american girl doll for 3.5 year old?

[Anonymous]

I just got my 4 year old daughter a Madame Alexander doll from Costco that looks a lot like the expensive American Girl dolls. I think I paid around 20 or 25 dollars for it. The AG ones are 100 or more.
I just can't see paying the price for an AG doll when I think she'll be just as happy with a knock-off.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was given an AG doll at 6. She cut its hair. At 9, she can now appreciate the doll and play with it.

Save yourself the $60 trip to the doll hospital and get her an AG knockoff at Target.

[Anonymous]

What are the knockoff dolls at Target? What are they called? My almost 5 y.o. asked for one today and I'm considering the knockoff for her upcoming b-day.

[Anonymous]

@12:33, you can buy one Bitty Twin for $60. You can do this in the store or over the phone, but not online.

[Anonymous]

The "Our Generation" dolls at Target have fit the bill for my 4 year old. same size, come with a story (if you want), accessories etc. She has now inherited a couple AG dolls from a cousin but plays with all of them interchangeabley.
They are less than 1/3 of the price.

[Anonymous]

I was thinking of buying my 4yo daughter an AG doll. But then I read a story online about AG personnel making fun of a girl's "fake" (non AG) doll. And I decided to spend less money on a well-made Gotz doll...

[Anonymous]

DD#2 got her first AG doll this year for her 6th birthday. She was already playing with her older sister's AG dolls. She plays with her new doll and with her Bitty Baby. She asked for new BB stuff for Christmas in addition to another AG doll. You have to know your kid. For us, the BB stage isn't over, and even our older girl likes BB, too.

[Anonymous]

You can get one bitty baby twin at a American girl doll store. They are $65 and come with a book. I bought one yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if you can get an individual Bitty Twin, i.e. just one of the twin dolls? (they're 2 for $100 and I don't particularly want two.) I ask because they look more like the full-fledged american girl dolls, not the baby dolls, but they're suitable for 3+. My daughter is 3 and she had a meltdown in the AG store in Tysons because I wouldn't buy her an AG doll, but I couldn't see spending $100 on a doll she's not even old enough to play with properly yet.

Yes, you can! I think one Bitty twin is $55. Those tear sheets posted next to the twins indicates you can buy one twin girl or one twin boy.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a big doll person. I played with Barbies when I was little because I enjoyed the fashion, but it was rare that I actually did anything more than that. So I wasn't planning an AG experience for my DD, who turned 4 right around the time they opened the Tysons store. She's enthralled with them! My mother bought her a Bitty Baby when she was around one, but I didn't give it to her until she turned the recommended 3. What a waste; DD shows little interest. Clearly she's not a "baby doll" kind of kid, just like her mom. She does, however, love the regular AG dolls, especially the ones with a back story. So my mom bought her last year's Girl of the Year (Kenani), Kenani's chair and a bunch of clothes for Christmas, and we bought her some additional AG clothes and accessories, also for Christmas. DD still doesn't really play with the dolls, but she loves, loves, loves to change their outfits and style their hair! She's getting a doll that looks like her for her birthday from my mom and couldn't be more excited. She also likes the mini dolls, which are miniature versions of the historical dolls. They're still expensive, but are far cheaper at $22 than $110 for a full-size. Based on my nieces and older children of other friends, it seems 12-14 is when they finally grow out of AG and move onto something else. I'm not sure we'll last that long, but it's been a good investment for my DD, far better than some of that other plastic crap we were buying her.

As for Our Generation from Target, I think the quality isn't there and, as one PP noted, it's somewhat frowned upon. I hear the clothing isn't great, so haven't even bothered investigating. Friends do comment that the accessories (e.g., salon chair, bed) are definitely worth it, so we decided to try to wardrobe for $55 versus nearly $400 for the one at AG. It's definitely not the same quality, but for what it is, it will do.

[Anonymous]

We got our 6 year old one doll that was AG and one that was Our Generation from Target, and she loves them both. So far, both dolls have held up well, and dd has liked them both. I think the AG doll has nicer hair, but I'm not too happy how the head is attached. I was taking it out of the box, and accidentally clipped the string that attached her head on. I called AG, and they sent another doll. Then my dd was playing with her doll, and she clipped the string. So I sent the doll to AG hospital, and $35 later, it is fixed and back home. But still, I have never had that problem with other dolls. So beware of that string! Don't cut it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "Our Generation" dolls at Target have fit the bill for my 4 year old. same size, come with a story (if you want), accessories etc. She has now inherited a couple AG dolls from a cousin but plays with all of them interchangeabley.
They are less than 1/3 of the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "Our Generation" dolls at Target have fit the bill for my 4 year old. same size, come with a story (if you want), accessories etc. She has now inherited a couple AG dolls from a cousin but plays with all of them interchangeabley.
They are less than 1/3 of the price.

Same here for my 5 yo.

[Anonymous]

First off, the reccommended age is 8, not 3 or 4. This is a $100 doll, idiots!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First off, the reccommended age is 8, not 3 or 4. This is a $100 doll, idiots!

What does price have to do with it? Go to bambolleta.com, the dolls are $200 and certainly meant for kids as young as 3 or 4. Some people prefer their kids have quality toys instead of crap. I consider it idiotic to buy a bunch of cheap junk as a gift instead of 1 or 2 nice toys. Look at all the junk toys that end up in the land fill. If you supervise your kids and teach them to take care of things your great grandkids could still be playing with AG dolls. The problem is many people don't want to take the time to teach their kids to appreciate and respect their belongings because we live in a society that views everything as disposable. Talk about idiots.