American Girl vs Target Our Generation dolls?

[MasonBaby]

Anyone have experience with both? Is AG really worth 5x the price?

[AnnieW625]

Here is my post from a few weeks ago:
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=416173

I think with proper care they are worth the money. My little sister has 3 of them and she got the first one in 1993 or 1994 the second one in 1996 and the third in 1998 I think and they are still in great shape. She did have to have Kirsten's head replaced but that was after a few years of doll playing and once she got the new head it didn't get brushed as much and I think the braids are still in it today. She has them in doll stands on her dresser at my parents house.

I have told DD that if she wants an AG doll she needs to save up her money. She already has a single bitty twin doll that barely gets played with because I got her a brown haired doll and she wanted a blond haired doll

[Jenny_A]

DD (5) has had a target doll for a year now. She has LOVED it. She thinks it's an American Girl Doll, actually. I'm hoping she will not be upset when she finds out it is not.

The target doll has been well played with and loved and has held up just fine. I did not want to spend the money on a real AG doll until I knew DD would be "in" to it.

That being said, I just took her to the AG doll store and let her pick out her first AG doll. I put the doll away until Christmas. She took her Target doll with us and used it to sit by us at lunch at the Bistro. So, both are great dolls!!

I will say that when I checked out with the AG doll at the register, the lady gave me all kinds of dos and don'ts about the doll. What clothes she can wear and can't wear, how to take care of her hair, etc... I kept thinking, "Gosh, this doll is a lot more trouble than our Target doll!!"

Hope that helps!

[Jenny_A]

I just wanted to add that, yes, there is a big difference in the hair. The AG doll definitely has a better quality. However, I wouldn't call ours a "ratty mess" right out of the box. It's probably equivalent to a Barbie's hair. It does get messy, but DD hasn't cared at all! Sometimes she'll ask me to braid it for her and I have no problems doing that. It's a great doll for the price, in my opinion.

I guess my advice would be that if your DD is really "in" to the dolls (she plays with them a lot and it's more than a short lived phase) and her friend's are all in the them, then the AG doll would be well worth it!

[JustMe]

Thanks for posting. I struggled with this myself. Dd and I talked about her getting an American Girl doll for Chanukah. She commented that she would like one that looks like her. I know there are the "just like me" dolls, but for some reason I wasnt quite ready to do that and none of the character/historical dolls fit the bill. We were in another store and saw an 18" doll that does look like her ($25-not Target, but another brand), and she really wanted it. So, that is what she is getting. I feel kind of bad, as I was ready to buy her the AG doll, and she is almost 9, so definitely "ready" in terms of age and her ability to care for dolls..so I just figure we are testing out how things go with this doll and there is always next year or he birthday for AG.

[buddyleebaby]

Ag has *such* cute things, but I really feel like the quality is not what it once was.

We have three AG dolls- one is mine from when I was a child, and two we won in a raffle. DD also has one Target "My Generation" doll that I bought because they shared a name and they kind of look alike. She plays with that one the most out of any of them and it has held up well. She does not know that it is *not* an AG doll. (Although, I think they both have distinct looks.) Her target doll's hair is actually much easier to manage than the AG hair, but that may just be the particular dolls we have (Molly, Felicity, Elizabeth).

If your DD has her heart set on a particular AG doll, then I would say yes, get it. I am sure it will be much loved. But if you just want an AG type doll for her, I think a My Generation doll would be fine. And you can pick up a few extra outfits.

[redstone]

I just got in the mail today a Madame Alexander 18" doll from Barnes & Noble. With a coupon it was about $22 shipped. I will be adding some Our Generation accessories and will still be way under $100.



My DD never really played with baby dolls so I have no idea if she will be interested in these type of dolls. This is an affordable way to see if the bigger dolls interest her.

For those who have the 18" dolls - what type of accessories get played with the most? Beds, kitchen stuff, school, tea sets, beauty parlor? I really have no idea where to start.