American Girl Doll Fail

I'm pretty sure that's the whole idea with those places, Build-A-Bear, the race car ones, etc. The main piece isn't a bad price, they get you with all the add-ons. 

Gag, I can get out my china tea cups and have a tea party with ALL of her dollies and friends at home. We're not going back unless she just REALLY wants to go. This trip was my idea because I thought it would be this fun thing but wandering around any kind of crowded store is just not fun, I don't care if it is full of cute dolls or not.

I have to give her a pat on the back though because she just skipped around looking at stuff and never fussed. She is so good about that. You tell my son he has $10 to spend and he finds something to buy for $30 then pouts around all day that he couldn't get something. She just accepts whatever and plays with it all the same. She calls her target doll her American Girl doll and can't wait to show her friends and cousins.

Personally, I don't see the attraction either.  However, I am looking at it from the viewpoint of a practical, 41-year old.  My daughter, who is 8, loves AG dolls.  DH and I bought her the one that looks like her when she was 5, but she wasn't really into the whole AG concept.  We bought clothes for the doll at Target and she was content with that.  We bought matching outfits for her and the doll at Kohl's at a fraction of the cost of the AG clothes.

Unfortunately, as she got older she started to get really into all the AG doll stuff.   My in-laws felt compelled to buy her another AG doll when she was 7 (Rebecca) and another one when she turned 8 (McKenna).  My daughter loves the books and the whole story behind each doll.  She checks out the books from her school library, so she knows the background on each one of them.  When my inlaws bought the McKenna doll, DH and I thought we'd add to it with a few of the accessories.  Little did we know, McKenna was the doll of the year (meaning that she and all her accessories would be discontinued at the end of the year) and by the time we did our birthday shopping (November), every single item was completely sold out.  It was insane!  So, we found other, non-McKenna items and she was happy with that.

Also, it didn't help that they just opened an AG Doll store here in Houston.  We went for her birthday and had lunch, got McKenna's hair done and her ears pierced ($35 freaking dollars for both!).  And, she bought a Sienna doll with her hard-earned chore and report card money.  I think using her own money helped her realize the true cost of this stuff, because she was okay getting other accessories from Target, lol.

I am fine with my daughter getting into the whole AG doll thing, but I am happy it's just one of the many phases she'll go through.  I'm also happy that she is perfectly fine with getting the generic doll accessories and clothing...saves us some money!

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 12:42 PM This thread and the one about thong underwear for tweens at Victoria's Secret make me glad i have a boy.

You and me both!

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 12:42 PM This thread and the one about thong underwear for tweens at Victoria's Secret make me glad i have a boy.

...until that fateful day JMK Jr. says, "Dad, we gotta talk.  Let me show ya something..." Jr. turns away, crouches down to grab an item from his duffel.  That's when ya notice the glittering pink whale-tail courtesy of Victoria's Secret!  Just when ya think it can't get weirder, "Dad, let me show you my American Girl doll collection."

ChineseDemocracy - 2013-04-02 1:08 PM

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 12:42 PM This thread and the one about thong underwear for tweens at Victoria's Secret make me glad i have a boy.

 

...until that fateful day JMK Jr. says, "Dad, we gotta talk.  Let me show ya something..." Jr. turns away, crouches down to grab an item from his duffel.  That's when ya notice the glittering pink whale-tail courtesy of Victoria's Secret!  Just when ya think it can't get weirder, "Dad, let me show you my American Girl doll collection."

My dad was pretty cool about it since I used my paper route money.

But the parents continue to pay for it.

I also don't get it - the parents paying for it and then complaining, that is. Growing up my parents had no problems telling me "no" for things they couldn't afford. If you can afford it and don't mind shelling out the money, I don't really see where the issue is... 

ChineseDemocracy - 2013-04-02 1:08 PM

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 12:42 PM This thread and the one about thong underwear for tweens at Victoria's Secret make me glad i have a boy.

 

...until that fateful day JMK Jr. says, "Dad, we gotta talk.  Let me show ya something..." Jr. turns away, crouches down to grab an item from his duffel.  That's when ya notice the glittering pink whale-tail courtesy of Victoria's Secret!  Just when ya think it can't get weirder, "Dad, let me show you my American Girl doll collection."

You beat me to it.

Good point.

x3

I live n one of those areas of the country, where we're close enough to visit NYC, but the American Girl Store is a bigger draw than the Statue of Liberty or the Museum of Natural History.

Edited by TheClaaaw 2013-04-02 1:02 PM

I have 3 daughters that are prime AG age, 10, 9 and 5. 

The older two have one of the Target knock off dolls we got for maybe $20 and Target also sells clothes and the other accessories.

The hair is not as soft and I am sure the eyes not as glassy but my girls have no idea they have the 'cheap knock offs'  They think their dolls are AG dolls, not that we told them that but they have seen other girls call their dolls AG dolls and they look like theirs, they honestly don't know the difference.

The 5 year old only asked for a ballerina doll for Christmas - hello Amazon and Carolle dolls which are very nice and hold up well.

I do not understand it at all.  There is a place not far from us but my daughters have never been there.  I am not against the experience but it is all a bit much IMO.

My Mom doesn't have money and my ILs won't spend theirs so we do not have outside pressure or folks buying the dolls which I know makes it easier.  However, I would tell them not to just as I have told them no Barbies, thankyouverymuch.

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 1:58 PM

ChineseDemocracy - 2013-04-02 12:08 PM

jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-02 12:42 PM This thread and the one about thong underwear for tweens at Victoria's Secret make me glad i have a boy.

 

...until that fateful day JMK Jr. says, "Dad, we gotta talk.  Let me show ya something..." Jr. turns away, crouches down to grab an item from his duffel.  That's when ya notice the glittering pink whale-tail courtesy of Victoria's Secret!  Just when ya think it can't get weirder, "Dad, let me show you my American Girl doll collection."

(Through clenched teeth) N..T..T..A...W..W...T...

Ha!  Well-played sir, well played.  You're a great dad.  The ...'s were perfectly placed.