American Girl Doll ~ Is it Worth it?
Last year, around Christmas, my mom called – and in a very excited tone – asked me if my daughter, Emily, would like an American Girl doll. My mom’s other granddaughter (age 10) has one and has absolutely loved it, so she thought this could be a great year for Emily to also receive one.
At first, I nearly gushed about what a great gift that would be, and then I held my tongue. It’s not that I don’t like American Girl dolls. I think they are adorable and come with fantastic lessons for girls of all ages. Obviously the entire concept behind American Girl dolls is a brilliant success story.
But – from what I can tell – when you buy an American Girl doll you are not just buying a doll…you’re investing into a whole new lifestyle for your daughter. And that’s what makes me pause and wonder. Is it worth it?
Let me begin by saying that I am not writing this post to offend those who have American Girl dolls. I have already said I think they’re great. Actually I think the whole ideal behind American Girl is much better than Barbie (which we have a million of in our house). And just because I question whether or not my investment into American Girl is worth it, it doesn’t mean I question yours.
Yet here are five reasons that make me think twice before crossing the frontier to the whole American Girl lifestyle…
1) The cost.
I’m not cheap but I am cost-conscience. Believe me, if Emily was begging for this doll I would buy it for her in a heartbeat. I can justify $90 for a quality doll that will double as a keepsake, especially one that is specially tailored to look like my daughter. But, she’s not begging for it which is why I’ve had the time to weigh my thoughts on this purchase. The price tag on one doll may be high but that’s not what stops me. It’s all the pricey add-ons. I know from talking with others who have American Girl dolls that the purchase doesn’t end with the doll. There are the clothes (both for doll and daughter), the sports and hobbies, the furniture, the package sets, the animals, the doll care products, and the premium-priced list goes on and on and on. I know the same items can be accumulated with other toys and dolls, but $28 doll pajamas? I don’t think I’ve ever spent that same amount on PJs for my own daughter.
2) The copycats.
In regards to the above point, there are other dolls on the market that are very similar…like Target’s Our Generation Doll or the Springfield dolls at Michael’s. These dolls look very much like American Girl dolls and come with all the same, fun clothes and accessories…for the half the price. So why spend double on a toy that’s virtually the same? Unless you want the American Girl brand. In that case, see my point 5 below.
3) The conviction.
I am not convinced Emily will play with her American Girl doll as much – and as long – as I would want her to (especially for all that will be invested). Of course that’s based on her personality; I know there are young girls who will – and have – played with their dolls so much that the cost has literally paid for itself over and over. Sure, Emily plays with dolls now. Every once in a while. But she’s nearing age nine and I’m not sure how long this phase will last. Perhaps the American Girl doll is a purchase moms make for their daughters who are much younger. So if I am going to take the plunge, I need more convincing that it’s worth it.
4) The culture.
I’m not referring to the wonderful lessons and stories that American girl teaches, but the empire it subscribes to. I’ve seen the stores and have walked through the levels of insane merchandise and services (photo studios and hair salons) provided to the soon-to-be and already sucked-in consumers. And I’ve dined in the cafe next to the little girls and dolls who are served meals and afternoon tea side-by-side. I’m not standing on some ethical soap box to say I refuse for my daughter to take part in all this (Emily would probably go nuts in that store). Obviously you don’t have to shop the stores if you own an American Girl doll. But high prices aside, it does seem a little excessive and a bit creepy.
5) The convention.
Part of me simply doesn’t want to hitch a ride on American Girl’s old-fashioned covered bandwagon. Right now I am content (and apparently so is Emily) with other toys and hobbies that are not so exorbitant. The time will come when her tastes change to more expensive and extravagant items. I’m lucky in that the wagon hasn’t made a stop at our house enough times to bring along drama, obsession, jealousy or a need to be in that club. If I purchased an American Girl doll I would be starting our own club, and do I really want to do that? Again I ask, is it all really worth it?
For those of you who have American Girl dolls, please prove me wrong. Or if you have similar thoughts as me, share your reasons why.
If you’ve been following TMoM for a while, you also might remember this post that gives the opposite view of my post today. Whichever side you are on, I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you gifted an American Girl doll this past holiday season.
Another Post You Might Like:
Doing Good Things: The AG Connection
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My daughter wants her Kirsten doll, purchased in 1997, to give to her nine yr. old daughter. This daughter and her younger sister do not take care of their toy. This Kirsten doll is in good condition and is worth more than when purchased. What to do?
It makes more sense to me to buy a used Kirsten and save this retired doll.
AG dolls are only worth it if you cherish it
I got my first AG doll at the young age of 4 but I was also a very good kid and I was super careful with toys I got my next doll at the age of seven and then another one at the age of nine I really liked these dolls because of their stories and how they’re tied to a timeline and my parents always brought up getting our generation dolls but I was very particular kid and they just didn’t look the same but my parents were fine with buying me them because they knew that I used them all the time then by 11 I kinda got tired of my dolls and I didn’t use them anymore But I couldn’t get myself to get rid of them Like I don’t use them but I just don’t want to get rid of them like they hold a special place in my heart so I do think if your kid loves dolls I recommend getting them an AG doll and if you’re worried about your kid like wanting more stuff after that you can always just buy them our generation accessories and buy them the real doll because that’s kind of what my parents did and I loved it
In elementary school, I longed for an American Girl doll, and finally got one (Molly) in third grade. I would share her with my sister before she got a Josefina doll. Most of the doll’s clothes came from Target, which was fine by me (I still flip through the Molly books, though). Now I’m 21 and am debating between giving her to a cousin or keeping her and making clothes to either sell on Etsy or try my hand at sewing.
For my 8th birthday I got my first American Girl doll. I named her Ali and took her with me everytime I went to the mall (the closest one was an hour away, and it was like every 6 months maybe? not a big thing). I loved this doll. I had a little house dedicated to her in my room, I’d find small items at the dollar store, Walmart, Target, etc. to put in there. Rarely did I ever get offical American Girl accessories. I’d longingly refresh eBay and other websites like that, making a long wishlist that when looking back on it, costed more than my current car does now. I know people who collect them for the fact they’re well made, and there’s so many things you can do with them. They’re gorgeously made dolls, and I still have mine- and other than the fact her joints became a tad bit loose (a problem I think they’ve fixed since then) she was truly my favorite doll throughout my entire “childhood”. I don’t know if that’s really what you’re looking for, but I know my 8-year-old self would say go for it! Haha
I bought my American Girl Addy doll in 1993 when I was young. It was about the same price as it is today. I liked the historic significance of the Addy doll and still do. I still have my doll and she is in pristine condition. I can say it’s definitely worth purchasing at least one doll.
Now 30 years later my daughter is into American Girl dolls. I purchased one for her. However, she gets most of her dolls and accessories as gifts from her grandparents on special occasions.
I’m actually a doll collector, so I know the value of dolls. I do agree that American Girl products are good quality products. So I see why they are quite expensive. For my young daughter I quicker purchase the inexpensive accessories since she plays with them daily and will most likely give them away at some point. Or she becomes a collector like me and prefers better quality that will last for years to come.
Going to the American Girl
Store is just an experience. You should not feel obligated to buy anything. We’ve been to the one in Chicago and New York. Every time we take the grandparents. Lol. I believe there’s an outlet store in Hersey, PA.
I personally don’t understand why they are so overpriced though. I am an Our Generation doll collector and for Our generation dolls, you can buy just the doll and her story for 24 dollars, or you can buy the doll, her book, another outfit and enough accessories to develop her story for 36 dollars. This comes in one set.
I’m not the type to collect dolls I more like rock it’s odd but fun if never had an AG doll
for #3 I am 13 I got my first AG doll when I was 8 and my collection has grown since then. And if you are worried about the cost a few weeks I did chores around the house to pay for my own AG doll.
I found my five year old daughter an American Girl doll at our local Goodwiil for $1.99!! I couldn’t believe it. It was in excellent condition except for a tiny pen mark on her upper leg, which could easily be hidden by clothing. I say if you’re set on buying an American Girl Doll but really don’t want to fork over the money, look for the doll for a dicounted price. Also Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find low cost American Girl Dolls.
Was it an off-brand or an authentic American Girl? Cause I find cheap Off-brand dolls all the time but never real authentic American Girls!
I have purchased an American girl doll ay our local Goodwill. The doll will be markef with American girl or if it is an older doll you will see Pleasant Company on the back of the neck. I wonder if my niece still has all of her AG dolls…Collectors will pay high prices for excellent condition retired items.
Thanks for all how has comented it really helped me decide if I want to get a doll
I personally think that american girl dolls are very worth the price. You can buy the doll and mix and match outfits and accesories with other 18 inch doll brands
A large part of an American Girl doll is what it says about parents, and that’s where I think many parents hesitate. A child with an American Girl doll says that a parent is able to afford an expensive doll, and it says their parenting is of the caliber that their child knows how to appreciate and care for such a doll. It says. “I’ve taught my child manners and grace, and I am not worried they will ruin an expensive doll.”
Outside of that, American Girl dolls were originally designed by a German doll maker in the vein of vintage porcelain dolls. The way their hair is wigged like human wigs, their head and arms are attached to their main body, and the detail of their clothing is the same as vintage dolls. And the same today goes for those vintage dolls: only girls with refined upbringing had them.
American Girl are the expression of upper middle class, like buying your child’s clothes from Gymboree, GAP kids, or Justice, packing their lunches with organic foods, and enrolling them in sports and the arts.
The question anyone who is hesitating on buying a keepsake doll for their child should ask themselves is, “am I worried that people will see my true social standing because of this doll?” Are you worried that because the doll has a culture attached to it, that people might see that you are not part of that culture?
Then you need to ask if those questions, and the worries about class and social status are really the values you want to pass onto your child.
In the end, my children have American Girls dolls because I don’t think having nice things should just be the purview of rich people. Do you?
One of my sister’s ex-friends had several (or just one, I don’t remember) American Girl dolls. She didn’t seem refined at all.
Received our American Girl Doll this Christmas 2018 with a completely different skin tone than on the website. Found out they no longer offer light skin tone #5. Just medium to dark tones 10, 20 and 30. I paid a lot of money to get the “perfect” doll. Very disappointed!!!
I thought this article was well written and fair. I have a seven year old girl and a two year old. My seven year could not have cared less about dolls, thus I’ve never purchased one for her. She’s a gamer and a bit of a jock, which is completely fine. I love that about her.
Her two year old sister, on the other hand, is OBSESSED with babies and dolls. We live four and a half hours from the closest store (located in the Mall of America), and I didn’t hesitate to buy her one. She lost her little mind in the store. She couldn’t believe there was a whole store dedicated to just dolls. I’ll probably end up buying more, but it’s completely up to what your kid is in to and if you can fork over the money.
Completely agree that it’s up to your child. The mania behind American Girl dolls is amazing though. Thanks for commenting!
American Girl Dolls, are totally WORTH IT!! We play with ours every single day and we have a room in our house with American Girl dolls, plus their really fun to make videos with and you can take them every where and their amazing quality!
Hi I bought my daughter who is 7 one of those imitation American Girl dolls Our Generation doll and the My Life doll from Walmart because I don’t make a lot of money and I couldn’t justify spending a hundred and twenty bucks on the doll however the quality was just not there their hair alone you couldn’t brush it you couldn’t style it it just became to messed up in a matter of a week’s time of her doing her hair so I decided on Christmas to get her a real American Girl doll and you can immediately tell the difference she’s had it now for over a month in the hair just keeps so well she can style it brush it put it up take it down the quality of the doll is 20 times better not to mention you can make it look exactly like your child however the only thing that I would say is you’re right the doll is worth it but the accessories are not I mean pajamas for a doll for 40 bucks and then kids pajamas to match for another 60 it’s ridiculous so what I found is that you buy the American Girl doll but then you buy all the accessories from Amazon or any other place because it fits the American Girl doll and you can get really nice things for a fraction of the cost
I am a college student, and I still love seeing my old American girl dolls (Felicity and Elizabeth best friends collection) when I come to visit my parents. I had wanted Elizabeth since I was young, and my parents finally got her as a birthday present for my tenth birthday. I got Felicity during Christmas 2 months later. Those dolls were my favorite toys, and even now, 10 years later, they are still in excellent condition. My parents got the cheaper accessories and clothing for them instead of the fancy brand name ones. I only cared about the dolls, and treasured them.
I think if your daughter has proved herself responsible enough to have an expensive toy, just get it for her and give her knockoff accessories. The doll was all that mattered.
I think we all have our vices and so do our children. This is just another brand catering to a certain group of people who like to fork over hundreds of dollars on something that they will be selling online years later at half the cost of what they paid, and eventually most of these objects will end up in a landfill. My child is not into these dolls at all and I breathe a huge sigh of relief. She is however obsessed with collecting hatchimals and that is a pricey too as well. But not nearly as expensive a hobby. Since I refuse to play into the world of forking over money on trendy items, she is required to do extra chores in order to save up for items like that AFTER she takes care of a list of “needs” that my husband and I deemed appropriate for her to be accountable for at her age. She loves her hatchimals and she worked hard for them so she is extra proud of what she has and takes good care of it. I would say these dolls would be worth it if mothers were requiring their girls to save up for such a pricey lifestyle. Wouldn’t that be a value that an American girl would want to instill from the past to our girls of the present?
Ann
I did the same thing with my daughter. I refused to spend that much money on a doll! BUT my daughter worked hard and saved every dollar to get her doll and she is so proud and loves it. I can see the difference in how she treats this doll and the toys she has received as gifts. She really treasures what she had to work for.
I think AG are for girls 8+ since they are so expensive even the catalog said so , my daughter is 12 and she is still playing with her dolls we have around 30 but most of them have been bought from eBay and Mercari for less than 50 some almost new , others in tlc condition, they can be really expensive so I consider them as an investment, we center our attention around the Girls of the year and other retired beforever! She takes good care of them so in the future we can get the money we pay for them an a bit more .
What’s “worth it” is subjective. It’s worth it to some and not to others. Normally I’d say it’s not worth it but after receiving a bitty baby doll through a promotion and seeing how much my daughter played with it. It was worth it for us to get an American Girl doll now that she’s a little bit older. But it’s definitely not for everyone.
I gave my daughter an ag doll but know she is asking for every new play set she sees