If your child was an American Girl Fan.... When Did it end?

[mmbrad02]

Just curious - if you child was into American Girl dolls, at what age/grade did it come to an end? My DD will be 10 in October and I've really noticed in the last few months that the AG items have not been touched much. I think if she had more people to play with (she is an only child, and no neighbors her age) she might have more interest, but they usually were "picked" to go with us when we traveled, etc and lately they just sit in the corner of her room. I was just curious what the experience was for others.

 

[olwyngdh]

My daughter packed hers up at 13. They weren't really played with for about a yr before that and are now put away to pass on to her own kids.

 

[RangerPooh]

For our oldest 12-13, our younger daughter about 11. Sadly our oldest who is now 15 just packed them away into a tote . While stopped paying with them years ago, on occasion she would stage them for the season. It was an outlet for creativity for her. Last year some of her girlfriends made fun of her for still having them out, so that was the decline of her AG dolls.

 

[sailorstitch]

I'm not a parent, but I do collect AG dolls. I'm active in the collecting community and questions like this get asked a lot. The answer varies by child. Some out grow them when their friends tell them that they're "too old" for dolls. Some never out grow them. She is at the age where she might enjoy being more creative with her dolls. There doll photography, stop motion videos or learning to sew clothes for them. If she might be interested in these please check out https://agplaythings.proboards.com/

 

[lanejudy]

I think if she had more people to play with (she is an only child, and no neighbors her age) she might have more interest

Haha - and I had the opposite thought!
DD is an only child without neighbors her age, so I was thinking she has kept them around for so long because nobody else "knows." She's 15. She doesn't "play" with them as much but she still loves to buy things for them - a new outfit or accessory set now and then - and sort of stage them for an activity. They recently moved from "school" (sitting at a desk) to "summer vacation" (in swim suits beside a pool she made).

 

[Kittyblue]

Around 10 is when it ended for my youngest. She has a younger friend and would occasionally take them out to play with the dolls and accessories only with her when she was 11. Now at almost 12 shes over it. I put them away for grandkids.

 

[Donaldswife]

About 12 for my girl. She is 18 now.

 

[AussieFan8]

AG dolls were my daughter's favorite toys until about age 12 when some friends made fun of her for having them out. That's when they got packed away. She mentioned recently that she would love to get them out and just dress them or whatever (she's 18 now). We have tons of accessories as that's all she asked for for Christmas and birthday presents for years. I think she put them away before she was really ready. She's an only child and I think that fostered a bit of an attachment to them.

I wish she would still buy an occasional accessory! I miss going in the AG store but she won't set foot in there.

 

[1GoldenSun]

Just in time for us to still be able to afford to send her to college. Those girls are expensive.

 

[chattadisser]

My youngest is 11 and still plays with them. She recently has gotten into doing stop motion with them. My oldest stopped playing with them when she was about 10. Youngest DD is pretty strong in that she doesn‘t care who knows about them but I do dread the day that her interest will start to fade. I’ll encourage her interest as long as possible!

 

[mom2rtk]

Probably around 10/11.

 

[pxidst119]

9-10. But from 4-8 they loved them and played with them so much everyday. I have 3 girls with 5 years between the oldest and youngest. They played with them together and with friends. I have such great memories of all the fun they had with those dolls that they took everywhere.

 

[Summer2018]

Upon graduating 6th grade and entering middle school. All the dolls got put away in plastic bins so that she could one day give them to her daughter. I have them stacked up on a shelf in my closet.

 

[csmith1004]

My DD is 13 and still loves her AG dolls. In fact, she just picked out the doll she wants Nana to buy her for Christmas this year. But, I will say, my kids are homeschooled and therefore not as influenced by peer pressure so they are ‘young for their age’.

 

[tink89]

dd is 12 and also an only child. She probably stopped playing with her AG doll around the age of 10. She still had a few items in a box which she said she didn't use and asked if we could donate somewhere. She has never been super into dolls or barbies. She stopped asking for barbies probably at age of 8. AG dolls i think she liked the aspect of getting a doll that looks like her. But she has always been much more into her art and soccer.

If she still wants it in her room as a collection, then just leave it. DD has many toys from when she was younger that she will not get rid of. She also could care less if anyone thinks they are for younger kids. She is not one that is influenced easily plus she has a great group of friends.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

My DD just turned 10 and she never showed any interest in AG dolls or asked for one until a few months ago. Her friends don't have any either, so I think what interested her most was just the idea of dressing them up. She has a stuffed cat that she's had since she was an infant that she occasionally dresses up in AG style clothes/accessories but they never fit the greatest. I've held off on buying her an AG doll as they're so pricey and I really don't see her having an interest in them for long. She was never really into Barbies or dolls in general and is more into active/crafty/building types of things rather than pretend play, but I think she's a little outside the norm in that regard.

I know someone who sells homemade clothes and accessories for AG dolls at craft shows. She has said she's noticed a trend the past couple years of parents stopping by and commenting that their girls have begun losing interest in their dolls and the moms have usually said their girls were around 10-12.

 

[holden]

Around 11.

 

[lovin'fl]

Around 11. They were big into them around age 6 to 10. Then not so much after. They are twins. And one was more into them than the other (who was a big tomboy). MIL started buying them and all the gear for them when they were around 4. But they really had no interest until 6 or 7. But my niece was a year older and MIL bought same for all girls and same for all boys and went with what older SIL'S kids wanted and niece liked AGDs. And, honestly, they were not super into dolls at all. Until we moved into house where neighbor girl loved them and they became best buds. We lived there from 2005 to 2007...DDs were 6 to 8 then.

 

[sailorstitch]

My DD just turned 10 and she never showed any interest in AG dolls or asked for one until a few months ago. Her friends don't have any either, so I think what interested her most was just the idea of dressing them up. She has a stuffed cat that she's had since she was an infant that she occasionally dresses up in AG style clothes/accessories but they never fit the greatest. I've held off on buying her an AG doll as they're so pricey and I really don't see her having an interest in them for long. She was never really into Barbies or dolls in general and is more into active/crafty/building types of things rather than pretend play, but I think she's a little outside the norm in that regard.

I know someone who sells homemade clothes and accessories for AG dolls at craft shows. She has said she's noticed a trend the past couple years of parents stopping by and commenting that their girls have begun losing interest in their dolls and the moms have usually said their girls were around 10-12.

I didn't get my first AG until I was 12. I was never that into dolls either. I prefer stuffed animals. I needed to find a brand/style that was right for me. I liked AG because the dolls were kids. A friend. They weren't babies. I didn't like playing mommy. And they weren't adults like Barbie.

Try talking to your daughter. Ask her which doll she wants and why. Why does that doll speak to her? Why does she prefer AG over another brand? If you still don't want to invest that much in a doll, check eBay.

 

[superme80]

I didn't get my first AG until I was 12. I was never that into dolls either. I prefer stuffed animals. I needed to find a brand/style that was right for me. I liked AG because the dolls were kids. A friend. They weren't babies. I didn't like playing mommy. And they weren't adults like Barbie.

Try talking to your daughter. Ask her which doll she wants and why. Why does that doll speak to her? Why does she prefer AG over another brand? If you still don't want to invest that much in a doll, check eBay.

I didn't get mine until I was 12 too. I wish I had the space to display my doll. I probably played with her the first year I had her. then I stopped around 13. I did continue to dress her up for seasons until I was about 15.