (or sell to other desparate parents) if it doesn't make her list.

I know that doesn't help this year though! Maybe you can help her make her own accessories after Christmas. Clay pastries, cardboard bakery stand, etc. I know it's not the same, but my girls always loved creating stuff like that.

 

[BellsFam]

Maybe you can help her make her own accessories after Christmas. Clay pastries, cardboard bakery stand, etc. I know it's not the same, but my girls always loved creating stuff like that.

We've made some stuff in the past, but that's a good idea... she would like doing that.

My salvation is Target. They have a lot of stuff for AG, just not "AG brand". I'm just moody because the same thing happened last year, she like Isabelle, and by the time we realized that the doll would retire, (and she was not ready), it was too late. This year she asked for it, DH hemmed and hawed about getting her one, I finally pulled the trigger and I was like, well I could grab some stuff for her b-day (in May), Valentine's day, etc., and when I went to do that it was GONE! So I'm just being pouty about DH and AG right now!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

They probably make enough early in the year not to care about GOTY sales late in the year. Christmas will push sales regardless.

Then instead of sales taking a dip on 1/1, they get a new burst all over again.

 

[Burnedout]

Otoh she was offered for $84 this month. So many people got a deal on her and her stuff right before Christmas.

 

[RangerPooh]

DD10 asked for Grace once she saw her ion January. Of course she wanted the $500 bakery set, um no. So when I saw that she was on sale for $84 I bought her. Did the same thing with Isabelle last year when she went on sale. I don;t purchase the accessories and my girls don't expect them. Our Generation by Target has some good pieces and better prices. I did see a cute sweet shop at Walmart that might work as an alternative.

 

[sailorstitch]

If you buy American Girl maybe you can relate...

I get that it's a "Girl of the Year" and that the year starts on Jan1... HOWEVER...

It would be great if you know she was introduced on DEC 1 in say, the Christmas catalog that arrives at my house! Now DD wants Grace for Christmas and ALL her stuff is sold out and in a week will be retired...So we have a doll but nothing to go with it...

Dumb marketing ploy!

Sorry, vent over!

Ah, yes. GOTY = Buy Early! When I'm collecting for a GOTY I try to have everything I want bought by the end of Oct at the latest.

When you do miss out on something there's lots of ways to supplement or even add to a GOTY collection. The AGPlaythings message board has a wealth of ideas, including ideas on how to build your own bakery.

You might also want to go ahead and introduce your daughter to GOTY 2016 now.
http://lissieandlilly.blogspot.com/2015/12/all-girl-of-year-2016-lea-clark-leaks.html

They probably make enough early in the year not to care about GOTY sales late in the year. Christmas will push sales regardless.

Then instead of sales taking a dip on 1/1, they get a new burst all over again.

Um... NO. Believe me AG care about those Christmas sales. Since 2012 AG has been dealing with major overstock issues in Jan. AG keeps hoping the holiday sales meet or exceed the sales in Jan so they've been ordering a TON on stock for the holiday season. Then they have to have fire sales to clear it all out when it doesn't sell as well as they want it to. This year they seem to have corrected that problem... at least on the collection. They seemed to still have a TON of Grace dolls though.

sailorstitch

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

Not sure if this helps any at all or how much is currently left in stores, but if you call a personal shopper at a store, you can have them ship things to you.