Which American Girl Doll to Get?

[Marshay]

I know - I am waaay late chiming in, since you already purchased.

But I always recommend Kit as a first doll... She seems to have the best survival rate of the younger girls. LOL Otherwise any of the MyAGs with shorter/easier to manage hair.

It is also VERy important that you use a wig brush (not necessarily AG - but those are the easiet to get since you are already there). And it is also very important that the AG brush never touch human hair - the oils in human hair wreck the doll wigs. The Ag hair should be misted every time you brush it, so it is slightly damp... And be very careful never to get water in their eyes - they will rust.

The recommended age for the 18" dolls is 8 y/o... however, my girls started when they were 5 & 6, it just depends on how responsible they are and if they can take care of the doll, it was a great age for me to teach them about having expensive things and being responsible/caring for things of value. Between my girls and I, we have 18 dolls and many full collections (if you'd like to see our collection album, it's here: https://picasaweb.google.com/AGmom2AlliTori2 )

There are also a few great message boards out there, which have some amazing information on the care of, restoration of, and sale/retirement information... Links to those - You may have to register to see everything:

http://theagdollhouse.proboards.com/index.cgi

http://www.agplaythings.com/

I also wanted to add, that we tried the Our Generation dolls from Target, back in the day, and their quality was severely lacking... the heads popped off with in a week, and I could never get them to stay on again. They were donated to Goodwill with in months. Their clothes and furniture accessories are MUCH better quality - and we have enjoyed a number of those items - I agree that the shoes leave a lot to be desired and don't fit the AGs.

My oldest dd stopped playing with her dolls just in this last year, she is 13. However, she still has a great respect and knowledge of them, and enjoys displaying their items.

My youngest dd still displays and dresses her dolls - but really doesn't do much playing. She is 12. She also still has a small AG wishlist for Christmas this year. She is more into AG then my oldest dd was, and she saved and paid for a few of her own dolls (Kanani and Lanie)

I started my girls out with the Dolls of Today - which then became Just Like You and now they are called My AG. Only because, if anything happened to them (and they were young when we started) they were easily replaceable. We didn't get into the Limited Edition dolls until 2007 with Nicki... and even to this day, my oldest dd is very particular about her Nicki and won't let anyone care for her, except for me.

I wouldn't do a LE doll as a first doll, and that is my personal preference... LE dolls tend to hold their value - and even substantially go up in value as time goes on, so my girls tend to look at their LEs from a collector standpoint and not as a play doll. If you don't care if the LE holds it's value - then it really doesn't matter if it is used for play or display.

The Historical dolls tend to offer more of a learning experience, and are really a fun way to go. Since they are the backbone of the original Pleasant Company - they really are what AG is all about. The modern line was just an after thought of Mattel.

No matter what you decide - the dolls are a good wholesome way to introduce your dd to a form of play that's still unaffected (mostly) by modern toys, games and electronics.

Sorry to get carried away... I was just trying to post a lot of information in a short amount of time. It looks like everyone gave you a ton of really great information already, so anything I've added was strictly my own opinion.

First -- THANK YOU so much for chiming in! It seems you have some wonderful words of wisdom here and I will remember.

I love your photos -- I just went and looked at a few and wow! How fun!

I do have a {silly} question for you -- where/how do you store the dolls and the larger pieces of furniture? Did you rotate through and put some in storage and some you play with now?

THanks for the comments on the wig brush, misting and not getting water in their eyes.

I do like the idea of doing a historical doll as an education, tool, too.

Another question -- does AG add books, particularly, or new furniture and clothes to the historical dolls each year? Or is their collection the same year to year until they are retired?

Also, will AG add a new historical doll as they retire old ones??

 

[Marshay]

No matter what - I hope that every child gets the joy of having their own AG... I reflect a lot on the years that my girls enjoyed their dolls - and I've come to the conclusion that it allowed me to bond with them at a time when girls are growing away from their parents, and it gave us something in common - to this day - even though my girls are mostly past that age - we still like to sit on the couch and look at the catalogs and reflect on what a special time that was for us. There is nothing more special, as a mom, to grab a doll and brush with your dd and sit there brushing their hair and chatting about all the wonderful things in their lives. I hope that each of you enjoy these moments and commit them to memory - because it just goes so fast.

D~ <---Can you tell that my girls are growing waaaay too fast?

Wow -- I wanted to respond to this separately, b/c you just opened my eyes to a totally new perspective!

I was thinking that the AG dolls are "just another toy" and an expensive one at that!! But I do like the way you have talked about bonding with your daughter and playing with her, in addition to getting my daughter excited about learning about a past decade or so.

Thanks also for telling the upper age (average I know) but that was what I was thinking too.

I remember wanting the Barbie Doll yellow Motorhome for years and when my parents finally got it for me, I was 12 yo and really didn't get much use out of it. On a side note, my 6yo is getting it for Xmas this year!! I can't wait!

Based on your post and PP, I'm pretty sure we will start the AG collection for her 7th birthday. This still gives me 6-7 more months to make sure that she really still has an interest. We'll go to our local (Tysons Corner) store and check them out and see the dolls, etc. Sort of build up the excitement.

I do like thinking of this as a mommy/daughter experience -- something special and unique...not just another toy that will end up being sold at a consignment sale!

Thanks everyone!!

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

My daughter has Kit, Kanani, Molly, Samantha, Nellie, and Lanie. Out of all of them Kit is her favorite and I highly recommend her for the younger bunch b/c her hair is so easy to take care of. Kanani's is insane, she's a beautiful doll (one of my favorites, I love her story and culture) but she has SO much hair. I finally sat down the other say and brushed their hair back and styled it the way it was when she got them LoL. And out of all of these dolls Kit it is my daughter's favorite, followed by Molly.

The dresses/accessories are not for just one specific doll, but it goes with their stories and era. Good Luck!!! And don't forget to check out consignment shops for AG accessories and what not. I got DD Nellie (who retails for close to $200 on ebay) for $60, she was in excellent condition and Kit's desk (like $80 from AG) for $30. I always find some clothes too at my shop usually between $8-$12 depending on the accessories and things.

 

[jmac323]

Thanks for this posting! I was trying to decide which to get for my 5 1/2yo for Xmas. She has one bitty baby that her little sister plays with mostly. When we got the AG magazine DD1 said she wanted Kanani and one that looks like her. I didn't really see one that was exactly like her or even close for that matter lol. So I was going to get Kanani. Then she said she wanted the twins so she could get the double stroller and the bed. The accessories is all she talked about. This weekend she went back to Kanani so i went ahead and ordered the set with some of her accesories and I'm soexcited for her to see them under the tree at xmas. Her first "big girl" doll. She can't put the magazine down now and has already picked out 2 more she likes.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

My how things change!! I didn't recognize any of these names so I decided to look them up. I do love Kanani!!

I had Samantha (she was my favorite, went everywhere with me), Molly, Felicity, Kirsten, Addy and a Bitty Baby. It looks like only Molly has survived

 

[summerrluvv]

Thanks for this posting! I was trying to decide which to get for my 5 1/2yo for Xmas. She has one bitty baby that her little sister plays with mostly. When we got the AG magazine DD1 said she wanted Kanani and one that looks like her. I didn't really see one that was exactly like her or even close for that matter lol. So I was going to get Kanani. Then she said she wanted the twins so she could get the double stroller and the bed. The accessories is all she talked about. This weekend she went back to Kanani so i went ahead and ordered the set with some of her accesories and I'm soexcited for her to see them under the tree at xmas. Her first "big girl" doll. She can't put the magazine down now and has already picked out 2 more she likes.

We have the double stroller.....got it for her birthday and it's her favorite! Highly rec. it! Folds nice and flat for storage

 

[jmac323]

oooh good info on the stroller. Her birthday is in March so I'll have to check that out.