Comments on: Why I’m Glad I Never Got My American Girl Doll

By: yobert

yobert — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:48:23 +0000

don’t say that you can’t do the hair, because you can. on the first day i got my molly doll, i took off the braids and just redid them.

By: laura

laura — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:14:46 +0000

Just FYI….DO NOT BUY A KIRSTEN DOLL!!!!! We bought our two girls AG dolls telling them they would be the most expensive toys they would EVER have, but beleived it was worth it because of the educational factor, plus we wanted them to just have a durable “nice” doll that would stand up to play and hair styling. Sam has been great, but Kirsten…? She belongs to my OLDER daughter who cared for her with such love. Her wig is so cheap that it frizzed and started shedding within a week of purchase. I’m rippin mad at AG for advertizing this doll to have “stylable” hair. When I called customer service they said I could send her to the “doll hospital” which would cost me at least $40 to have her hair fixed, or I could get a new Kirsten (same crappy hair) or exchange her for another doll. My daughter has some accessories to go with Kirsten and all the books to boot. She wants KIRSTEN. We’ve been had folks and I want to spread the word. AG needs to stop making these dolls with such poor quality hair or at least advertise the fact that you CAN’T take her hair out of the original style. They are dishonest in my opinion. And yet they rave about being customer friendy and “satisfaction guaranteed” is simply a lie.

By: Other mother

Other mother — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:33:05 +0000

Amen to “Mom”. First of all, I thought the story was awful and I am thrilled to hear it is not true and still pray it isn’t true! I used to shudder in horror over the prices people pay for these dolls. “How crazy are they?” I say. Just some rich spoiled kids. Well my kid, and I-I must add, have become one of them. Spoiled maybe, but not rich. I absolutely love the idea of these dolls based on history. I’m not as big on the “Just Like Me” dolls. I do however, like the newer dolls who have stories about pride and determination in this day and age. The fact that a teacher created the original dolls to get kids more interested in history is wonderful. AND they get kids in to reading more, and more! And it’s about things they need to know happened and were real situations.

I took my daughter to a newly opened store not too far from here the week before Christmas. It was a wonderful experience (except for driving in Dallas and around the Galleria)! The people were so friendly and helpful. There was no pressure to buy a thing (other than the wonderful displays). The workers regularly stopped by and asked if we were having fun and chatted with my kid. They were prompt to answer any questions and quick to find things out if they couldn’t help us.

My daughter picked out Josephina for Christmas. Her father gave us money and my mom and I pitched in as well for her to pick out a few things and eat at the Bistro there. I have since purchased (used) Samantha and Kaya plus TONS of outfits and accessories that came with one of the dolls. I just love these dolls! And I was not a kid who liked dolls nor has my child been until recently.

There are many sellers out there who offer adorable clothes for reasonable prices. Beware though some aren’t so great. I have found one seller who makes the most magnificent items. You can also buy any other stuff that fits an 18″ doll. I personally bought myself a sewing machine and decided I was going to start making some things myself. I will admit we have gotten too much too quickly and need to take it easy. However, it has become something that brings my daughter and I closer because we both love them! She has been informed that the other two are mine and she “gets” to play with them. FOOEY! on not playing with them because of their cost. I will admit I was a bit distraught over my daughter taking Josephina’s hair down but I got over it quickly. I also found a great website on doll hair care that made everything much better! That is our venture for the day (other than cleaning).

All in all, the dolls are great and the good will and lessons they teach are good (as long as they stay positive). Yes, I think they have gotten a bit expensive for the extra items. However, they are VERY well made AND hold some value–thus they can be sold later for a return on some money. Loads of fun for the children, which is priceless, and a monetary return for the parent or for the child once they get older.

By: Mom

Mom — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:23:23 +0000

That story of the little girl being ‘dissed’ has been outed as fake. Having gone to AG Place numerous times, I have never seen anyone speak to children in anything but a syrupy sweet voice, they are always there to assist you with anything.

As far as AG, what makes you think ANY other toy company is so great? With all of the safety recalls now, it shows they have ABSOLUTELY no concern for our childrens safety with their cost cutting and shady business practices. How many other companies manufacture toys that work/play better with new additions? A TON! You buy as much AG stuff as you want, no one is holding a gun to your head to buy more. Also, after you buy the better made dolls, you are free to buy the generic clothes that also fit.

What’s wrong with the generic dolls is quality. Our daughter went through many knock offs before she got a real AG…which she has had now for years and it takes daily abuse. The fact that some don’t play with such a nice and expensive doll is THEIR issue, it was purchased as a toy and will be treated as such.

Show me a toy company that is honest and pure, not materialistic and I’ll show you the closet they are hiding their skeletons in. YOU have ultimate influence over your child, not a toy company.

By: English Major

English Major — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:35:34 +0000

You can rest a little easier–American Girl, which used to be an independent company, was bought out by a major chain pretty recently, so the company that was so unkind to this child is not the company that got your parents’ money (and mine!) when we were kids.

I, too, had a Samantha doll, and my parents and aunts & uncles used to buy me accessories for her for holiday presents. I accumulated quite a collection. When I outgrew the whole doll thing (maybe I was 11 or 12?), I gave the whole collection to my little sister, who–still!–says this is the best gift I ever gave her. I have really fond memories of playing with those dolls.

I don’t know if I’d buy one for my prospective daughter, though–it seems like, with the company changing hands, the focus has changed from a genuine interest in educational fun to a mini-materialist’s dream.

Love the new design!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 02:23:50 +0000

The article is heartbreaking. Like most everything else on the internet, I have no way to verify its authenticity, but I’m inclined to believe it anyways.

By: Barb

Barb — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:05:04 +0000

I’ve always enjoyed this company, had a lot of the books as a kid, which I just gave away.

I always wanted the dolls but never got one, which is good since I never really played with dolls in general. I am in love with the website’s games though.

I hope the article isn’t true but I feel compelled to read it.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 03:16:40 +0000

Flexo,
You should try and track down a catalog so that you can experience the consumeristic horror! It’s something that the website simply cannot capture.

On a side note, my Cabbage Patch doll survived, and was just passed down to my niece.

By: Flexo

Flexo — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:12:52 +0000

My coworkers with kids (daughters) talk about how their kids love these American Girl dolls… one family even when to some kind of American Girl show…. I had never even heard of these things before then. But what do I know, I’m a guy.

When I was growing up, Cabbage Patch Kids were everywhere.