Halcyon Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 DS younger has his heart set on an American Girl doll, but wow--they're pricey! Can someone recommend a similar doll that isn't as costly? We're looking at the Emily Rose dolls. Is anyone familiar with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 No, but I think she's pretty! I like that there's no soft body showing thru at the neck. I do like the ones Lifeway Christian stores sell--don't know the name, but the dolls look to be of good quality and are attractive. Probably as expensive as AG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 It took me a long time to come around to the price of American Girl dolls, but my youngest now has 2 and is getting a 3rd for Christmas. She loves, loves, loves them and plays with them far more than any other doll (she's 10 now, so at this point they are really the only doll she plays with anymore). We tried a few substitutes, and really, that money was somewhat wasted, as she simply doesn't play with or enjoy them the way she does AG. Most don't approach the quality of AG dolls, and the ones that do apparently don't have the same allure or fun factor. AG dolls tend to have great hair, which most girls love to fiddle with. Also, I think they have a certain 'look' that the kids like; many of the Gotz dolls, while equal in quality, have that old-fashioned porcelain doll look, while AG dolls tend to look more realistic. I don't know how to explain it, but if you can compare side by side you may be able to see what I'm talking about. An AG doll looks fine whether dressed in modern or historical clothes, and Gotz/others tend to look odd in modern clothes. So, if the price is a stretch but workable, I'd consider going AG in the first place. Do you spend that much all together, or usually not? What I did was explain to dd that getting an AG doll means getting very few other gifts. When she was fine with that, I knew she really wanted the doll! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 http://www.cptoy.com/cgi-bin/pf.sh/2.0/dept.htm?parent_id=Doll%20Play&dept_id=Todays%20Girl The doll itself is $50, but they have their super combo sets where you can get the doll and 12 outfits for $144. Still pricey, but not as bad as American Girl dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 I did just go and look at the Emily Rose doll, and she's very pretty! One thing about cheaper dolls is that you always have the clothes, even if they don't wind up playing with the doll much, lol. Doll clothes and accessories are stupidly expensive, and Emily Rose has a rocking outfit! I just asked dd why she likes AG better than other dolls: "Their hair is much better, and their clothes are, too. They have more stuff that all goes together. I love that they have stories. Each one is from a different time; it's just so interesting." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 well I too thought it much too much to pay for a doll. My dd bought the Target 18 doll and it's very nice. She also bought the large horse with it and is happy with her purchase. She spent $70 of her own money for the doll and the horse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 The Emily Rose dolls are Madame Alexander dolls. You can get them at Target (look online) and Toys R Us as well. I don't know much about them. From the little I have heard, their hair isn't as easy to style as the AG dolls, but it's much nicer than the Our Generation dolls that Target sells. You may still be able to get her a slightly-used AG doll from Craigslist or a consignment shop for a decent price if she wants one, but you don't want to spend all that money for a brand-new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 We had some Our Generation dolls and horses from Target, and the quality was pretty poor. Each of my girls has one AG doll and they really are much better dolls than any other kind we've had. I fully expect that they'll be able to pass their AG dolls onto their daughters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 We had some Our Generation dolls and horses from Target, and the quality was pretty poor. My dd's Our Generation doll did that freaky thing with the eyes within 6 months, where they don't open or close correctly, and now she's only good for inducing nightmares :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We bought our dd a Springfield doll from Michael's for about $20. She came nekkid, but they sell clothes there and AG clothes will fit her. The hair is pretty cheap, but we leave it in a braid and untangle it every few weeks. She's had "Amelia" for a few years now and is quite rough on her and she's stood up great. So the price is a big pro but the wackadoo hair is a big con. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We bought our dd a Springfield doll from Michael's for about $20. She came nekkid, but they sell clothes there and AG clothes will fit her. The hair is pretty cheap, but we leave it in a braid and untangle it every few weeks. She's had "Amelia" for a few years now and is quite rough on her and she's stood up great. So the price is a big pro but the wackadoo hair is a big con. Each of my daughters has one of these too. They got them two Christmases ago. Older DD was 4 at the time and drooled over the American Girl catalog. Santa brought her a Springfield doll and she's never known the difference. She's held up well. I got a lot of cute clothing and shoes on Etsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We bought our dd a Springfield doll from Michael's for about $20. She came nekkid, but they sell clothes there and AG clothes will fit her. The hair is pretty cheap, but we leave it in a braid and untangle it every few weeks. She's had "Amelia" for a few years now and is quite rough on her and she's stood up great. So the price is a big pro but the wackadoo hair is a big con. I'd say the same thing about the non-AG dolls. We have one of the Madame Alexander ones, I think from Toys R Us, and she has a lovely face with a sweet expression, and her body is fine, plus the AG clothes fit her. But the hair is really not the type you can fiddle with; it frizzed very easily. DD plays with her plenty but does prefer her AG dolls, because the hair can be styled more easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Another option is eBay. And we found one in the thrift twice - not super-duper cheap, but a good price considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 DS was begging for a doll that looked like him. We got the Bitty Twins from AG (one boy, 1 girl) and gave 1 to him & 1 to DD for Christmas. Cheaper than the full-size dolls, same AG quality, and the only way I could find a boy doll that looked "like him" (not a plush toy or a soft CPK) that didn't totally creep me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Sears has a brand that I think is around 30.00. That is what we got dd4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 You know....I am mad they don't have male dolls like AG. I have SEARCHED for HOURS trying to find something for my sons, as they wanted to play with sisters. They are not interested in playing with the girl dolls. They want a doll that looks like them. Such a bumer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We purchased a Madame Alexander forever friends for dd for Christmas through amazon. She loves her. I am very pleased with the quality of the doll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I did just go and look at the Emily Rose doll, and she's very pretty! One thing about cheaper dolls is that you always have the clothes, even if they don't wind up playing with the doll much, lol. Doll clothes and accessories are stupidly expensive, and Emily Rose has a rocking outfit! I just asked dd why she likes AG better than other dolls: "Their hair is much better, and their clothes are, too. They have more stuff that all goes together. I love that they have stories. Each one is from a different time; it's just so interesting." I found doll and me matching outfits at kmart for $15 right before Chrsitmas and $7.50 after christmas. DDs happy with matching outfits. Kohls had quite a few outfits also but they went so fast in store and on line. I just purchased doll and me nightgowns at Kohls.comfor under $20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We got our girls Madame Alexander dolls for Christmas. They love them and I was willing to get them because they are actually pretty and well made (I do NOT like the Our Generation dolls at Target or the ones from Michaels). We got ours at Costco, so I'm not sure where else they sell them. I have cousins who got the Journey Girls dolls (from Walmart) and they are nice, but I wasn't really impressed with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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