ISO AG doll alternative

[maestramommy]

Title says it all. I am aware of Madame Alexander dolls, just wondering if there is another line I should consider. DD1 is wanting a doll she can dress up. Would be nice if they have them in different ethnicities, and brushable hair.

[EllasMum]

DD has a Journey Girl doll from TRU. She loves it, and it was reasonably priced ($39.99 here in Canada - YMMV). The outfits are cute, too, and are priced reasonably, as well. I believe they do come in different nationalities, though we got ours a few years ago and I haven't seen the newer dolls.

We compared the Journey Girl doll with my DN's 'Maplelea' doll (Canadian version of American Girl) and the differences are subtle. DD certainly could not tell them apart and is very happy with her Journey Girl.

ETA: Journey Girls do have brushable hair. Not that ours gets brushed much, though.

[ellies mom]

Adora dolls are an option. I'm not sure how the compare size-wise to the AG dolls but they are a lot cheaper.

[scrooks]

I think the target version (our generation?) are very comparable (and a heck of a lot cheaper).

[lalasmama]

My DD has an Our Generation girl, which is the Target version. She loves it, and doesn't realize it's not a American Girl doll We do keep the hair in braids, though, because the hair is a bear to deal with! Totally go for a short-haired doll if you can, IMO.

[nfowife]

My DD has one AG doll and 2 Our Generation from Target dolls and plays with them equally. I think for the price you can't beat the Target version.

[citymama]

DD1 has a Gotz doll but I'll be honest, I really prefer AG. same with Madame Alexander. AG dolls are among the few that I don't find creepy and are culturally diverse. I know you were looking for alternatives, so this might not be so helpful!

[maestramommy]

My DD has an Our Generation girl, which is the Target version. She loves it, and doesn't realize it's not a American Girl doll We do keep the hair in braids, though, because the hair is a bear to deal with! Totally go for a short-haired doll if you can, IMO.

lalasmama, I went to the our generation site, and it has a link for "hairdo how to's." which is doesn't have any videos yet, but they are working on it. Should I take that to mean the hair is actually stylable? DD wants a longhaired doll, but I don't know if that means she wants to spend a long time styling it, or just wants one with long hair! Just trying to see what the options are.

Ellies mom, the Adora dolls (girls) are cute, but the baby/toddler ones are so lifelike they scare me a little!

I think I see some of the material differences, and my preference is for soft body vinyl limbs and head, but we'll see. Some of the sites (even Madame Alexander) don't go into details other than to say their bodies are soft. The Gotz site was the only one to specify. I guess since they used to make the AG dolls it makes sense! A bit higher in price thoughl

And a little S/O, but does anyone make their doll's clothes? Are there actually patterns out there for 18 inch dolls? I've already cannibalized one toddler dress, and can't expect to get lucky like that again.

I'm loving how some of these options I can look at in the store! Thanks!

[BunnyBee]

There are tons of patterns for AG sized dolls.

Youcanmakethis.com has several. CarlaC/Scientific Seamstress's are great and come with matching kid patterns. And lots on etsy. Free ones all over Pinterest.

[ladysoapmaker]

We got DD#2 an Our Generation Doll from Target. She has no clue it's not an AG Doll. She loves it and takes it every where. and it's a heck of a lot cheaper then the AG Dolls.

Walmart carries something similar but I didn't like the look/quality of it when DH & I were there at Christmas.

Jen