AG doll: if you've had them for some years

[maestramommy]

How do they hold up to constant play? Styling and restyling of hair (by the kid, not a stylist). We think we are finally going to get DD1 an AG doll. But I want to make sure that it will hold up better than the dolls our kids currently play with (Hearts 4 Hearts). Our kids really play with their dolls. Dressing and undressing, doing their hair repeatedly, putting them in sitting poses. One of the things I'm noticing with our dolls after having them a year is that the elastic that holds the head and limbs together is getting rather loose, so the head is getting a bit wobbly, and it's harder to get them to stand. Do AG dolls stand up? I didn't think so, but not sure.

DD was suggesting an Our Generation doll as an alternative, but I had heard, maybe here(?) that the hair doesn't hold up well, and that is a huge deal in this house.

[westwoodmom04]

How do they hold up to constant play? Styling and restyling of hair (by the kid, not a stylist). We think we are finally going to get DD1 an AG doll. But I want to make sure that it will hold up better than the dolls our kids currently play with (Hearts 4 Hearts). Our kids really play with their dolls. Dressing and undressing, doing their hair repeatedly, putting them in sitting poses. One of the things I'm noticing with our dolls after having them a year is that the elastic that holds the head and limbs together is getting rather loose, so the head is getting a bit wobbly, and it's harder to get them to stand. Do AG dolls stand up? I didn't think so, but not sure.

DD was suggesting an Our Generation doll as an alternative, but I had heard, maybe here(?) that the hair doesn't hold up well, and that is a huge deal in this house.

I think the American Girl dolls are really well made. We've had one for 5 years and one for 2 and they still look like new. DD does not play with her dolls constantly but she is not delicate with her toys. My son also would play with them as a toddler. There is always the AG doll hospital if things go south.

[buddyleebaby]

I don't think the newer AG dolls hold up as well as the older ones did. Some come home from the store with loose limbs and AG has been very inconsistent on what is to be expected. Some representatives are happy to exchange for whatever reason while others insist that AG dolls are not meant to hold a pose/stand on their own. They are featured in the magazines standing on their own and I know mine from the 80s stood on its own, as do most of our newer ones so I don't know what to think about that. People have reported problems with Marie Grace and the two latest girls of the year, specifically. Dd2 has Saige (GOTY 2013) and the first we received had a defective wig and the second has one leg that's a tiny bit loose but it doesn't affect her being able to stand, really, and I don't think dd cares. It probably annoys me more.
I do think their hair is easy to care for (and one of our dolls is Caroline, who supposedly has difficult hair as far as AG dolls go). We haven't had any issues that couldn't be solved with a spritz of water and a wig brush.
One thing I would advise you to do, if you take the AG plunge, is to be very careful of the off brand clothing you use, especially if dressing/undressing is big with your girls. We used a popular girl/doll matching outfit brand and it stained one of our doll's legs black.

[lalasmama]

I wouldn't go with an Our Generation (Target's version of AG) personally. That's what we did, and her hair was stretched and knotted with the first brushing. Kind of ironic since we chose the one made specifically for doing her hair. I think her name was Phoebe--she came with a brush and barrettes and colored hair extensions, etc. And then DD broke her leg off one day when she was mad... at 9 years old, I didn't expect a broken leg to be an issue!

Now, we have a "Just Like Me" AG doll that DD loves. It joins us just about everywhere. I keep her hair put up for the most part (in whatever style DD asks for), just because I'm so scared of her hair getting matted. But she's held up well to the uncareful usage DD gives her!

[maestramommy]

I don't think the newer AG dolls hold up as well as the older ones did. Some come home from the store with loose limbs and AG has been very inconsistent on what is to be expected. Some representatives are happy to exchange for whatever reason while others insist that AG dolls are not meant to hold a pose/stand on their own. They are featured in the magazines standing on their own and I know mine from the 80s stood on its own, as do most of our newer ones so I don't know what to think about that. People have reported problems with Marie Grace and the two latest girls of the year, specifically. Dd2 has Saige (GOTY 2013) and the first we received had a defective wig and the second has one leg that's a tiny bit loose but it doesn't affect her being able to stand, really, and I don't think dd cares. It probably annoys me more.
I do think their hair is easy to care for (and one of our dolls is Caroline, who supposedly has difficult hair as far as AG dolls go). We haven't had any issues that couldn't be solved with a spritz of water and a wig brush.
One thing I would advise you to do, if you take the AG plunge, is to be very careful of the off brand clothing you use, especially if dressing/undressing is big with your girls. We used a popular girl/doll matching outfit brand and it stained one of our doll's legs black.

Alicia, can you tell me what is a wig brush? I assume it doesn't come with the doll? Our dolls came with a comb that was absolutely useless. We use a regular brush, but it still does break some hairs when I am trying to untangle. Is there something special about a wig brush?

Also, given what you've told me about the quality, does it make more sense to buy them from the store or online is okay? I was going to go with a "Just Like Me" doll, and hopefully get to use an online coupon.

I've been making clothes for our dolls, so hopefully I can continue to do the same here. I can't afford AG clothes in addition to a doll!

[elephantmeg]

I do know that our AG hair has done SO much better than out walmart knock off. DD got her first doll with hair last March (at barely 5) and she still looks pretty good which is amazing because she gets LOTS of play!

[buddyleebaby]

It doesn't come with the doll but you can buy them directly from AG. Or you can probably buy one off amazon. Just look for a wire wig brush.
Online/in store has the same stock so the quality will be the same whichever way you go. When we had to exchange dd's doll, AG sent us a new one and a label to return the original one.

[BunnyBee]

Use the wire brush and spray the hair according to their directions. It's still plastic hair, so it will show abuse over the years, but they're really well made and the materials are of good quality.

[sidmand]

You can get a cheaper/better quality wig brush from Amazon...it does need to be a wig brush and only used on the doll hair. Try to only brush if the hair has been spritzed with water. You can easily tighten loose limbs if you don't mind taking off their head. Use a hair elastic between the plastic joint cap and the ferrule. If possible, try to have an adult brush out the hair every once in awhile. Benzoil peroxide or non-acetone nail polish remover takes off most stains on their plastic limbs...they should hold up pretty well.

[California]

We have two AG dolls that I bought used, and now they've gotten a couple of years of play with my own kids. The hair has held up quite well on both dolls. The hair on the knock off dolls looks tangled and dull in comparison. I recently tightened the limbs on one doll (a pre-Mattel Samantha) using hair bands. Very easy to do using a youtube video as a guide. Now her limbs work just like a new doll's. And yes, the dolls can stand on their own. Make sure you keep the neck strings long- a friend cut those on her daughter's doll as she thought they were some weird mistake. The neck strings let you take off and on the doll's head.
While the dolls are pricy- even on Craigslist- if your daughter likes to read she may get hooked on the books, too. The historical dolls have great back stories that add to the value. Plus there's nothing "sexy" about AG and that's worth a lot to me!

[AnnieW625]

Hair wise I use a regular hair brush (usually the Wet Brush) right now and lots of water because the AG wire brush us cr@ppy and broke really easily) probably doesn't help that initially DD1 didn't brush the hair well). So moral of the story I have taken out gobs of hair out if DD1's doll and there is no signs of thinning hair. I am sure the wire brush works better and that is a reminder that I should remember to pick up a wig brush the next time I am at Sally's.

I think the dolls are well made and have a great resale value.

Many years ago about 13-14 yrs. ago my sister ordered a new head for her Kirsten doll when she was old enough to put her dolls on her shelf and keep them there. So you always have that option too.

[ray7694]

The AG doll hair is much better than any other brand but still gets tangled. I prefer the short hair dolls like Kit.

[lizzywednesday]

I think AG dolls are incredibly well-made (as are Gotz) and will stand up to so many wonderful adventures!

If they get really messed up, though, you can send them to AG's "doll hospital" and they will fix/replace limbs (etc.) for small fees, comparable to Madame Alexander's doll hospital fees:

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/static/dollHospital.jsp

The doll even gets a "get well" balloon, certificate of health, and hospital gown upon "discharge."

[BunnyBee]

Oh! Don't get one of the curly-haired dolls if your girls like to brush doll hair. My oldest has one with long, slightly wavy hair and compared to Kit's sleek bob, her hair's much fuzzier looking. She's also been around the longest (DD got her right before she turned 5 IIRC...).

[maestramommy]

Oh! Don't get one of the curly-haired dolls if your girls like to brush doll hair. My oldest has one with long, slightly wavy hair and compared to Kit's sleek bob, her hair's much fuzzier looking. She's also been around the longest (DD got her right before she turned 5 IIRC...).


Thanks! I notice some dolls with elaborate curls and did wonder if it brushes well. I will remember this! I notice that the historical dolls are mostly the same price as the "my American Doll" dolls. So I guess that gives us more options.

[sidmand]

I think all the dolls are the same price (or were!) except Isabelle. Straight hair is definitely the easiest--I think Julie's is great. Ivy's would probably be pretty easy too. Cecile and Marie-Grace are tricky! Waves aren't too bad. You can always wet them and then recurl by twisting them when wet but curly definitely gets bad quickly (just like real life!).