I've been entering the sweepstakes every day for a chance to win a doll and a pet. I know which pet I want (the kitty!) but I can't decide which doll I would choose if I did win. I'm debating between three strong contenders and a fourth dark horse. Maybe you guys can help me (because since chances are I won't win, I'm really just trying to decide which doll to buy next, haha.) I'm not including the new Samantha here because I'm pretty sure I will end up getting her regardless since she was my favorite as a child and had been archived before I started collecting (plus I think the new one looks cuter than the original). So Sam is a given. Here then are my contenders:Caroline: I love her stories, more than I thought I would. Before I read them I saw her doll and wasn't instantly in love, but then I really liked the character so started thinking about getting her doll. But I don't like the classic mold and I'm not sure I want a blonde doll (right now I own Josefina, Cecile, and Ruthie). But I do like her outfits. Julie: She was originally on my long list of dolls that at one point included nine. Due to cost and storage space I trimmed it down to four (but obviously that's changed because Ruthie was never on either list and then when they canned her I had to get one because I love the underdogs). Like Caroline I really like Julie's character and stories. I don't love most of her outfits because the 70s were just UGLY. But the doll is cute and I could find better looking hippie clothes for her. She's another blonde which bugs me, but I could make room in my collection for one blonde. I just hate that most of AG is a sea of blondes. It's unnatural. There are not that many blonde people in the world.Rebecca: You may remember that Rebecca was on my short list of three a few months ago. But then I saw her in the store and wasn't as impressed. I can't even say why. But I'm still thinking of getting her because I really love her stories and most of her outfits.Dark Horse: JLY 47. I haven't been too interested in the moderns because to me American Girl is all about the historicals who have names and stories. My AG is just so anonymous and feels kinda weird. But I would have liked a Sonali and this seems the closest I can get without giving in to Ebay scalpers (which I refuse to do). If I got this one I would invent a character for her and have to come up with appropriate clothes and I'm not sure how to do that. I could do a 1980s girl although I hesitate to do that because I'M a 1980s girl and I'm not old enough to be historical, dammit. :P I am also thinking about turning the newest one (61) into Felicity since she's got red hair and green eyes. Damn classic mold though...So what do you guys think?
From AG's Facebook:Soon, we’ll say farewell to Marie-Grace, Cécile, Ruthie, and Ivy: http://bit.ly/1nkMb9w _Complete your collection while supplies last—quantities are extremely limited. This fall, the rest of the historical characters become BeForever, a fresh approach to these American Girl favorites that we’ll reveal in the coming months!_Excuse me while I put on my ranty-panties...OK, I don't think I have enough 4-letter words for this "BeForever" idea.And WTF Marie-Grace and Cécile (who is one of the most gorgeous dolls of their line) JUST came out what... 3-4 years ago!Wonder if they'll get more Barbie-Blonde, Pepto-Puke-Pink like Caroline?I started to lose interest in the line after they did the (blonde!) Julie BS in 2007 instead of recognizing an important American milestone of Jamestown.Ever since Mattel bought the company, the emphasis on learning via play has gone out the window to mass-producing status-symbol dolls that have gone up in price but down in quality.I guess I can give up hope that they'll EVER redeem themselves....Can ANYONE find anything good in this? Or just more dread? I'm worried about seeing a blonde Samantha in a pink dress.
Yesterday I got to go to the Los Angeles AG store, as I mentioned in my previous post. Unfortunately, due to nasty LA traffic and not leaving the house on time, I got a whopping 15 minutes to spend in the store, so all I could do was make a beeline for the items I had decided to get and no browsing for me. :( They need to put an AG store near San Diego. Anyway, after the comments I got here and talking to a few people in real life I decided to get Cecile (she was never in doubt), the violin set, and Josefina's goat. I also got the chemise and crinoline for Cecile and was allowed to swap out her meet book for her mystery since I already own her six book set. Even though I didn't get to do any real browsing, I did get to see a couple of things in person that have changed my mind about a couple of things. First, I will be getting Josefina's feast outfit at some point. It's so pretty in real life - I love the colors! I need to figure out how they styled her hair in those braided loops though. Second, and this is actually pretty shocking to me, is that I'm not so sure I want Rebecca after all. I've been in love with her doll for a long time, but now that I saw her in person I'm thinking she photographs better than she looks in real life or something. She's still pretty, but she just wasn't wowing me the way she always has in the past. That honor went to Julie, even with her awful 70s outfits that are just ugly. But they're ugly in such a cute and charming way. This will merit much thought, but I'm considering getting Julie as my third doll instead of Rebecca eventually! Crazy flakes. I was also quite taken with Caroline when I saw her, which is another thing I was not expecting. And Wonderbread the Gymnast (er, I mean, Isabelle, who I kind of hate on principle) didn't look terrible in real life, though I have no desire to buy her. She should have been black, end of story. I boycott her for that reason alone (plus I'm not a big fan of the classic mold because it's boring and overdone.)( My goodies, and Josefina gets a surpriseCollapse )
I'm going to the AG: Los Angeles store today, where I will be bringing home Cecile! I'm super excited about that. But I have about $40 extra and I'm trying to decide what to use it on. I'm torn between these:andMy first doll is Josefina (I just got her for Christmas!), and lately she's been wearing moddie clothes, which she looks great in, but it would be nice to get her some more stuff from her actual collection. I was also debating getting her goat but when I looked it up on the site I was less impressed. I don't want a hard plastic goat with a fuzzy coat; I'd rather find a small stuffed goat somewhere else. I haven't completely ruled it out though; if the store has any in stock I may change my mind once I see it.But I really love the cute violin set and both Josefina and Cecile could play with it. I'm not usually one to get any playsets or accessories (I always figured I'd be a strict dolls and clothes girl) partly because I lack space and partly because my dolls are mainly display pieces and I don't play with them. But this little violin is super cute and I always wished I could play one. So even though I can't, my dolls can.What do you guys think I should get?
[ **mood** | bouncy ] [Image: Top image is the American Girl 5-point star logo and the text "American Girl Collectors." Below that is a promotional image of MyAG#33 (Classic mold, blue eyes, curly light red hair) dressed in the recently released Rainy Day Coat and Rainy Day Set. She is in a garden setting with Meatloaf (a brown and cream bulldog) propped up to look at her.]As y'all know, I have not been on the two major AG boards what with being banniated. And I know many other people haven't as well--or have tried to sign up and been banned, shunned, blocked, or put on probation for being "mean" or what have you, and had to tiptoe around draconian modding. So and I started talking around last fall about the need in the AG fandom for an open AG message board that doesn't require posts to be hidden so you can see what you want before signing up, and that won't lock down topics for being "controversial" or argumentative. And after much work, we have put together an open, free, public message board. Announcing the grand opening (as of Feb 13) of American Girl Collectors: A message board for AG fans far and wide!While the board is called AG Collectors, understand that you do not have to have an AG doll to be part of our board. While chances are you're going to at least like them, you don't have to just talk about them. There's boards for Monster High, Barbie, BJD, off topic, or whatever you'd like to enjoy with us. We ask that you follow the rules, and understand that we're all going to act like adults and be treated like such--and that means reacting and talking like adults too. (but y'all don't got that issue, do y'all?) Read our rules, follow them, sign up, and be part of our newly blooming community! --Neth
Well, fuck. Kit's School Outfit is apparently discontinued -- it wasn't on display at AGDC when I went today, and when I asked a salesperson about it, he offered to look in the backroom, then consulted with another salesperson (saying "Ah, I'll ask the expert") and reported that it was recently discontinued.Not that I was especially planning to get it -- I'm all about the mix'n'matching, so an outfit as matchy-matchy as that one wasn't really up my alley -- but it was blue. I like blue. And the putative replacement is seriously fugly... and, of course, pink. :P(In other news, I've got a giant Detail Close-Up Photos Of AGDC Displays post coming on my LJ later this week, to be linked here. I'll be going in to Tysons again before then, so if you're specially interested in non-catalog shots/descriptions of any current AG item, please do place requests here! :D I know more and more people live near AG stores as they expand, but I'd never been in range of one before I moved to the DC Metro area, so. *shrugs*)
This year I was encouraged to put an AG doll on my Christmas wish list since I've been wanting one for so long. I hesitated because they're so expensive and I felt guilty, but eventually I went ahead and did it because there was no harm in putting it on my list. I didn't expect to actually get one, but I DID!! My very first AG doll!! Aaaaaaaahhh!On my list I said I wanted either Rebecca, Josefina, or Cecile as they are my three favorite dolls. I've been leaning towards Rebecca because I think she's so pretty, but if you go off of actual favorite characters Josefina wins. And here's the amazing bit - my husband knew that, without even asking me. He just remembered me talking about it awhile ago! I even used some of the artwork from Josefina's books in one of my Mexican history college courses (it was a Powerpoint presentation about daily life in New Mexico, so the Josefina books were PERFECT!)She's LOVELY. She's smaller than I thought she'd be, because although I've seen lots of pictures online it's hard to estimate height when there's no scale to compare it to. She's standing on my desk right now (and I love that she can stand on her own, though I will probably get a doll stand for her eventually just to be safe). She's definitely my favorite Christmas gift this year. :DI also got a gift certificate for AG from a friend, so now I'm trying to decide if I should put it towards a Rebecca doll so Josefina can have a friend, or if I want to put it towards a couple of outfits first. At this moment I'm leaning towards outfits because I won't be able to afford another doll for a few months anyway, even with the gift card, and a big part of the fun of dolls is playing dress-up. Plus, since she's my first I feel like she should have some time to be special before I start adding to the collection. What do you guys think?
Hello friends!I just joined this community because I've finally decided to stop judging myself for my own interests and save up for some AG dolls. I've wanted them since I was a child and never had one, and now that I'm an adult I can spend my money how I want. Ha. Plus I just had a nice chat with my husband who said he didn't think it was weird at all that I like dolls and that he has no problem with me adding a few more to my collection. He's awesome and I think I'll keep him. :)Anyway, so that now leaves me with a big decision. Which doll do I bring home first?? Obviously they are expensive and I don't have a ton of space to keep them, so I think eventually I'll really only be able to have about four. My original doll wish list contains eight, so some cuts will have to be made. And I'll have to decide which order to buy them in.( Cut for lengthCollapse )
1) It's about religion. That's all it's about. People's religious affiliations. (Notice the absence of the phrase "or the lack thereof.")2) It's a spinoff from a thread where you've essentially called African American collectors who collect dolls of color racists.3) You include a poll of religious affiliations which: -----a) totally fails to include a "not religious" option. -----b) places Catholics in a separate category from Christians, thereby immediately and completely alienating most of the posters who were actually taking your part in the aforementioned racism thread. -----c) lumps the great majority of the world's religions apart from Christianity and Judaism into the category of "other."(Because I'm a biblical scholar by profession and have two seminary degrees, I always feel this self-imposed pressure to participate in threads that have to do with religion, because I have the strong need to counter all the stereotypes these threads inevitably foster about theists. Thankfully, I don't even know where to begin with this thread. Every time I've considered jumping in, this is what happens to me. So I'm just going to sit back, shake my head, and hope that most of the people -- whatever their religious or nonreligious affiliation -- who stumble upon it already understand the score.)
Hi, I'm new to the community and to AG dolls. I was looking for purchasing advice regarding soon-to-be-archived dolls.I really like some of Molly and Emily's outfits and accessories. Does AG do a last moment sale on currently-being-archived dolls' merchandise or do their prices stay the same until the end? Do they tend to run out of merchandise before the year is over or could I hypothetically wait until December and still find the same items available? I also like some of their previously retired outfits--do they tend to go steeply up in price after the dolls themselves have been retired or do they stay about the same on the secondary market?Thank you for your time.
Whilst browsing the 'bay to see what new AG offerings were out there, I stumbled upon this listing under the Bitty Baby category. Here are some of my thoughts on this auction.1) This is not a Bitty Baby. 2) Not only is the doll not "Oriental," since that's not a word that applies to human beings, and OMG WHY CAN'T PEOPLE LEARN THAT, but neither is the carpet he comes with. Am I the only one who finds this extremely amusing? Or is it just that I'm severely sleep-deprived?3) I spent a solid two minutes searching the picture for the "bong" and wondering why they'd posed the doll with a GONG, before I finally figured out what was going on. (See above reference to sleep deprivation.) I was going to have to bid on a doll that came with a bong, AG or no AG, if only to steal the accessory for my AG dolls. Because Elijah, Hannah, and Tegan totally get blazed at the weekends.
Hi! The mods have conferred, we both agree 100%, and I drew the short straw so I'm the one to post.You should take note of the following things!Off topic posts have never been allowed at AG Over 18.Off topic posts are not currently allowed at AG Over 18.Off topic posts will never be allowed at AG Over 18.Clear? Crystal. A bare tenuous link to something almost doll-related isn't good enough, your post **must be about dolls full stop.**If you would like to post something off-topic, you are fully encouraged to post it in your own journal, or a community that isn't AG Over 18.
Soon, we’ll say farewell to Marie-Grace, Cécile, Ruthie, and Ivy: http://bit.ly/1nkMb9w _Complete your collection while supplies last—quantities are extremely limited. This fall, the rest of the historical characters become BeForever, a fresh approach to these American Girl favorites that we’ll reveal in the coming months!_Excuse me while I put on my ranty-panties...OK, I don't think I have enough 4-letter words for this "BeForever" idea.And WTF Marie-Grace and Cécile (who is one of the most gorgeous dolls of their line) JUST came out what... 3-4 years ago!Wonder if they'll get more Barbie-Blonde, Pepto-Puke-Pink like Caroline?I started to lose interest in the line after they did the (blonde!) Julie BS in 2007 instead of recognizing an important American milestone of Jamestown.Ever since Mattel bought the company, the emphasis on learning via play has gone out the window to mass-producing status-symbol dolls that have gone up in price but down in quality.I guess I can give up hope that they'll EVER redeem themselves....Can ANYONE find anything good in this? Or just more dread? I'm worried about seeing a blonde Samantha in a pink dress.
and
My first doll is Josefina (I just got her for Christmas!), and lately she's been wearing moddie clothes, which she looks great in, but it would be nice to get her some more stuff from her actual collection. I was also debating getting her goat but when I looked it up on the site I was less impressed. I don't want a hard plastic goat with a fuzzy coat; I'd rather find a small stuffed goat somewhere else. I haven't completely ruled it out though; if the store has any in stock I may change my mind once I see it.But I really love the cute violin set and both Josefina and Cecile could play with it. I'm not usually one to get any playsets or accessories (I always figured I'd be a strict dolls and clothes girl) partly because I lack space and partly because my dolls are mainly display pieces and I don't play with them. But this little violin is super cute and I always wished I could play one. So even though I can't, my dolls can.What do you guys think I should get?
bouncy ] 
[Image: Top image is the American Girl 5-point star logo and the text "American Girl Collectors." Below that is a promotional image of MyAG#33 (Classic mold, blue eyes, curly light red hair) dressed in the recently released Rainy Day Coat and Rainy Day Set. She is in a garden setting with Meatloaf (a brown and cream bulldog) propped up to look at her.]As y'all know, I have not been on the two major AG boards what with being banniated. And I know many other people haven't as well--or have tried to sign up and been banned, shunned, blocked, or put on probation for being "mean" or what have you, and had to tiptoe around draconian modding. So and I started talking around last fall about the need in the AG fandom for an open AG message board that doesn't require posts to be hidden so you can see what you want before signing up, and that won't lock down topics for being "controversial" or argumentative. And after much work, we have put together an open, free, public message board. Announcing the grand opening (as of Feb 13) of American Girl Collectors: A message board for AG fans far and wide!While the board is called AG Collectors, understand that you do not have to have an AG doll to be part of our board. While chances are you're going to at least like them, you don't have to just talk about them. There's boards for Monster High, Barbie, BJD, off topic, or whatever you'd like to enjoy with us. We ask that you follow the rules, and understand that we're all going to act like adults and be treated like such--and that means reacting and talking like adults too. (but y'all don't got that issue, do y'all?) Read our rules, follow them, sign up, and be part of our newly blooming community! --Neth