Damn, American Girl dolls are expensive!

[NewJeffCT]

I was thinking of bringing my daughter down to NYC so she could see the American Girl store and maybe pick up a doll, since they also come with books where you can learn about history. However, I looked them up online and the dolls are like $110-$130, then it's another $30-$50 for doll outfits. WTF - it's a doll? We don't even spend $30-50 on outfits for my daughter.

And, here I thought $15-$20 for a stuffed bear from Build-A-Bear Workshop was expensive.

[1gobluedem]

1. They are VERY expensive

And that's without all their paraphernalia. We went through the AG doll phase with twins...good thing they have generous grandparents.

[tabbycat31]

2. they are expensive

they hold a special place in my heart though. I really wanted one as a child, and it was the first big ticket item that I was able to save my money for.

[lizziegrace]

3. They're very expensive

but my daughter was immersed in history as a result and is graduating with her degree in History from Ohio State in a few weeks. I made sure she was old enough to take care of the doll and she didn't cart her around everywhere she went. I made a few of the outfits and there are a lot of patterns out there for dresses.

Target has furniture that will work with the dolls and costs so much less.

Check eBay and Craigslist for outfits and furniture too.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. My mother gave me her set of Madame Alexander "Little Women" dolls. I played with them

to death. :( They could use a good sprucing up at a doll hospital.

[lizziegrace]

5. I love those dolls

Lelapin was always my "Jo".

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. I actually used the dolls to play "LIttle House." I t was a lot of fun. Luckily the other

dolls mom gave me didn't get run through the wringer like that.

I have boys, and neither one of them would care to be my doll. :P So I have a "puppy" and a "monkey" instead.

[Shell Beau]

16. My aunt collects those. She has tons of them.

[NewJeffCT]

6. my daughter is still a bit young

The dolls are rated for ages 8+ and my daughter is only 6... however, she went to an American Girl reading hour at our local Barnes & Noble a month or two back and has wanted one ever since.

[PassingFair]

8. You can buy the books without the dolls....

My girls never had any of the dolls,
but they liked the books.

We had a "Samantha Day" at
Greenfield Village, where
people acted as the characters
and we visited their "houses".

We rode in a Model T and participated
in a suffrage march!

Tons of fun!

[Dappleganger]

11. Our rule for owning a doll

was that they had to be old enough to read the books. It wasn't punishment, just a carrot and it worked for our girls.

[Midlodemocrat]

9. DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!

My brother bought TM her first one and we now have ALL OF THEM.

They are expensive and you don't want to go down that road. Trust me. Not worth it.

[NewJeffCT]

12. Just think, though, TM can pass them down to the new baby

in about 8 months...

:hide:


we'll stick with Build A Bears for now, too.

[Dappleganger]

10. Expensive, but worth it.

We were lucky to have two sets of grandparents willing to buy them for our girls when they were younger, plus the books. We did buy accessories at Target, however (MUCH cheaper!). Now they are too old to want to play with them anymore but have them stored away neatly in their cases which dh made, waiting for the next little girl in the family. They did play with them for a very long time, inspired an interest in history as well as writing. They each had bitty babies, too but they donated them to a women's shelter when they grew out of them.

BTW, there are patterns for the doll clothes and you can make them yourself.

[mitchum]

13. That's why I buy the Indonesian Girl dolls

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. I visited one of those stores in Chicago, intending to buy one for my kid.

The price tags quickly disabused me of that notion.

XNASA can confirm my story.

[Arugula Latte]

15. It's a racket.

That company does a good job drumming up peer pressure to get kids and parents to fall into their marketing snare.

On edit: There are other ways to get girls interested in history. Or, they can read the books without buying the dolls. Or, maybe you can find a used one on Craigslist, etc.

[Shell Beau]

17. Very pricey. My niece has 6 of them. She gets them on her

birthdays and on Christmases.

[gmoney]

18. They're raised on promises... (eom)