Best knock-off American Girl doll?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My girls like their Target Our Generation dolls better than their AG dolls (that Grandma bought), mostly I think because they look more like my daughters.
I don't buy AG dolls out of principle (even though we could afford).

I tend to not like things that are unnecessarily expensive, and just a product of a great marketing campaign. I'd feel like a chump and a gullible consumer.

I'll pay the extra money just for the AG hair. The Target hair is terrible. That's not marketing, it's a difference in quality. But the Target accessories are amazing, especially the kitchen and diner sets.

To the poster asking about the restaurant - you can definitely take whatever doll you want. I think they even have loaner dolls to borrow.

[Anonymous]

DD has an AG doll that was mine back in the day (Samantha). She will probably need to visit the hospital at some point and get her joints tightened and what not. We also bought her a bitty baby from our local Facebook sales page. I think I only paid $20 for it.

If DD wanted another doll we'd most likely go with the Target ones. We're in Target weekly it feels and their accessories are really cute. For the hair, you can make a doll hair conditioning spray to help keep the knots out. The recipe is on pinterest.

[Anonymous]

I see SO many AG dolls on Craigslist. Why isn't that an option instead of a knock off doll?

[Anonymous]

Funny know all those people with 800k HHI never make it to these threads about "expensive" dolls.

[Anonymous]

And AG has a new less expensive line....Wellie Wishers
https://www.americangirl.com/shop/welliewishers-from-american-girl?cm_mmc=paid_search-_-google-_-Brand+%7C+WellieWishers__WellieWishers+%7C+Exact-_-wellie%20wishers__104186595493

According to this Post article, AG sales are way down.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/07/21/american-girls-pint-sized-antidote-for-its-multi-million-dollar-problem/

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP with the daughter with the 3 AG dolls. Mattel has basically ruined AG. The quality went way down when they purchased it from Pleasantville, and then kept going down over the years. When they rebranded it last year as BeForever, the quality of the clothes (and the authenticity of the historical line) went waaaay down. And yet the prices really have not. I can't understand what their marketers are thinking -- there are a ton of low cost competitors out there, so why would anyone pay the premium if their stuff is just going to be the same made in china crap that you can get at Target?

And don't even get me started on how they took those great historical fiction books that were written for the old line, and just Reader Digest-ed them -- like kids can't read an actual book series anymore. Part of what you were paying for with the old historical line was the opportunity for the girl to really learn about and become immersed in a particular time period. They also used to have cool AG themed tours of different historical places and fun stuff like that. (I did a Samantha tour/tea party at the old Heurich mansion down at Dupont back in the '90s -- it was super cute with all the girls with their dolls.) That's all gone now.

I will say that the older AG stuff we got was really well made. We have a knockoff bed, and then the old wooden Molly bed, and that Molly bed is way sturdier and just looks much better. I got it on clearance when they discontinued the Molly line so it was a steal, but after I got it, I decided it was almost worth full price. You can get some of the old Pleasantville made stuff on ebay (we bought some of the old Molly stuff there) and it's really nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, AG has its high point at the 5-7 year old range, when the girls are much less "brand" conscious. Maybe if they were 10-12, they would notice the difference, but at that age the girls are mostly just playing with them in their bedroom -- not so much at playdates.

Kids become brand conscious and buy into brands only if taught so by their parents. So don't teach it to them parents. (I'm talking to you, owners of the $1300 LV canvas Neverfull bags)
Teach them to use their brains and look for quality and VALUE, instead of being suckered in by marketing.

How old are your kids? The first time your kids come home crying from school because every other kid has a Pokémon lunch box, and some kid made fun of their non-branded lunch box, and you're like "What the hell is Pokémon? And they make lunchboxes?" you realize that it's really not about the parents. It's about every other kid's parents. Maybe if you live in Brooklyn or on a commune in Vermont, you can escape it all, but not in the rest of America. My kids are pretty immune to peer pressure, because they are bookworms that are basically oblivious to what's going on around them, but even they sometimes wake up and smell the Marvel heroes (and whatever else is going on). I am pretty confident my 5th grader is mocked by some other girls for not wearing the cool brands, but she's so out of it that I don't think she realizes it, and I'm so out of it that I don't know what the cool brands are for 10 year olds. Also, I've never heard of Neverfull. Is that a thing? Is it really never full? I'm imagining something like Mary Poppins bag where she pulls the floor lamp out of it -- I would pay $1300 for that!

[Anonymous]

In the past I think 10 years, American Girl dolls were bought up by Matel (the Barbie making company). My sisters and I were given ours way before. Since being bought by Matel the quality of the dolls has gone way down.

Maybe find one on eBay or Craigslist? Or the Target ones

[Anonymous]

Agreed. I got an American girl on eBay for about 75. But, I had to do.chores to get it.

[Anonymous]

I broke down and bought an AG doll for DD -- she is turning 9 and is a little late to the game. Plus, I have always said no before. Apparently it's important at her school that it be a "real" AG doll. I floated the idea of a Target knock off (which I actually liked better even aside from price) and she said no. She's a good kid and we generally don't buy expensive stuff, and I had a 25% off coupon, so I did it. Definitely going to buy the Target knockoff clothes and accessories, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am actually sorry I bought my DD the genuine American Girl Dolls. She has Target dolls and two AG dolls (Bitty Twins) and guess which ones she decided to give a haircut to! I wish I had saved my money. Lesson learned. Do not feel guilty getting a knock off. DD loves the Target ones just as well and probably better now that the AG dolls have butchered haircuts!

You can send the AG dolls to the "hospital" and have them fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that you'd be better getting a used AG doll. Your DD may not know the difference now, but before you know it, her peers will.

Ahhh, yes. Peer pressure. Definitely a reason to do something.

It's better to say 'no doll' or 'save Xmas money' to buy a doll then get the knockoff that will be apparent to friends.

Esp for girls, you dd will pine for the other 'doll' kids but be an outsider, better to redirect her to something you can fully participate (like sports?).

But yes doll is $90 more than your target doll, but I bet you spend that much every month on data for your Family plan.

Lady, you sound crazy and out of touch. For whatever reason OP can't get a real AG doll so she is looking for alternatives. Telling someone they have to spend three figures fon a doll is absolutely ridiculous and proves that you have no clue how some people struggle.

[Anonymous]

My daughter begancollecting American girl dolls when she was 11. I had to put money awayin for a year to accommodate a June Birthday or Christmas. She just wanted a few that she really adored. Kaman we finally found on EBay for $120 that my fiance bought for her. Now that she is fourteen she had packed them up in plastic boxes and saving them for her daughter's should she have them when she grows up. However she also collected Our Generation dolls. She liked them just as much because there accessories and clothing were within budget reach throughout the year. Our Generation dolls are very nice dolls with Our the hype. I collect them and I'm 54. So far I have 35 of them including a few of the older first out models. As long as a child is happy with a doll, any doll, what is thethe big deal? If my fiance didn't help me pay for the American girl dolls my daughter was able to collect, Our Generation would have been her favorite above the two.

[Anonymous]

Target Our Generation. My DD just got one for her 6th birthday. I don't think kids really beg for an actual AG until older...

[Anonymous]

TJ Maxx etc have a ton of the OG, MA dolls right now if anyone is looking.

Costco has Kit for $125. She comes with two outfits and accessories. Its a pretty good deal.

We did buy DD an AG doll. But all of the doll's extra outfits and accessories have come from Target.