Best knock-off American Girl doll?

[Anonymous]

My kid has 3 AG dolls (because that's all she wanted for Xmas, 3 years running...not at all my idea), and we live in a supposedly snobby suburb, and I do not at all think that any girl would be shunned for having the Target knockoff. Most of the girls don't get the historical or "girl of the year" dolls, so they are look pretty different anyway. And most of them use the Target clothes and accessories because they are generally more hip and accessible. (Maybe if we lived in Tyson's where there's an actual AG store it would be different. But no AG store in MoCo so I don't think most of the parents are shopping there very frequently.)
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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

What is your principle against AG dolls?

[Anonymous]

So, DD (4) has a target knock off. She likes to browse the American Girl store. I always pick up the free catalog and it entertains her for hours.

My question is she asked about the restaurant in the store. Is it worth it? Will they play along if she brings her Target doll in? (I'm worried about a Pretty Women scenario where they won't let us shop/eat)?

[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.