American Girl Dolls - Fort Worth,TX

Wow I hope she wouldn't get teased at such a young age! That kind of thing usually happens in middle school (and I live in a pretty upscale community.)
My youngest daughter has two, Emily and Kaya, they were both "major" Christmas gifts, meaning that was the biggie from Santa. She loves them, and has played with them (only with friends) from about age 7 to 10. I never got into buying all the outfits, furniture, accessories, etc. I think that's where they really take your $. My husband, who is NOT normally a handy kind of guy, actually built the dolls a bunk bed when she was begging for the one from the catalog (after he saw the cost!) and I made VERY simple bedding, out of fabric remnants.
On the upside, they are beautiful, well made dolls, and if they are taken care of, they will be passed on to the next generation. And I must admit, when we took a trip to NYC a few years back, having tea with my daughter and "Emily" at American Girl Place was the absolute best! For $15 we even got her hair done in the doll salon and it was beyond precious.

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My SIL got her the real doll but the Target accessories (off the top of my head I think the knock off version is called My Generation or something like that).

On another note, I think she is old enough to be able to decide if she would rather get 1 American Doll, or 4 barbies (just an example a I really have no idea of how much any of these things cost).

GL - after the doll phase, it may be $200 jeans that she wants!

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Okay, I have an 8 year old girl.
Since she was 6 she's asked for that Doll.
It is too expensive.
AND I also know my girl, everyday she changes her mind, about what she wants. Sometimes she likes that doll, other days she could care less.
So to me, that is not reason, to buy a $100 doll!
I will never buy, a $100 doll.
I wouldn't even buy that for myself!

I do NOT care, if it is "in" or not. Or if her friends has one or not. Or if she has an 'imitation' AG doll.
My Daughter also knows, that she does not have to have, everything that other kids have. SHE has her OWN tastes. She is her own person.
She will actually say, "I don't care if other girls has that. I don't like it myself. I like other things. That is me."

My Daughter, has never wanted the AG doll, BAD.
Just in passing.
I know that.

And, as for other kids 'ridiculing' a kid for having something 'different' than what is 'in', so what.
Those values they have, are not even worth, entertaining.
Nor will my kids, entertain them and their ideas.
IF a kid, tells my kids something about a toy and "I have one and you don't" kind of teasing... they do.not.care.
They know, they don't have to go according to what other kids say.

all the best,
Susan

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My 8yo daughter loves her AG Doll and plays with them everyday. So from that perspective it is a good buy. She has also read all the book sets for each doll and is now reading the mysteries. They are actually really cute books and they also learn about history from the book. I would not have spent that much money for those dolls but luckily my MIL was happy to buy it for her. She also plays with the dolls with her girl friends. Knowing how much she enjoys playing with the doll I would buy it for her. My older daughter however had a few and probably did not get her money worth out of it. My MIL purchased them too.
I have never bought AG doll clothes. I shop on-line and get great outfits in the $10 - $15 range.

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If you can afford it, I'd buy the real doll and then go to Target or etsy for accessories and outfits. From what I've seen with my friends' daughters, the fake dolls are seen as fakes... not the real thing. I'm not sure if your daughter would be ridiculed, but everyone would know (and say) that it's not a real one.

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Our family is on a tight budget. When our daughter was about 5 1/2, she started showing interest in having an AG doll. I explained to her that we could not afford one, but that if it was really something that she wanted, she could save for it. She did just that! For about a year and a half, she asked for $ for b'days and Christmas and she looked for ways to earn extra money. Her big brothers and dad were so impressed that they also pitched in here and there. It was such a special moment when we went to the AG Doll Store! Simply magical! She is now almost 8 and that doll gets extra care and attention, I think in part because she has real ownership!

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My neice loved hers and she only stopped playing with it this year around 10 ... so 100 for something she will get 3-4 yrs of play sounds worth it to me.

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When my now 16 year old daughter was about 5 she was into the large dolls for a bit, and I was willing to buy an AG doll..spendy but I would have done it. But she HATED them..they have these teeth showing that she disliked so so much! Some of her little pals teased a bit for having a fake (she chose one at Target form their line..and named it Susie, after her lovely Kindergarten teacher..even wrote the teacher a nice poem at the end of a year...the early times of my unique, one of a kind artist/writer daughter!). She didn't care about the teasing and stood up for her own decision. Man did she hate those weird teeth n the AG dolls! LOL!!!

But my nieces have them (3 girls, 2 families). My daughter donated much of her clothes to them (many of it made lovingly by my mother who passed away 3 years ago...knit hats and shawls, dresses and petticoats...loads of things). They take care of them like you wouldn't believe. The girls are now 7, 10 and 11 and have had them since Christmas 2009.

Both of the families chose the doll they did mostly for the characteristics of the doll..they all have a story that goes with them. One neice..the youngest who was just 5.5 when she got hers...had major issues with bravery and confidence. So she got "Emily" whose storyline is about being brave. All of the parents like the AG dolls because of the morals they encourage and stories they tell and use that information with their girls. Its a nice base for such things. They also have some nice books to use for other things (I LOVE LOVE the "Care and keeping of you" book and used that with my own daughter years ago..all about body odor, cycles, shaving, pimples, teasing, etc..in a very simple format to start some conversations...)

Like someone else said, I would hope teasing would not come into the decision-making. At this age the brand of the doll shouldn't matter.

The AG dolls are expensive but if she truly will play with it and return to it it may be worthwhile unless your budget is very tight. Do look for used ones in good condition. My daughter was given her first one by a teacher whose adult daughter had had the doll years before. This also could be a good "combination gift" chipped in for by several relatives if they are seeking a special birthday or Christmas gift to give her -- at $25 each it's less painful than if you ask them to buy her a $100 gift.

Do be aware that AG is busily discontinuing the historic line of dolls based on its book characters, so if you buy one, find out if it is being discontinued. That may not matter to your daugher or you, but it's worth knowing just because all of that doll's clothes and accessories will also disappear. But the truth is you can find lots of clothes at craft stores etc. for this size doll. A local toy store here (not a chain) does gorgeous handmade and cheaper than AG versions of clothes for these dolls.

Don't let the doll alone become the main thing. If she isn't already into the books, get her into them! They are good introductions to history as well as to social issues girls of the past and today encounter.

We first bought my daughter a Madame Alexander doll that looks like AG. We got it walmart, and bought her a bunch of outfits to go with it. That was a year and a half ago, and after seeing how much she loved her doll, and played with it, we bought her an AG.

I have to agree with the poster about the hair. AG dolls can have their hair fixed, and brushed over and over, and it doesn't get all gnarly. The Madame Alexander Doll - we just have to keep it in a pony tail because you can't even brush it. It tangled and frizzed immediately. And my daughter is ALL about fixing the hair, so for her, the AG was definitely a worthwhile expense. But again, it was after I had seen that it was going to be a good investment and that she would play with it a lot. She now carries both dolls pretty much wherever she goes.

I got Molly for my birthday when I was a kid. It ended up being a waste of money because I didn't like dolls much and was kind of afraid of them after accidentally seeing part of "Child's Play 2" when I was five. I also didn't like Teddy bears and ironically there's one with my nickname sewn into the dress sitting on my mom's loveseat.

If you think she'll actually use the doll go for it, although I might use Ebay. I can't see kids that age teasing her for that. With kids it's really more about how cool the toy is than the price.

I wish I had thought of the American Girl Doll, I would be rich. I have 4 Nieces and they all have American Girl dolls. Though the nieces that are my husbands brothers daughters are a bit weird because I think that they manipulate my husbands parents into buying them for them. That is another story and a whole other issue. I think it is way too much money for any girl. I would ask her if she wants an American Girl doll, which would be her only present, or a bunch of other little gifts. That way she makes the decision, and you don't have to shell out that much money for one big item. I would save that as a Santa gift.

Look on Craigslist.org. When my oldest daughter outgrew her American Girl dolls, we sold them through Craigslist. It's a good deal on both ends . . . we get back a portion of our investment, and on the flip side a little girl is happy and mom/dad didn't go broke buying it!

A young girl I used to babysit for has about 12 AG dolls. Her mom and aunt bought her a couple, and she saved up her own money to get the others over several years time. She loves them. She loves the stories that go with each. Shes been to NY to the AG store, shes been to the one in LA now too. Its a major thing in her life. But she doesnt necessarily "play" with them. She displays them in her room, and changes their clothes from time to time. I sew and have made her co-ordinating outfits for each, and all jammies and night gowns so they can dress like a slumber party. I made fancy dresses for each, and summer outfits and swim suits for each. I had fun doing that, but I myself think the dolls are way too over priced and not that cute. Ive seen beautiful 18 inch dolls from Kmart, toys R Us, and Target. The body is the same and the faces are prettier. When this girl was about 10 I special ordered from a craftsman to build her a trundle bed and wardrobe for her dolls and all their clothes. She loved it,,but, shes 16 now, and growing out of that stage even tho she still loves them. They are more a collector thing for her now and she has secretely told me that in a year or so when my grand daughter is old enough to apprieciate it, she plans to give her a couple dolls, some clothes and the furniture. As for other young girls who swear they cant live without an AG doll, I have seen them tossed in the closet and being stepped all over on the floor of the car and not cared for anymore than a cheaper doll. I wouldnt pay that $100 for one but Id take the girl shopping to see others and let her pick out one with a sweet smile and save the money for other stuff. I do think the outfits are a reasonable price when you see what all you get with them. I can make the pants and tops and sweater but cant make the skis, ski boots, and goggles. its all the little stuff that I think is cute and makes paying $30 for the outfit worth it. I still get the catalogs and enjoy seeing them, but I sure wont buy the doll myself unless the girl is mature enough and really is interested in the story behind each and wont get tired of it in 6 months

my 6yo mentioned once that she wanted one because her cousin had one, but i know my daughter and she really wouldn't play with it enough.

I had a mom friend that raved and raved about getting on on ebay and how taht was the way to go until her SIL insisted the neice get a real one and so Grandma bought real ones for my friends girl and the cousin, Now she talks about how awful the ebay one was, Sounds like she is talking out both sides of her mouth to me, but she said the hair on the used one looked used. and i'm sure by now the new one looks that way too.

Both my girls have the Target version and are completely happy with them!!

I used to think the AG dolls were ripoffs but now my stepdaughter has 5 and I have to say they are very good quality. You can brush and style their hair and it doesn't get knotty. If it does, you can send them in for repairs. The quality and attention to detail they put into their accessories is not matched anywhere else. I wish they had AG dolls when I was young!

My stepdaughter received her first when she was 6 and she didn't take good care of it because she didn't understand its value. That's why the recommended age is at least 7. Poor dolly had to have some repairs.

Now she understands their value and she take very good care of them. She plays with them daily and we have a combination of real AG accessories and knockoff plus things we made.

The thing about AG is the stories that come with each doll. There are books and activities you can buy as well. The historic dolls really do teach about history, my SD has the movies and she loves them! They are definitely a collectable thing, and my SD is currently saving all her money to buy another doll.

I think it depends on the child whether you go with real or fake. It's not the "brand name" as much as all the time and effort the AG company has put into giving each doll a story, accessories from that time period, and the quality which is superb. My SD doesn't want "brown haired 18" doll" she wants "Molly" because Molly has a story.

She also has a "Just Like You" AG doll that looks just like her and she loves that too.

If your daughter wants a specific AG doll because of the story and history attached or wants to pick out a doll that looks just like her AND she can understand that this is an expensive doll that needs to be treated with love and care then absolutely your $100 will be worth it. Or buy used.

If your daughter wants an 18" doll because all her friends have one and she doesn't take good care of her toys then I would buy the Target "Our Generation" fake version.

We are very frugal with our money, but I find myself getting down with my SD to play AG dolls! I love brushing and styling their hair and changing their clothes. Like others have said, the quality is worth it.

OMG I'm glad I have boys!!!!! My nieces have suddenly become smitten with these things, and they are expensive. One got the "fake" one, but ended up getting a real one later on. They asked for all the stuff for Christmas. I bought them whatever I could get them, on the amount I was spending on them, but it wasn't much.

I apologize, I haven't read the responses below. I was in the same dilema for my daughters 6th birthday and was debating between the Target "Our Generation" doll for $20, or the American Girl for $100. All she wanted was an AG doll as all of her friends has the real, and we looked at the Our Generation and they have only a coulple to choose from and I really wanted one that looks like her. We then went to the AG store, and I found Kinani - who is a spitting image of my daughter - we spent the money and it was well worth it!! The hair itself is worth the money!! Kinani has the longest hair of all AG dolls and when it gets tangled, wire brush and water is all it needs and it's good as new again - awesome. With that being said, I bought her the same dress the Kinani wears ($58) - which will be her only!! Wtih that being said, I have went to Target and bought the Our Generation clothes ($12 vs $34 for AG) and she's very happy with those and they fit great.

My daughter is 5 and has older friends from church (like 7 or 8) that have the real dolls. I, personally, would not shell out $100 for a doll like that for a 5 year old, so my friend got her a "fake" from Target for her birthday. She doesn't know the difference. I think it was around $20-$30 for the doll and book. Much more reasonable! She even used some of her birthday money to buy a trunk of clothes from Target also for around $30.

Anyway, maybe it's because I grew up with a fake Cabbage Patch doll and wasn't scarred by it, but at that age, I think the Target version is perfectly reasonable. I'm not even sure I would buy a real one when she's older, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. By the way, the other two girls she knows that have them, got them from grandparents. Their moms both told me they would never have spent that kind of money either! :-)

Good luck!

You could also try e-bay. There are a bunch of knock offs. I don't know anything about them though.

Oh I loved my Samantha doll! For probably about a year. Then she just sat in my closet. I would suggest going ebay and finding one there for cheaper.
Oh I still have all of my American Girl books. Saving them for my daughter :D Maybe she will do the same.

I haven't read any responses but I wanted to tell you that they most definitely are worth the money! I am 34 and my doll from childhood looks almost brand new! The big difference is the hair. Cheap dolls always end up with hair that gets knots, becomes different lengths, gets frizzy - I'm sure your daughter has dolls that look like that, mine do, lol.

If your daughter is specifically asking for an American Girl doll, then don't buy her a knock off. One option is eBay. You can often find used ones in great condition with lots of accessories. Another option is to have her work and save half of the cost. This will also assure you that she really wants one and is going to take care of it.

My girls are younger but in a few years I'm excited to pass down my doll to them!

I've always been pretty stingy, but I bought a couple of American Girl dolls for my daughter when she was little, when she wanted one for her birthday/Xmas gift.

They are pretty crazy expensive -- they are probably made in the same factory in China as all the other dolls -- but they are special to little girls and the love my daughter had for her doll was worth it. It broke my heart when she grew up and sold it.

BUT -- she sold it on Ebay for about 2/3 of what we paid for it, so it was definitely a good buy.

Get her the doll, and take lots of pics.

We even bought a pattern and sewed a dress for her together. It's a fond memory, and we still have the dress (somewhere).

My daughters each bought themselves an American Girl doll with money they saved from birthdays and Christmas. We lived in a small house and they had way too many toys already so I was thrilled when they decided to each buy a doll instead of getting more stuff. They loved and treasured their dolls, made clothes and quilts for them and loved the books as well. I thnk they were worth it.

I bought our daughter (coming home from Ukraine at age 3) the Bitty Baby on eBay for $10. It didn't come with clothes, but I sew and she had a cute little wardrobe by the time our daughter came home. Just last month a friend andI were at a second hand store and I seen a bunch of doll feet sticking out from the shelf, someone had brought 6 AG dolls to Goodwill! We bought them all for $8 each! My daughter is now 4 and loves the dolls, she's not attached to any one in particular but she loves them. The quality of them is great, we have one of theMadame Alexander dolls from Wal Mart and while its pretty, its shoddy too. THe hair falls out just lookin at it and the skin has a weird texture that makes it sticky. Its pretty doll, she likes it ok but again the hair is gross, we keep it in an updo all the time to avoid her going bald.

A friend of mine bought some from her babysitter who outgrew her American Girl Dolls and got a great deal on them.

Maybe you could post something on Craig's list to find someone who is looking to offload them?

I didn't read all the responses but wanted to let you know they are worth it.
I have a 9 and 3 year old. They both love the dolls, read the books and have friends over and they play with them. The 9 year old did research on the lady that started American Girl dolls. We let them save up the money to buy things to go along with the dolls and the family gives them money also. They love going to the AG store at the Galleria to look at everything. My girls also understand that they cost money and that they must take care of them. They do and will be able to pass them down to their children one day. We use the history and the theme to teach our girls about life in general. If she wants one, let her have one or make her work for it.
Good luck

My daughter has a bunch of these dolls and she still loves them. She got her first in 4th grade. She played with them pretty regularly until she hit 9th grade and just got too busy for "kid stuff". I've packed them up and they are housed in her room. She wasn't ready for them to hit the attic, though.
She loved them. They are great dolls and the quality is good.
I'd much rather spend the money on a doll than on a video game.
LBC

I have 9 year old twin girls, and I refuse to spend $100 on a doll. It just is not worth it to buy the doll and then get suckered into all of the accessories as well. My girls have mentioned them, but it's nothing that they really want. What my girls really wanted and begged me to have is Hearts for Hearts Girls. They only have 6 different dolls that are based on a real girl from somewhere around the world. www.hearts4heartsgirls.com My mom ordered the dolls from Target online for Christmas. The dolls are $27.99 each.

My daughter wanted one for her 7 yo old birthday last year and i too was liked $100!!!! So i told her she had to earn it and pay towards it with allowence.

Well a family friend went to NY and bought her one So that helped me out :) so then she wanted accessories so we sat down and discussed it. and she lets me buy them from Target instead. She can get a whole outfit shoes etc for $16!!!

The wood bed was like 40 wardrobe 50 fabric house 30 etc... so much cheaper than American Girl.

my daughters have 4 AG dolls each. THey love them though they barely play with them. they play with them when they have playdates with other little girls who have AG dolls as well. My 6 years olds would have noticed the difference BUT they won't play with them unless they're playing with others. They also have of the AG furniture and outfits. my heart bleeds every time we have gotten one but it is what it is.