American Girl Dolls...Too Expensive....Taking Advantage of Young Girls?

My daughter has one and she has one from Target. I have to say that the AG one is a much better quality and I feel like it will last longer too. We buy some of her outfits from AG and the accessories we get are from Target.

Here's a thought anyone ever question the amount of money spent on video games for boys?

Yeah they are pricey but that's life. There will always be the have an have nots. DD got one from a American Girl sale in Madison and for each birthday and Christmas she got one of Josefina's outfits from her grandma and aunt. They are special gifts and the doll is played with often.

I justify it by thinking of Legos. It's easy to buy a Lego set that's up near 80 - 100 dollars, so why can't a girl get the same extravagance?

In my former life I earned a PhD in business and worked for a Wall Street start up. From what I've experienced, ethics and American capitalism do not go together. Is a GAP t-shirt worth $22? Is the most basic rolex worth $5,000? There will always be something to separate the haves from the have nots.

I wish I had a girl because I could get all that stuff for her (read "for me!)! My mom never, ever let me get anything "cool" because it was always over-priced (hello, Calvin Klein jeans). I wish she had lightened up at least a few times so I could have felt like I fit in.

I agree they are pricey but the branding surrounding them is brilliant IMO. My 9 year old daughter loves them and has gotten hooked on historical fiction because of these dolls. The movies are also very good and educational. We don't buy the clothes or accessories from AG. I have shown my daughter how she could buy one AG outfit for say $30 or she could go else where and buy 3 outfits. Yet another lesson learned.

Hopefully the government will not get involved in setting a max price for dolls next:). This is part of the free market.

Not particularly.

Bikes are $200-$500
(kids bikes, not snazzy mountain or racing or BMX bikes that are 1500-5k)

Kites are easily $50

Heck... a BOOK is $25, buy 5 books, and that's a doll right there.

It's the same with LEGOS. Man, those things are stupid expensive. You can buy a whole cool ship or something for $99 easy and then if you lose one little piece you can't build the ship again! Ridiculous I say.
I don't think it's unethical, your daughter and all the other little girls have the right to say, I am NOT going to spend my hard earned money on something so expensive. My boys NEVER buy LEGOS, they know that it's a waste of money.
There are tons of expensive toys out there....Wii, XBox, LEGOS, American Girl, Bakugans (you can't buy just one!), and others! It's up to us as parents to guide our children into smart buying.
L.

In the end, it is up to the consumer, to buy things or not.
And the consumers, also drive up or down, the "popularity" of any item and the price points.

And it is also, parenting.
I have a daughter, she got one as a gift. When she was about 8.
I also talk to my kids about "marketing", media, commercials and what not. No one is forced, to buy something.
And when things are expensive, we discuss with my kids, about how to DISCERN, what is out there.
So they are not "victims" of marketing.
My kids are 5 and 9... and they can discern, things and costs etc.
Because, we teach/guide/educate them, about it. And we teach them... HOW TO discern... things. Concepts. And how to decide about purchases.

Why aren't you mad at Barbie for taking up a whole aisle?

Teach your DD to budget so when she grows up she understand how to do so. Show her that gently used or generic is okay.

If you don't like them, or can't afford them, don't buy them. They were just as popular when I was a kid as they are now. A few girls at my school had them, and they weren't from rich families. Each was given one for Christmas, and then each year for their Birthday or Christmas presents they got outfits or accessories.

My parents never got me one. I survived. I was actually quite used to being told, "No, sorry, but we can't afford that." I don't have any emotional scars from it.

Let your daughter choose to spend her money as she likes, as long as you are teaching her to save first before spending.

If it weren't American Girls dolls, there'd be something else - a Wii, xBox, Nintendo DS, etc. There will always be expensive items on the market. It is our jobs as parents to help our children determine the value of those goods and to help them make choices that are in line with their goals. It's hardly evil or unethical to have expensive dolls that hold up wonderfully year after year, as long as the child is a good owner.

ETA: I don't let my kids pressure me into buying them ANYTHING. My 5 yr old constantly tries to tell me, "Mom, we need to buy this yogurt, because we will win a TRIP if we get it." I then explain to him about advertising, marketing, etc., and how the job of the people who made that commercial is to get people to buy the item, but just because a commercial says it is good doesn't mean it is, and even if it IS good, it doesn't mean that we NEED it.

ETA2: Yes, the magazines were addressed to ME when I was a kid too. I still never got one of the dolls. It didn't affect my self-worth. In my family, fitting in was never been held up as something to aspire to. For all my parents' flaws, they did a GREAT job with that!

I agree with the other posters who say it's capitalism, they aren't putting pressure on me to buy things, it's their right to produce a product, price it how they want, and advertise it. I am the one responsible for teaching my daughter about labels and quality and consumerism and choice.

My 8yo DD has American Girls, and I had been reluctant to buy them because I didn't want to get sucked into all the bells and whistles that go along with it. But dolls are her primary source of entertainment, she spends hours both alone and with friends playing with them. I agree that I can find similar things cheaper, and often do. However, it has become very clear to me that you get what you pay for. I've gotten cheap accessories that have fallen apart within days, but the worst one was the camping tent from Target that literally fell apart as I put it together, snapped apart into pieces that could not be mended. She never got to play with it, and we wasted $15. I suspect that had we paid the $40 or whatever for the American Girl tent, she'd still be playing with it right now.

As for the Haves/Have Nots, we have good friends who have generic knock-offs (from Michael's I think) and they can all still play dolls together without there being pressure or weirdness. Again, us parents are responsible for teaching the values behind all the stuff, and these dolls are just another part of the topic.

I have never bought a AGD. Its not your daughter who fell into the must have , it was you. Who cares who has what, my daughters friends had them. You are the parent and I will decide what my young children will spend their money on. Sure we splurged on fun things that were in a certain price range. The value of money is what needs to be taught to chilldren. I used to give them a certain amount of money and went shopping. They had to use thier heads and math to see what they could buy and how much they would have left. Clothes shopping for school was a real fun experience for all of us. I would give them a certain amount of money and they first would go for the more expensive clothes, then would realize they would maybe only have two shirts and one pair of jeans. They then would put that back and figure out what they could get if they bought the lesser priced clothes. It was awesome.

All marketing is designed to create desire, whether or not there is a need. It's the nature of the beast. Do adults need designer clothes or luxury cars? Do they need hair dye, manicures or makeup?

I have 3 daughters; all of them wanted AG products. For my older 2, the answer was a flat "no," no matter who else had one. For my youngest, we now have the option of shopping a worldwide garage sale in the form of eBay. I will not pay more than half of retail for any AG product. If my daughter was not OK with used items, we still wouldn't own them.

Also, we buy from the historical lines, so she's also learning history. She knows things about the Depression, WWII, colonial America and Native American culture because she's read the AG books and seen the movies.

We all have a choice in what we buy (or watch or consume). Saying NO is a perfectly valid choice, even if "everyone else" has something.

They're pricey, luxury items. Then again, so are a lot of other toys. Plus, there are a lot of other things that a lot of kids seem to have that mine does not:
iPhone
iPod Touch
iPad
Ninetendo
Playstation
Wii
TV in her room
and the list goes on and on.
My daughter does not have an American Girl Doll because she is too young to appreciate it. When she's older, she will get one for a birthday or Christmas if she asks.

There will always be things that some can afford and that some can not afford (or do not choose to afford). Your daughter and her friends spend money that they receive from work or special occassions to purchase something that they consider very special. It seems like that would teach them that these are special and to appreciate them more. Yes, some kid will always have more; just like it's futile for an adult to keep up with the Jones'. As for the "haves" and "have nots," I know several people who barely live paycheck to paycheck and have debt up to their eyeballs who choose to buy luxuries such as iPhones, gaming systems, televisions, laptop computers, and American Girl dolls. Having material possessions or not having them is not a true measure of ones' financial condition, also a good lesson to learn early in life :-)

I used to think they were overpriced--until we got one! Do I think that they are worth $100? Probably not if you count the cost it takes to actually make one!

But you're also buying the story, the experience, and they are high-quality. My daughter has some knockoffs that she treats just as well as her AG dolls and they haven't held up.

The accessories are detailed and well-made. The clothes are very stylish and adorable. My daughter has a combination of AG stuff, handmade outfits and accessories, and knockoffs. The AG stuff has held up much better!

I like to build her things, she has a "Julie" bed that we made ourselves. It's similar to Julie's bed but a fraction of the price. She loves that it was handmade!

We also do the AG crafts (which are very clever) and we have a lot of the books and movies. They have been well-researched and they are very nicely done.

Yes, you pay a lot. But in this case you are really getting a good product. My daughter has 9 dolls. NINE! All gifts from grandparents and 2 are from us. She cherishes them and has an entire AG "village" in her room. Someday I hope she passes them down to her daughter.

Yes - I think it is entirely unethical to market to children. Children are naive to marketing techniques and do not have the same abilities to recognize advertising that adults do. In fact there are laws AGAINST marketing TO children - sadly they are not often enforced.

If companies wanted to market to ADULTS about how buying an American Girl doll for their children will benefit them then fair enough. Capitalism in action. Want to convince people you are the 1% with a useless overpriced doll? Knock yourself out.

But children are not an appropriate population to take advantage of. If you are interested - take a look at the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood website - commercialfreechildhood.org.

Oh - and I am disgusted by Barbie as well. Way to teach girls about healthy self image.

ETA: WOW - I honestly cannot believe that any parent feels marketing to children is a positive or in any way acceptable thing to do. Amazing.

We just broke down and bought our daughter one for her birthday. Yep, there's some pretty cunning marketing in the AG thing (website world which is accessible IF you own a doll, expensive accessories, the price of the dolls, the books...). It is definitely designed to suck kids in and make lots of luxuries seem necessary. However, as someone who did not like dolls growing up and has some real problems with the messages about boyness and girlness which our kids are taught through toys, I am much more comfortable with the messages in the AG stories and online materials. I think my daughter was more drawn into AG by the stories/characters, and I'm okay with that. We've borrowed a bunch of books from the library, and they're good. Also, at least it isn't the typical Barbies which are only about fashion or Bratz with their scary madeup faces and clothes. AG dolls actually look like girls...

Ummm hello this is America, I LOVE capitalism. I will not ever buy an American Girl doll but I'm not against them either. We all spend our money on whatever we want, some buy nice cars, plasma t.v., ipad, big homes, designer clothes etc. It doesn't make it wrong. I'm sure if you or anyone on this forum came up with a great product to sell and make lots o money you wouldn't be posting this, you would be thinking of marketing ideas, lol. Now go think about that multi million dollar product.

The business is simply... doing business. If children are interested in the dolls, why not build up that interest into an obsession? That's the way electronics and vehicles and breakfast foods are sold, right?

On the other hand, it's possible to enjoy the dolls and do without the gizmos. One can find very nice doll clothes on eBay - often made better than the ones with the "proper" label. It is also sometimes possible to find an AG doll in good used condition.

So daughters and parents need to decide - do they love the doll or do they love the label? That isn't so different than when shopping for shoes or handbags, is it? ;^)

There will ALWAYS be something. In my childhood, it was the Cabbage Patch Doll which caused riots by parents trying to get them. I think that what is more important is to teach my DD to value her toys, save for the things she wants, and not fall for every gimmick out there. If my DD someday decides to spend her money on an expensive doll (though her sister has passed along one of hers) and the clothes, etc. then I'll let her. But I won't let her get so wrapped up in it that she flips out or lords it over a friend.

ETA: I did not get a Cabbage Patch when they were $80+ I had Doll Babies (where you picked out a head and made the body - my aunt made one and my mom made the other) til I was older and Mom could afford the CPD. I got the American Girl catalogs. I still think the accessories are fun, but not a price I am likely to pay. I survived my childhood and so will DD, even if she doesn't have 50 Pillow Pets (her current wish).

Hi! I agree with you completely but I don't see it any differently than boys having to have some $100+ special sneaker or any of the other million things advertising insists to our kids (and us) they have to have. Why are low income areas food deserts and fast food havens? They advertise, we buy or not. We all need to become better consumers. Is it okay for Walmart to do what it does under the falsehood that they are saving us money? Education is key.

That said, I have to defend "the girls". I don't know what ones are "in" right now but my soon to be 17 year old still has hers by her bed. She has three of the historical dolls and as a homeschooler I couldn't be happier with them. Even my son enjoyed all the educational material and read all the books. They are great stepping off points to get really involved in history in a manner that will stick with them.

Just teach her to be smart about how she spends her money.

My daughter has two dolls from Target -- their "knock off" version of AG. I have offered, if she truly loves them and wants them, that I would get her an AG if she wanted it, only because I know from friends and family that they truly are a better quality doll and do last longer. Fortunately, she has inherited my sense of frugality and has said no, she's happy with the dolls she has, even though I know she would love to own one. However, marketing to children is not a problem just with AG, and specialty dolls have always been around -- I worked in a toy store in the early 90s, and believe me, pricy, trendy dolls were around then, too. They just weren't franchised into web sites, magazines, books, stories, etc. as they are now. I think you need to recognize that marketing to children goes well beyond dolls -- so many toys serve as ads for movies, while the movies serve as ads for toys movies (cross marketing of movies into fast food toys, candy wrappers, toys, games, books, costumes, etc...) Marketing is no longer for single items in many cases, it is for a conceptual franchise, and AG has hit on that and made it work for them. It's no more or less unethical than any other marketing to kids.

Interesting. It must vary by region, or school, or neighborhood. My daughter (now 10) has never wanted an American Girl doll, and none of her friends that I know of have one. I've shown her the catalogs and she looks through them, but isn't interested in owning one. We've walked through the store at the Mall of America here in Mpls (it's a shortcut to get to the rides, another marketing ploy) and she doesn't even stop to look at them. She thinks they are way too expensive, too.

Maybe she just takes after me, I never cared much for dolls. The only doll I had as a child that I liked was my Mrs. Beasley doll. Yep, I'm that old!

Nope they are a business and need to make a profit. If you don't agree don't buy the dolls. It's really that simple,You really don't need a business degree to see that.

Most girls do not buy them with their own money (Good for you teaching her to save up for something special, she will appreciate it much more!) I think it's just businesses making money off parents who want their kids to "have it all" I'm not sure why we want to teach our kids they can have it all!

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/16089450936732418049

I just posted an answer about this topic on another thread.

Yes it's way over priced. I fought it for a long time. I didn't win. I'm OK with that now because I prefer this doll over Barbie. I avoid buying AG clothing or accessories because you can a) make your own pretend food or furniture or b) buy more creative options from people who love to sew on Etsy for less money.

A friend of mine has figured out a way to get a TON of AG clothing over the past few years: garage sales.

A lot of people also sell gently used dolls and accessories on Craigslist for decent prices.

The dolls are good quality and worth the high price, IMO. My girls love their dolls and play with them A LOT (way more than any other toy). And all their friends have them, too, so sleepovers are usually for the girls AND their AGs.
So, yeah, I think they're expensive, but there are less expensive alternatives (at Target, for example) for those who absolutely refuse to pay.

As for the clothes and accessories, I'm one of those that do, in fact, refuse to pay AG prices. I get all their clothes at Target, on ebay or on etsy (do a search on 18" doll clothes and you'll have HUNDREDS of choices for way less).

You know what I think is RIDICULOUSLY expensive? PlayMobil. Holy moly, are they kidding?!

My daughter received a doll from Grandma at Christmas, and two Bitty Baby dolls when she was younger (same Grandma). I thought this was too extravagant, but Grandma was set on her having the dolls.

I REFUSE to spend upwards of $30+ on clothes for a doll - it's the principle of the matter. I also will not allow my daughter to spend her money on this either (she receives a modest weekly allowance). She is only 6 so I have some control of how she spends her allowance. You can find knock off clothes / accessories / furniture at other stores that fit these dolls, and I'm teaching her to shop smartly and choose wisely how she spends her money. She even gets the A.G. catalogs and wants everything, of course, but we just talk about how unreasonable the prices are.

But, I have to add, that while her friends also have the dolls and they play with them, they are not a "main attraction" toy for the girls, so my daughter is not overly motivated to buy things for it.

But there are a lot of toys out there like this. Lego sets are very expensive - the big Lego Friends sets are upwards of $70 and other extravagant electronics like LeapPad are about $100. And don't get me started on those ride-on cars that look like Cadillac Escalades!

Have you read "Cinderella Ate My Daughter"? They discuss the American Girl phenomenon, along with the Disney princesses, why everything for girls is pink, etc. It's a little depressing, honestly, but really interesting to read about all that goes into marketing to our little girls.

My daughter is just 2. I don't know what I will do if she gets into the whole American Girl thing. I certainly won't buy her one before she has any idea what it is. My parents successfully sidestepped buying into the whole Cabbage Patch Kid mania when I was growing up, so I'm hopeful that I can have a similar approach with my kids.

In the end, all the marketing and price inflation in the world wouldn't work if parents didn't buy into it in the beginning. As the parents, we have ultimate say in what we allow into our homes. I know that marketing and peer pressure can be hard to resist, but it's a valuable lesson for us to teach our kids because it's something that we all need to deal with our entire lives.

No, parents can always say no. In the case of your DD saving up and spending her own money for the dolls, I think that is a good thing. Also it is good to show her some of the other less expensive, but similar dolls, and let her make the choice with her own money. It's a good teaching opportunity to show her if she looks around, she can get more doll clothes, etc, for her money. And if AG is so special to the girls, they should have to save longer/invest more of their own money for less (but arguably nicer quality) stuff. What bothers me is seeing parents drop 600-700 dollars at the AG store as casually as one would shop for socks at Target. I guess that's beyond our lifestyle. My older DD had 2 AG dolls. One was a Christmas gift, and the other a birthday gift. Most of the "stuff" she got for them came as gifts from some relatives who enjoyed getting into the whole thing. She didn't have/couldn't save up for much more on her own. She bought a few doll things for her AG dolls at Target. My younger DD got one for Christmas, but wasn't as much of a "doll kid" and has never invested any of her savings or time wishing for more AG stuff.

it's totally wrong what they charge for those made in China pieces of plastic.
BUT people will buy it. It's like people that shell out the $$$ for a Lexus.

People will pay for the brand. It's a status thing. You can buy a doll at Target that is pretty close to them for less than half of what American Girl charges.

I had them as a child. They are more of a santa present in our house. We make a smallish income. So, i can see your point. As a very special gift (which in our house only santa makes/brings), i think it is perfectly fine.

I do think they are pretty pricey though. I can count them, all strewn about, and probably pay half a months mortgage. But.... that is how my husband looks at things.... i like to try and see differently :)

Between my two girls they have three dolls. They are beautiful and have held up very well over the years. However I have never bought ANY of the extra outfits or accessories. When my daughter wanted a bed for hers we made her one. My husband made a simple bed out of wood and I sewed a little bedding set. It cost almost nothing and was super easy. When we get the catalogs in the mail I throw them away, the girls have hardly ever seen them.

I will say that when we went to New York a few years ago "Emily" came with us for doll tea at American Girl Place and we had a BLAST! It was really fun and sweet. That was the only time I let my daughter pick out a new outfit.

American Girl is no different than Disney or anything else that markets to kids. It's always up to the PARENTS to set the boundaries and limit the exposure. My girls never begged for all that stuff because I made it very clear I wasn't buying it, period. And honestly I see a lot of moms getting into it even more than the girls which is pretty weird. Unfulfilled childhood dreams, perhaps?

I love the Arthur episode about the dolls. It pretty much says this same thing!

They only charge what people are willing to spend.
It wouldn't be a lucrative business if people were not willing to throw their money away on their product.
Always remember - marketing is the art of convincing people that they absolutely MUST HAVE something they totally don't need.
People can always say no, but some need to practice saying no before they get a handle on over riding their impulses.
Additional:
You can cancel the catalog that comes to the house, or have mail sent to a PO box and then screen it (toss out catalogs/junk mail) before it comes home.
You can control tv/internet access so your kids don't see the ads.
Marketing tries to get to my son, but they have to get through me first to get to him and I won't let them.
I've had surveys call and ask for my son to answer marketing questions and I'll tell them no way, he's a minor and I'm not giving permission for any such thing.
If you insist your child put her money in the bank, her limited access to it helps make her think about impulse buying before she gets something.
Companies target kids because they have money to spend and they are fairly naive when it comes to marketing, so take the money away.
By controlling marketing access and money access/availability - you interrupt the marketing cycle and can teach your child how to watch out for it.
My son doesn't get an allowance, but he saves what ever change comes his way (Piggy bank food) and he's the most frugal kid I've ever seen.
He can spend it, but he'd much rather hoard it - and that's fine by me.

Nothing wrong with it. Businesses exist to make a profit. They are not exploiting anyone. As for the haves and have-nots, that's life. There will always be people who have more and people who have less. Always. We teach our kids that lesson as well as the importance of being thankful for what we have. It doesn't stop them from saying, so and so is lucky. He has blah blah blah. But I don't hear it very often because my kids know my response will be, "That's nice."

Hi, Sally:

Parents cause Corporate dolls sales to sky rocket.
Look at our principles of freedom. Capitalism vs socialism.
Which do you want?
Just wondering.
D.

It's capitalism so I don't think it's wrong at all. There's a ton of expensive stuff out there for kids that I don't buy. We did buy the dolls though. It was our choice and I think the quality is much higher than other dolls. We could afford to buy other expensive things for our kids and ourselves but we pick and choose. That's part of life and part of what we're teaching our kids. We see kids in the neighborhood with the cars kids drive which we think are outrageous for many reasons. So when our kids ask, we say no way. I don't see how the American girl dolls are different from the car or sketchers shoes or some other sparkly shoes I see that are $60 a pair which I think is crazy but other kids have them. So it may be an interesting study for school but I don't think anyone is being taken advantage of. It's a free country. Supply and demand dictate the price which I always think is fair.

Our daughter never wanted one and told her grandmother,no thank you.

So when grandmother asked what did she want? Our daughter asked if grandmother would sew some dress up clothes for her.

I think like anything, children can get pulled into these things, but with a parents guidance and trust of the child's choice, they can be both happy.

I wil bet you your daughter takes way better care of her dolls than lots of the girls that are just given these dolls, without their imput.

Your daughter wanted one enough, she was willing to save and spend her own money. The first item our daughter saved up for was a Papsan chair when she was 8. I did not think she really wanted it that bad, but she did! She watched the ads to find the best price. She researched the color for the cushion.. When anyone asked what she wanted, she told them money for a Papsan chair.. Proved to us, this was not a frivolous request.

Since then that is how we know how serious she is, we say, well we really do not have the money for that,what should we do... Then let her come up with the solutions.

I don't think they are "taking advantage". Someone came up with an idea that hit the jackpot and they are charging accordingly. Parents can always say no and should, because there will ALWAYS be something that is better than something else.

There are dolls like American Girl dolls at Target that are made by Play Wonder. They are just as cute, a third of the price and have outfits available also. My daughter say she doesn't get why American Girl dolls are so expensive. She says the only difference is something about one has a hard body and the other has a soft body in different places...

I think if you talk to kids about why they really want something and what is so special about it that makes it so expensive, they see that sometimes things really aren't what they are worth, and maybe their money is better spent in other ways.

The only reason people want to buy those dolls is so other people know they can afford them, lol. I dont see what is so special about them, theres no reason why they are so much. Someone should start making clothes that fit them and selling them at wallmart, they would clean up!

This is kind of funny. You asked for opinions and the overwhelming majority say AG's are doing nothing wrong but you seem determined to think the opposite. Maybe conclude you have a personal issue with this... Personally, I welcome when my kids have something advertised to them that I think is silly as it's a learning opportunity. They'll face this their entire lives and one of my biggest goals is to teach them to be smart with their money. Who are you to say AG's aren't worth the money? That's your OPINION. I think they are. $100 isnt a big deal to my family and my girls play with their dolls a TON. It's the one toy they will bring on vacation with them. But you know what I refuse to buy them? Their own Itouch or video game things. Dolls encourage imagination while I don't think video games are good for kids. I may be wrong on the latter point so I don't condemn the manufacturers or even really care. It's a free country. Let them try to sell to my kids. I'm the ultimate decision maker. It sounds like your daughter cares too much what other people think and do and you're not doing a good job of teaching her otherwise... I think that's really your sore spot. My oldest is 8 so she sees what other kids have too but it'll be like that her whole life!!! NOW is the time to teach her how to manage money. She begs for things too! And maybe the AG is worth it to your daughter! Mine plan to keep them for their daughters. My sister's girls are much older and that's their plan too. $100? We spend that on dinner regularly. Sorry we can afford it but again, that's life and always will be. I grew up with lots of kids having stuff we couldn't afford and it was an important lesson. Now that we can afford most stuff, I am choosing to just not allow a lot of it. AG dolls are something we do find worth it. And you're the adult. Get the mail and don't give your daughter the catalog. ! I freely give my daughters catalogs to look at and let them say I want this! I want this! PLEEEAASE!! Becasuse then I can teach them that it can be fun to look but you're not going to get everything and if you do, it all loses meaning anyway. I'm surprised you teach business in a capitalistic country. It doesn't seem to be the way you think and I also have advanced degrees in business so I'm not out of my realm.

Not on topic completely BUT my dd got ger first AG at a yard sale :) yes are they are pricey but we love the books! She has 2 dolls & we bought books & movies through yard sales etc. oh yeah its hilarious the obe mom says its better than Barbie :))) Cause guess eho owns them? My hubby was job searching for a restaurant managerposition & their bistro was hiring and yes Mattel owns the Pleasant Co. So thebarbie makers still get our $. My dd wanted daddy to work there bad buthe didnt wantto be surrounded by little kids all day. Oh well.
Pammy

I don't see anything wrong with it. It is capitalism. The market will dictate whether or not they can charge these prices, and so far they can. Do I think the dolls are outrageously expensive? You betcha! Are they really worth that amount of money? No, but people are paying the prices. We have an American Girl doll store near us (maybe the flagship store, but I am not sure) and the restaraunts nearby actually have American Girl doll seating (special little high chairs. Gag!)

Right now my 2 year old daughter is into dinos and trucks and I am thinking please, please stay that way, I dont want you to get an American Girl doll!

Yes, they are too expensive. My girls received them as gifts except for one each from Santa (us). I love that my inlaws bought them these dolls. They are special to them and they are very nicely made. We dont buy tons of clothes for them from American Girl, we buy them from Dollie and Me when they are on clearance.