Why are American Girl Dolls so Expensive? – Interesting Facts
American Girl dolls are something that I have often coveted. When I was young, I remember encountering these in the storefront and becoming astounded by how amazing and lifelike they were. However, I never told my family about them because I was aware of how expensive they were.
Let’s go back a couple of years to the time that I had my first child and made the decision to eventually buy my daughter an American Girl doll. When I got there, I was taken aback to discover that the prices were significantly more exorbitant than I had anticipated.
Can I be totally honest with you? The retail price of the simple doll alone, without any outfits or extras, was more than $100.
I began to doubt whether I might justifiably invest plenty of dollars in a doll.
What’s the catch? They are created with superior supplies to start. Much care is used in the manufacturing of American Girl dolls. The dolls’ features have been expertly molded to resemble human beings, and they are dressed in fine materials.
You will learn more about American girl dolls on this blog, including the history of American girl dolls and what makes them so expensive.
The Evolution of American Girl Dolls
18-inch dolls from the American Girl collection feature females from different eras and ethnic backgrounds. Pleasant Rowland launched the business in 1986 after being captivated by her nieces’ passion for dolls. The primary dolls featured representations of famous people, like Samantha Parkington, a young woman during the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Sounds impressive, right?
Starting in the millennium, the firm grew to incorporate modern symbols, like Molly McIntyre, a young woman during the 1940s. Throughout the 2000s, American Girl started to sell more ethnically varied dolls, such as the black girl during the Civil War period, Addy Walker, as well as the Hispanic girl representing the American Southwest, Josefina Montoya.
Yes, you read that right, additionally, the business started to provide personalization choices to make sure girls might create dolls that resembled them.
The business additionally takes part in charitable endeavors, including the American Girl Organization, that encourage the independence and development of girls.
The Toy of the Year Honor and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Prize are only two of the honors that American Girl has received. The business was accepted by the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2021.
What makes an American girl so special? Let’s find out the reason why American girl dolls are so expensive
Why are American Girl Dolls so Expensive?
The cost of American Girl dolls is high; however, they have been of excellent quality and have an unlimited warranty. The dolls are outfitted with facial features and eyes, which make them more lifelike; their bodies are manufactured of excellent materials. They are stronger and simpler to play with since they are more proportionate and have a superior thickness. American Girl creates a number of carefully crafted publications; these books and novels are very instructive and may constitute a great resource for kids. All things considered, purchasing an American Girl doll is an excellent decision.
But you are probably wondering why American girl dolls are expensive.
Yes, American Girl dolls seem pricey, yet they offer plenty of fun. Several of these justifications are as follows:
- Excellent craftsmanship: plastic and anchored hair are only two examples of the premium supplies used to make American Girl dolls. They are durable and resilient as a result.
- Realistic characteristics: American Girl dolls have attributes including lifelike eyes, skin, and even hair, among others. They become more enticing to kids as a result of being more genuine.
- Teaching possibilities: The number of books with items provided with American Girl dolls can aid youngsters in learning about the past, culture, and other viewpoints.
- Different accessories: American Girl dolls let kids show their artistic abilities by dressing up their dolls in unique outfits, finishing touches, and haircuts.
- Doll hospital facility: American Girl dolls are provided with a range of extras, including an extended life warranty, according to the doll hospitals. You may bring your doll to the American Girl Doll Hospital whenever it suddenly sustains deterioration, which they will either fix or substitute at no cost to you.
In general, American Girl dolls represent an excellent choice for parents looking to provide their kids with top-notch, thought-provoking entertainment.
We’re not through yet, because now we will discuss where these expensive American dolls are being made.
Where Do American Girl Dolls Come From?
American companies took responsibility for the initial production of American Girl dolls. Manufacturing shifted to China. Thanks to its enormous community and inexpensive labor, China has become the biggest toy maker in the entire globe.
But wait – there’s more! American Girl dolls are currently produced in numerous Chinese factories, although almost all of these facilities originate from Shenzhen, a municipality within the Guangdong region.
The Most Popular American Girl Dolls
American Girl dolls are renowned for having superior craftsmanship and lifelike details. They appear in numerous varieties, and all have particular characteristics.
Below are some of the most popular categories of American girl dolls,
Samantha Parking ton:
Samantha, the original American Girl doll, has lengthy, silky eyelashes as well as an appealingly tanned complexion. She represents a girl from the Victorian era. She has been branded using hand-blocked characters. W. Germany appears on her apparel.
Felicity Merriman:
Felicity is a young woman from the time of colonialism who has softer eyelashes and a more intense complexion, unlike Samantha. Her clothing bears the label “China 1993.”
Addy Walker:
Addy represents a doll from the time before the Civil War who is African-American and has larger hand-blocked initials on her collarbone, unlike the remaining dolls. The hairdo is somewhat lacking, and she also lacks a creator’s signature. “China” is written on her clothing.
Molly McIntyre:
Samantha and Molly both have similar pale, tanned bodies from the era of the 1940s. Around the side of her neck, there is a creator’s signature plus delicate handmade blocked initials. The tag on her clothing reads W. Germany.
Kirsten Lane:
Like Samantha, Kirsten possesses enormous, silky eyelashes resembling those of a late 1950s girl. She bears a craftsman’s insignia on her collarbone that has been engraved with tiny, handwritten, bold characters. The label on her clothing reads “China.”
Kit Kittredge:
Kit is a young woman from the 1930s who has the numerals “75H9” and “Pleasant Company” stamped around the back of her neck. She lacks an identity tag, but has delicate eyelashes.
AGOT (American Girl of Today) blond hair/brown eyes:
The maker’s logo and the word “Pleasant Company ” are imprinted on this doll. She lacks an exterior label, but possesses delicate eyelashes. She would have arrived wearing the yellow wool coat.
AGOT Asian:
The words “Pleasant Company” are written in large, bold characters on the doll, while the numerals “749/76” are written on the collarbone. She probably arrived wearing the coat in fuchsia and jeans because she lacks an identity tag
Josefina:
A 1 in the circle following Pleasant Company appears on the neck of Josefina, a Hispanic Bitty Baby. Though nowhere near as delicate as the remaining dolls, she has lovely eyelashes. Her whole body is not marked.
Our New Baby:
This little baby has pale lashes and is blonde. She is identified by the number 14 on her neck and large, hand-blocked letters.
Bitty baby:
The numerals “750/74” and large blocks written by hand are used to identify this doll. She arrived sporting a brilliant brown complexion, wearing a white nightgown featuring red hearts.
Final Thoughts:
American Girl dolls continue to be favored by both youngsters and enthusiasts, regardless of their price tag. The dolls serve as cultural icons while offering kids a novel method to study histories and other societies. Generations of girls worldwide have benefited from the popular American Girl trademark. Because of its dedication to empowerment, variation, and learning, the organization has become an inspiration among girls of every age.