AG doll store question

[drinkme]

Believe me, I am all about budget. However, I agree, kids very young know the difference from a AG girl and a doll from another store. Will bringing a non-AG to the tea make her feel bad? One of the fun parts about brining your "girl" is to find her on the sales floor and look for all her "stuff". How will she react if she cannot find her match.

On the other hand, if you hold off giving her the target doll and "borrow" one of their dolls, I would think that by going to the tea you are sending her the signal that she will be getting a doll from AG. If money is an issue I would say skip the tea and put that money towards the doll. I am sure that she would have a ball picking out the doll in the store and saving it for christmas.

I agree with this. We live in Chicago and I've never taken my girls to eat there. However, they have bought their dolls there and the fun in that is priceless.

I just went with my oldest daughter this past Spring with her daughter (my granddaughter) to pick out her first AG doll. It was so much fun!!! It's the first time we were at the Water Tower store. They used to be in another store on Michigan Ave years ago. We didn't go eat then either.

So, I suggest to spend the money on getting an AG doll that your dd gets to handpick. Skip the lunch. Water Tower has a very nice upscale food court. Eat there instead.

Have a fun time!!!

 

[momto2girls]

I agree with the others. I would skip the AG store rather than bring a Target doll. I think ultimately she will be disappointed with her doll and maybe even embarrassed around the other kids. I would either skip the AG store completely or have her hold off on deciding about which doll she wants until after she visits the store.

 

[luvlife]

I understand the OP not wanting to spend that much money on a doll if she doesn't know whether her daughter will truly enjoy it or not. My oldest was 5 when she received her first AG, the year before we had brought her a next generation doll from target which she never played with. Her AG doll till this day is still played with. I don't live the price of the dolls but the history that they have and the durability is what I appreciate.

 

[mouselovr]

This year for our kids we have done the year of experiences not gifts for Birthdays and such, my kids have to much stuff that I get tired of picking up! So for Christmas i asked my DD if she would rather have things or go to the AG store for the tea experience.
SO....
Those of you who have been to the store have you been to both Chicago & St Louis or another location. We live in Indiana and Chicago was my first choice of places to go, since it will be a Christmas trip I thoought it would be nice to see the lights and the window shopping there also, but St Louis is a little closer and it is definatly my DHs first pick (since he is not a fan of me heading to Chicago). So I would love some input on the differences in the stores or the tea experiences for any who have been to multiple locations.

 

[AlixaLock]

The person who suggested I make my kids pay for their Christmas gifts was. I, at no time, said I wasn't going to buy her something. I was trying to figure out whether to give her doll to her early so she could enjoy the tea or to just cancel the tea.

Thanks everyone for their opinions and thoughts. I think we will cancel the tea for this year. We will see how she likes the doll she has. If she really likes it, we can consider a AG next year. But, if I know my kid, she will play with for about a month and let it sit- I will be very glad that she decided on the more affordable doll.

We will def go into the store and look around and possibly purchase an outfit or something- but, again I know my kid and she will not be throwing a fit because other people's parents need to spend $100's of dollars on a doll.

We have 2 other kids to consider and I won't spend $100 on a doll for one child and not do equal for the other 2. My kid is not caught up in brand names yet and I am proud of that!

You've gotten a lot of great advice and I'm sure you are going to do the right thing for your family. I did want to say that we are as American Girl Doll crazy at it gets here (dolls outfits etc ...) but we have also be to our local NYC AG store and walked out with nothing. Whenever we go, we set a limit and expectations and they are adhered to. Never once have we had a fit. When I know we are just there for the tea or to browse, I give my daughter my phone and she takes pictures of things she wants to add to birthday or Christmas wish lists. Simple. Don't deny yourself the tea or the experience of browsing, just set expectations, which you clearly already do.

Oh, and we love the tea at least as much as shopping. Last trip we borrowed a doll because it was a spontaneous and she loved it!

 

[2mickeys1minnie]

We have been to the AG store in NYC several times for the tea. DD had her birthday party there as well..it was adorable! I just cannot imaging bringing my daughter to the AG store and not getting her the doll. She may agree now to get the Target doll (which by the way is complete junk ours fell apart after a month) but she will change her mind when she sees all the other little girls at the tea with the real dolls...and yes you can absolutely tell the difference. I would just skip the tea then. I'm confused about spending the $$ on the clothes and accessories..why not just buy the doll - it comes with an outfit and a book. Also just fyi the clothes don't fit the Target knock offs that great. It is such a special experience for a little girl and its amazing to be able to go into the store and pick out your own doll. My daughter was beaming! One of my fave memories and she still talks about it.

 

[Sunnywho]

The thing is that the tea would cost about $50 total for two people. An outfit would cost about $25. The price of the doll is $95 plus tax.

The doll at $95 is a much better bang for the buck (years of play) than the tea and outfit at $75.

 

[Pesky]

Whenever there is a product that my uber-right wing, religious, conservative, biochem PhD sister and my liberal, atheist, hippie granola SIL agree on, I invest. AG is one of those very few products. Both have said they are extremely well made, the historical ones have great stories and is a wonderful history lesson, etc. Hence I am investing in the real deal as well for DD (Bitty Twins). I'd consider going knock-off on the accessories like outfits and the like and the real thing for the doll and hair brush. Maybe even check CL if you can get a used one and maybe get the hair redone at the store.

 

[emer95]

I just wanted to add my experience here... my girls are 12 and almost 14, and they STILL play with their AG dolls. They are the only toys we still have in the house. A few years ago we made the treck to Boston to take them to their first store, and we had the tea. It was one of their favorite trips ever, right up there with Disney. We enjoyed it so much we went to the one in Chicago the following year. We got to see some great cities, and have a ball at the stores. Great memories of those trips, and the dolls will be saved for my grandchildren.

 

[Arynrm1]

We are also a AG family. My DD13 has 7, plus a bitty baby. She got her first one at 4 I think, and we never looked back

She has clothes, furniture, food, accessories, you name it she has it! She looked at the Target dolls, but the hair is really bad and the Target ones can't wear the shoes, and vice versa. I have gotten the outfits from Target, but the shoes suck.

She had loved these dolls for many years, now she makes stop motion movies with them that she posts on you-tube. They are a great investment, they are worth just as much as when we bought them, if she wanted to sell them(which she never will) She would have some serious money.

The chicago store is fantasic, she will love whatever you decide to do. We had tea there and it was lots of fun.

 

[Honeybell]

My almost 17 year old is trying to figure out which one of her 11(!) AG dolls she wants to take to college with her in a year and a half. I got the first one when I was pregnant with her. The Barbies, Brats (hated those skanks) Polly Pocket and doll house are long gone but the AG dolls are still here.

I'm just afraid she's going to freak out her roommate.

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

My almost 17 year old is trying to figure out which one of her 11(!) AG dolls she wants to take to college with her in a year and a half. I got the first one when I was pregnant with her. The Barbies, Brats (hated those skanks) Polly Pocket and doll house are long gone but the AG dolls are still here.

I'm just afraid she's going to freak out her roommate.

My Samantha is currently here at college with me My roommates don't mind her, but she typically stays on my bed in my room.

I currently have 5 AG dolls and a bitty baby, and all of them had a lot of play when I was a child, and they are still in wonderful condition.

I think if you aren't sure if your daughter will play with the doll or not, getting her the Target doll seems like a good way to see if AG would be a good investment or not. I do agree that the dolls aren't great quality (the little girl I babysit had one before she got an AG, and it looks pretty rough- she only had it for a few months), but I think the doll will help you figure out if AG would be worth it or not for your family.

 

[Lamping3]

This year for our kids we have done the year of experiences not gifts for Birthdays and such, my kids have to much stuff that I get tired of picking up! So for Christmas i asked my DD if she would rather have things or go to the AG store for the tea experience.
SO....
Those of you who have been to the store have you been to both Chicago & St Louis or another location. We live in Indiana and Chicago was my first choice of places to go, since it will be a Christmas trip I thoought it would be nice to see the lights and the window shopping there also, but St Louis is a little closer and it is definatly my DHs first pick (since he is not a fan of me heading to Chicago). So I would love some input on the differences in the stores or the tea experiences for any who have been to multiple locations.

Chicago! The StL store is a "boutique" store. It is 1/10th the size of the Chicago store and the Bistro only has about 4 tables in it. I live about 15 minutes from the StL store but I have only gone on opening weekend. It really wasn't that special and I hate to say that going to the smaller store kinda ruined it. The Chicago store is the 1st AG store. Having gone there while collecting dolls for myself (I'm 32....my Samantha still looks perfect btw...I got her when I was 11). It is where we will go once my almost 5 year old is mature enough to care for her own doll. Plus some of the Chicago hotels have beds for the dolls and the like because so many people travel there just for the AG store.

Plus I would rater have the shopping experience on Michigan Ave than a run of the mill mall like it is here.