So it seems like every Christmas, the discussion begins... "My daughter wants a doll. Should I splurge and get an American Girl doll, or just get the generic one?" Here is our experience...
I'll start by saying that this was never about having the "American Girl" brand. I never had an American Girl doll, and I don't care at all about that brand as some sort of a kiddie status symbol, nor does my daughter.
When my oldest was 4, she asked for an American Girl doll. She had recently started playing with her older cousin, who had a generic Target one, but we didn't know if the doll phase would last. She's a responsible kid, so we knew she'd take care of it, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that would just sit on the shelf.
So that first year, when she turned 5, we got her the Our Generation doll (from Target). She named her doll Sunny. Sunny was played with constantly, loved, and adored. She was more than getting our money's worth out of her. Two things to note: within a year, the material was coming apart at the neck, and the hair was incredibly tangled and ratty.
When she was coming up to her 6th birthday, she asked for the American Girl BRAND doll. Her cousin had gotten one by this time, and my daughter was in love with its smooth hair, and the ability to play the online game. I told her that I would buy her one for her birthday, but that would be her ONLY present from us. She gave it some thought and decided to just stick with Sunny.
That Christmas, Sunny got a makeover. We did the Doll Hair Detangler, and I sewed her up at the neck. Sunny looked pretty good, but as her birthday approached, my daughter again began wishing for an American Girl doll. I again offered her the same deal. She could have one, but it would be her only gift. For her 7th birthday, she agreed.
I was happy to do it, at that point. It had been over two years that her favorite pastime was playing dolls, and we knew she would take good care of it. Plus, we were making a trip to California and had the opportunity to go to the American Girl doll store to pick one out herself.
Ahhhhh.... the magic.....
She named her new doll Charlotte....
And we enjoyed a trip to the American Girl restaurant as well.
So, is it worth it? If your daughter is young, or you're on a limited budget, I would start with a generic one. Kids' interests change, and I would want to make sure it's something they were going to stay interested in. Also, aside from the hair, the generic ones are fine. My daughter made lots of good memories with her Sunny doll. If the money isn't a concern, or if your daughter is older, and you're confident that she'll love the doll and get lots of use out of it, and/or she will be very into styling the hair, I would definitely go with the American Girl brand. For my daughter, who plays with hers a LOT, the American Girl doll brand has proven to be far more durable. And really, it's pretty comparable in price to a lot of other big-ticket gifts, so I think in 2013, $100 isn't that much to pay for something your child will treasure and play with constantly. So I guess my final vote is: worth it!
12 comments:
I completely agree with you. My daughter was "hand me downed" an American Girl doll. She also had a Madame Alexander doll from Avon. The difference in quality between the two was very noticeable. 5 years and two more American Girl dolls later. I still stand by the American Girl doll brand. They are quit pricey but as a big ticket Santa Gift ( which doll number two was) they are about average. Doll number three was purchased by my daughter after 8 months of saving every penny she had. I think she appreciates that doll the most and it taught her a lot of patience and money smarts to have to save and wait for her.
If you are not sure if your daughter will get $100 dollars worth of enjoyment out of the doll start with a generic. However, if your daughter is going lug that doll every where pay the extra you and she will be much happier in the end.
This was so completely helpful! Glad I ran into this post. This has been a question for years and I never knew how to find out without getting the two different dolls myself. So far, the Target brand has been fine. Thank you!
I totally agree with your point. It’s not about the brand, but the quality. Aside from that, another factor is the need of your child. Not all toys and dolls are good for children. Some dolls that are not made with good quality materials, and may even pose a threat to your child’s wellness. It's good to know that you are concerned with the quality as much as how good it looks. Have a nice day!
Loretta Boronat @ My Sibling Dolls
My daughter has and loves both Our Generation and American Girl dolls. I got her the OG doll first. She loved it, but the leg came out of socket within the first 3 weeks of play. The doll was unrepairable and that devastated my daughter. The hair of the OG dolls is also problematic. It is dry and tangles and matts easily. My daughter is very careful with her dolls and it still tangles. If your child is responsible, an American Girl doll is a much nicer doll
. The hair is beautiful and easy to maintain, and if there is a mishap and limbs need to be tightened or attached they can easily be repaired.
Just stumbled on this post and wanted to put my 2 cents in. One thing I always loved about AG was their good books and the role models the dolls portray. Postive, strong, friendly, smart, caring girls who do hard things and make good choices. The historical books also teach about history and what it was like to live during their era which is cool. Even if you do settle for a generic, make sure and read the AG books--all of them. They are fabulous. Full of knowledge and helpful suggestions for all kinds of life situations!! The self-help ones have always been just the right thing at a different times in my daughters life and have helped a lot.
This post was timely! I just had this conversation with my 7 year old. She has many Our Generation dolls and has loved them. However, she wants an American Girl doll so badly because the hair is always a problem with the OG dolls. So ratty. She also wants a doll that looks just like her. After brushing handfuls of hair out of one of her OG dolls today, I am giving in. Finally, an American Girl doll is coming for Christmas! Yikes! She's going to freak!
Heya¡my very first comment on your site. ,I have been reading your blog for a while and thought I would completely pop in and drop a friendly note. . It is great
stuff indeed. I also wanted to ask..is there a way to subscribe to your site via email?
Lice Guard Detangler
My daughter has multiple OG dolls and hasn't had these issues. But they were purchased in 2017, maybe there was a change in manufacturing?
Hello I own 2 American Girl Dolls and 1 generic brand. The generic brand one the leg is falling off and the American Girl Dolls are still in nice condition.
Josefina was my birthday present a couple decades ago. 20 years later, I still have her, and if I ever have kids I'll be able to let them play with her. Her leg did fall off (I have a few younger siblings) but my brother jerry-rigged it on. It wasn't a permanent fix though. But the great thing is, even 20 years later I could just pay $32 to have it reattached.
Her hair is not in perfect condition, but it's not nearly as bad as my young cousin's (relatively new) generic doll's hair. I also touched one of the OG dolls at target, and could immediately tell a big difference in quality. It felt like the head was rattling. The eyes were more rattly also. The skin material didn't feel as nice either.
If I someday have a kid who wants an 18 inch doll, I would definitely go for AG. The main downside is that they got rid of so many of the historical girls, and changed the books and outfits for the few remaining.
If you're on a budget, you can get the higher quality doll but cheaper clothes. We did not ever get any of the
AG accessories or clothes. All those were off-brand, made by my grandma, or souvenirs (like a handmade dress I bought from an Amish shop).
I respectfully disagree. I have three daughters and we made the mistake with our middle daughter by getting her an American Girl brand doll after much discussion and reading reviews. We, like you, discussed how it would be her only birthday gift. Long story short she chose an American Girl, Welliewisher, and had it for about 4 months and the pelvis broke and the legs fell off, that being said she was 7 and not rough with it at all, always brushed its hair, and never even slept with it. My older daughter had a My Generation doll and it's been several years and it's still in near perfect condition. I will never purchase from American Girl again! This year for Christmas my youngest will be getting her first "Big Girl" doll and My Generation brand is our go to.
Thanks for sharing!!
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