By Solé Scott
Editor-in-Chief
The imagination and creativity I had in my childhood was elevated when I started collecting American Girl dolls and my life was changed forever.
American Girl dolls and accessories were a staple in my and other girls’ childhood that I deeply yearn for.
I miss looking through the catalog that would be delivered to my house every month for all the latest toys. I also miss bringing the magazine to school the next day and looking through it with my friends.
I have three American Girl dolls: Grace, Rebecca and Lea. Two of those dolls are Girl of the Years from 2015-2016, which means they were only available for that year and afterward were archived forever.
Rebecca is a historical doll from the lower east side of New York City in 1910. She is a Russian Jewish girl who is obsessed with the film industry and wants to become an actress, but her family disapproves.
I always wanted Addy, Kit, Molly, Cécile, Marie-Grace and Felicity. Unfortunately, money was a factor and some of the dolls were retired by the time I was collecting them.
Now, I have many positive memories about the toys; however, I must be honest about how ridiculous the prices are.
A doll should not cost over $100, and one outfit should not be over $35. Do not even get me started on the prices of sets such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and cars.
A kitchen should not cost $325, and a bunk bed should not cost $250.
There are plenty of other 18-inch doll brands that are reasonably priced alternatives, such as Our Generation from Target and My Life from Walmart.
In fact, I would buy most of my accessories and furniture from the other brands growing up, especially from Our Generation. I had their kitchen set, bedroom set, bathtub, car, diner set and other accessories.
If I knew then what I know about money today, then I most likely would have never asked for anything American Girl branded because I cannot agree with the prices in good faith.
American Girl is elitist, as the prices push out lower class families from affording their toys. The toys are rarely on sale, and if they are, they are still too high.
Also, if you do not live near one of their locations, then you would have to order through their website, and paying for shipping on top of your purchase winds up at exorbitant pricing.
A positive about buying American Girl toys is their resell value on secondary markets such as Ebay and Facebook Marketplace. Girl of the Year dolls appreciate over the years, especially if they have the original box and clothing.
I do not want kids, so I plan to sell all my dolls in 10-15 years because I can make more money than what they were sold for during their release. If I did want kids, then I would definitely pass all my toys down to them so they could make their own memories.
I am eternally grateful that I was able to have American Girl dolls at all, and that is thanks to my mother and grandma who worked to give me anything I wanted.
