Our Generation Dolls (Target) vs. AG Dolls

[littlele]

I think investing in the quality of an AG doll is worth it, and if for some reason the dolls hair, etc gets messed up-you can always send her to the doll hospital to fix her up (and she then returns in a hospital gown with other extras) I've always thought Kit's hair and some of the straight haired dolls were much easier to care for than the others. DD has 13 of them now, and the straight haired ones look just like they did right out of the box after much play.

 

[jacksmom]

For a younger child, Bitty Baby (AG) might be a good option! She has no hair! (painted on) My 3 yo has one and plays with it some! She actually prefers her Princess dolls though! She has not really destroyed any of her Dolls hair, but some of her Barbies are looking kind of bad! She doesn't seem to notice though! I am thinking about getting her Fancy Nancy (from Target) for Christmas! Or maybe the Madome Alexander doll from Walmart! Any feedback on either of these???

 

[kittycatalina65]

How do you go about doing this? I'd love to have a new box for the Felicity I have to keep her safe fow now.

You have to call the catalog, you can't do it online. When I last ordered a box it was earlier this year. They sell the box and lid separately, make sure to tell them what kind of doll it is, the Historical and JLY dolls have different lids.
Just tell them the coupon code when you call for free shipping.
I made my niece a custom doll from a $15 fixer upper doll. They don't have any dolls with shorter curly hair so I bought a new wig. With the AG box she looked pretty sharp

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I think investing in the quality of an AG doll is worth it, and if for some reason the dolls hair, etc gets messed up-you can always send her to the doll hospital to fix her up (and she then returns in a hospital gown with other extras) I've always thought Kit's hair and some of the straight haired dolls were much easier to care for than the others. DD has 13 of them now, and the straight haired ones look just like they did right out of the box after much play.

If I found an AG doll on craigslist could I send her to the doll hospital to get fixed up? and how much does it cost?

I ordered DD the one from Target, I figured Id see how she does. Her birthday is a month after Christmas, so I'll keep an eye on her and the doll and see how it goes and if she enjoys it/takes care of it, maybe I will get her an AG doll for her birthday.

 

[kittycatalina65]

If I found an AG doll on craigslist could I send her to the doll hospital to get fixed up? and how much does it cost?

Yes you could send it in to the hospital. How much it costs depends on what she needs. Worst case scenario, it is $39 for a new head. If she is stained, stinky, or loose, these are things you can fix her without sending her in. If the eyes are in good shape, but her hair is a mess it would be cheaper to get a new wig yourself.
A great resource for fixing up dolls is: http://www.justmagicdolls.com/articles/article_index.htm

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Yes you could send it in to the hospital. How much it costs depends on what she needs. Worst case scenario, it is $39 for a new head. If she is stained, stinky, or loose, these are things you can fix her without sending her in. If the eyes are in good shape, but her hair is a mess it would be cheaper to get a new wig yourself.
A great resource for fixing up dolls is: http://www.justmagicdolls.com/articles/article_index.htm

Thank you!
I am looking on ebay right now and finding many for $30 (well, bidding may go up before the auction ends) but I was wondering how to clean them. Also someone mentioned shampooing the hair. I am going to look at the site you sent! Thanks!

 

[travelgirl06]

With a young girl, I would avoid the curly-haired AGs, the hair gets pretty beat up with continuous play. I got Samantha as a child and her hair was entirely straight (and pretty matted) within a few years, in contrast, my straight-haired dolls (Felicity & Josephina) both still have nice hair. As an adult, and recently got Nicki as a collector's doll. She sits on a shelf, and her curls are in good shape, but with brushing/play, I think they could quickly become a bit of a mess.

If your DD can appreciate the AG doll and treat it with respect, I think it is a wise investment. If she's just looking to play with any doll, I would stick to the Target dolls for awhile. When I got my first AG (which my mom made me save up for - best lesson in saving I ever had) the rule was that if my mom ever found them without clothes or with their hair sticking up they were going back - you can bet those dolls were well cared for, and I'm hoping to pass them down to my own daughters someday.

 

[DVCBELLE]

For those of you cleaning your dolls - my DD told me that at American Girl Place they told her to be careful to not get their eyes wet b/c they could rust and ruin them. So when washing her hair be sure to hold her upside down so the water does not run into her eyes.

 

[QVCshopper]

My DD is turning 5 and getting Chrissa for XMas. She already has the Bitty Baby and Twins, and both are in great shape. She takes nice care of them.

Check out QVC on 10/25. They should have Kit in a package deal, if you're interested. That's where I got Chrissa as a TSV. I also picked up Julie for next year.

 

[kittycatalina65]

For those of you cleaning your dolls - my DD told me that at American Girl Place they told her to be careful to not get their eyes wet b/c they could rust and ruin them. So when washing her hair be sure to hold her upside down so the water does not run into her eyes.

Yep, good point. Tape a cotton ball over each eye and be careful!

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

The OG dolls would be great to see how your child plays with the 18" dolls. I found them OK but the clothing didn't fit AG dolls very well. The shoes especially didn't fit.

A wire wig brush is a must; either get one from AG or go to your local beauty supply store. Even a wire dog brush will work. Misting the hair with water helps & a toothbrush works well for smoothing the hair out.

I even wonder if a wire wig brush would help Barbie dolls from having bad hair days.

AG recommends the 18" dolls for 8 year old & up girls. The younger ones are the perfect age for bitty babies. They're pretty sturdy too, unless you buy the twins; they have wigs & the bitty babies don't.

Good luck making your decisions OP.

 

[NMW]

My DD has been playing with AG dolls since she was 4. She really plays with them, pretty much on a daily basis. They are all still in fantastic shape. The wig brushes work really well. She is 7 now and styles their hair constantly-I can't imagine the Target dolls holding up to that kind of play.

All of my DD's dolls have straight hair, except for Molly. We don't have Nicki. I would say the easiest hair to take care of is straight and fairly short. For example, Kit, Nelli, Chrissa, Emily, and one of her non-historical dolls have hair that always looks good. A quick swip of the wig brush and they look as good as the day we got them.

DD has Felicity and Elizabeth which both have very long straight hair. When my DD was younger I used to have to sit and brush their hair out for her and I would keep both dolls in low ponytails (like the way they come) so it was easier to play with the dolls.

As a side note, I highly reccomend the DVD movies in conjunction with the dolls. When my DD was 5 and 6 years old she would sit for hours on a Saturday on my bed with either the Samantha or the Felicity DVD and play with her dolls while watching the movies. She would spread all of their clothing out and change their outfits as they did in the movie. It was the perfect thing on a winter day to keep her occupied. She now has a DVD player in her room, and this past (very raininy) weekend she was in there doing the same thing with Chrissa, her clothing, and the DVD.