American Girl advice

[crisi]

I finally got approved for the message forum recommended here. Boy, I had no idea there was so much to learn!! Almost overwhelming. What I can't figure out yet, it seems most people only use "Julie outfits" on Julie. I like some of the other stuff, but feel like you shouldn't mix and match? Thanks for all the advice here, we are looking forward to this new obsession ~wink~

When my daughter would take her dolls to her friends to play there would be time travel and outfit swapping - but she never had any interest in clothes outside her own dolls collection (and frankly, no interest in clothes that weren't AG). However, if you stick with one doll (and you might want to make it a more recent doll for this to work - having your doll retired six months after you buy it makes this harder), and the starter outfit and one other, you now have a simple gift for grandmas and aunts and uncles (get her Julie's party dress - the green one) and over time, you'll have a pretty complete collection - just in time for her to grow out of the dolls and make them "collectors" items or memories.

 

[RachaelA]

So the free shipping code is usually later in October/early November?

I need to order DD1's Bitty Baby, but it needs to be here for her birthday at the end of October and before DD2 is born. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet on shipping. I wish I would have paid attention and done research and bought it before the price increase. Oops! Don't tell my husband

There is a $10 off a $100+ purchase code floating around that's good through the end of September.

 

[robinb]

I wanted to add that if your heart is set on the Girl of the Year that you get her ASAP. She and her accessories will be sold out by Thanksgiving and you are then stuck buying the doll on eBay. I was very lucky that I knew an AG employee toward the end of my DD's AG collecting and she passed on her employee discount. I still have Marie Grace in a box in my basement since I bought the pair for her and only have her one of them and then she outgrew them by the next year.

 

[wiigirl]

The best part about getting an American Girl doll is going to the store and picking it out yourself. I would recommend anyone who is able to take their dd to an AG store to pick it out should do that.

 

[ldo]

shell out the money to buy a "real" AG doll. For younger girls, get straight hair--less tangling. The AG doll hair is superior to the other brands--we tried Target dolls--just as cute and much cheaper, but the hair gets matted. On our last Target doll, the rule was that hair had to stay in braids (not much fun for a little girl). Then, get Target or Michaels clothing and Target accessories. I got white bunk beds and also a white canopy bed for under $30 each from Walmart.com. IF you can sew or use a hot glue gun, it is easy to make a "Julie" bed out of the white Walmart bed using felt. DD spent her Bday $ every year to add a new doll--she has 5 and is now getting too old for them at 12, but still loves them and styles their hair, and after 5 years, they all still look great and will be kept for her kids. The Target dolls are going to our friend's 3 yr old.
Free shipping usually comes out in Oct/Nov.

 

[dancin'girl]

So the free shipping code is usually later in October/early November?

I need to order DD1's Bitty Baby, but it needs to be here for her birthday at the end of October and before DD2 is born. I guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet on shipping. I wish I would have paid attention and done research and bought it before the price increase. Oops! Don't tell my husband

There is a $10 off a $100+ purchase code floating around that's good through the end of September.

My daughter's birthday is early Oct and I'm pretty sure that I got free shipping last year when we bought her Rebecca. We're not all that far from the store, so I think I would have just gone to the store if I hadn't gotten free shipping. I'm waiting on free shipping again because she wants Saige this year. Hopefully it will come out late Sept?? I wish I could remember!

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I have an outlet store about an hour from my house. Are there good deals, or is everything still a bit overpriced? I'd like to get a friend's daughter an outfit for her birthday.

 

[Gorechick]

I have an outlet store about an hour from my house. Are there good deals, or is everything still a bit overpriced? I'd like to get a friend's daughter an outfit for her birthday.

From what I've heard, they usually have a weekly deal that often is a furniture piece about half price. There are no dolls, only clothing and accessories. You can call ahead and ask about the current stock.

 

[kristinradico]

Keep an eye out because once in a while they have great deals on their "Sale" section. Also Cyber Monday normally has the best deals on everything but dolls. Last year they had a great special on Marie Grace, Cecile and their bed. I'm not sure exactly when bc we were busy moving, But late winterish they had a great deal on Bitty Babies. Free shipping is typically they first few weeks in November and before Easter. Sign up for their emails and follow their Facebook page for upcoming sales!

 

[gopack]

I saw some Bitty Baby accessories today in Costco.

 

[Gorechick]

Keep an eye out because once in a while they have great deals on their "Sale" section. Also Cyber Monday normally has the best deals on everything but dolls. Last year they had a great special on Marie Grace, Cecile and their bed. I'm not sure exactly when bc we were busy moving, But late winterish they had a great deal on Bitty Babies. Free shipping is typically they first few weeks in November and before Easter. Sign up for their emails and follow their Facebook page for upcoming sales!

The deals they had on Cecile and Marie Grace were due to the fact they overshot demand when those dolls were released and had huge overstock in the warehouse. Then with the Bitty Baby revamp on the horizon they had a BB sale last March and another sale in May to clear some of the old stock. It is doubtful that we will see those kind of deals again in the near future. I'm sure AG is managing their stock a little better.

 

[scnrc00]

I agree with everyone else the dolls don't usually go on sale but they do free shipping around Oct -Nov.

My daughters have been into American Girl dolls for the last 5 years but sadly they are now ready to sell most of their stuff. With 11 dolls, custom made dollhouse (6ft tall x 8ft tall), camper, jeep, treehouse, tons of furniture, clothes and accessories I have a lot to try to list on craigslist. I have invested a lot of $$$ into it all and know I won't get hardly any of it back. But at least they enjoyed it while it lasted!

I would be careful with ebay as I got burned twice buying used dolls there. I have had success with craigslist and etsy for clothes and accessories. We have even bought some stuff from Target.

 

[kandazak]

I saw some Bitty Baby accessories today in Costco.

What type of accessories? I thought authentic AG could only be purchased from AG?

 

[kandazak]

I have been watching craigslist for accessories, I guess our area just isn't heavily involved in AG!

 

[dancin'girl]

My daughter's birthday is early Oct and I'm pretty sure that I got free shipping last year when we bought her Rebecca. We're not all that far from the store, so I think I would have just gone to the store if I hadn't gotten free shipping. I'm waiting on free shipping again because she wants Saige this year. Hopefully it will come out late Sept?? I wish I could remember!

DD just told me that she got Rebecca for Christmas, so (my bad!!) I must have gotten the free shipping in November like everyone is saying.

 

[RachaelA]

What type of accessories? I thought authentic AG could only be purchased from AG?

They have the authentic mini dolls there and the little dogs. That's all I've seen though. I haven't been to Costco in a couple weeks.

 

[NotUrsula]

IME, young children often really don't care about the difference between real AG dolls and other 18" dolls. While I think that the Target dolls do have some quality issues, there are several other good brands of 18" dolls that cost a lot less than AG, and are still good quality. What I find that little girls are most interested in is getting a doll that looks as much like herself as possible: for my DD that meant long blond hair and blue eyes.

I bought DD6 an older Corolle doll on eBay a few months ago for $24 (including the shipping); she is happy as a clam with the doll, and she is having fun learning to make clothes for her.
(DD's doll had been stored in an attic, so her hair was a bit dusty, but a couple of careful washes took care of that problem.)

 

[gatorgirl2179]

I have Molly and I saved all my own money to buy her, and i got her when i was 6 (i am kinda proud of that actually) I got outfits for birthday, christmas, and easter, plus my mom bought some of the 'fake' AG clothes from different places, and i think had some made for me. she also had some furnitre made by the advanced woodworkign students at the local high school

LOVE my Molly Doll!! Super Sad that they are retiring her at the end of the year

I was kind of sad they were retiring Molly as well.

 

[icicleVT]

Here we go, folks --
http://hip2save.com/2013/10/09/steals-and-deals-american-girl-dolls-bracelets-coats-more/

 

[meajuly5]

Big sale today on two girls!!!!