WIS0320 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I have a 7.5 year old girl and she has really caught the AG Doll bug. She is in an AG Doll Club, she loves the books, she plays with her Bitty Baby and her lookalike My American Girl doll all the time. We've been fortunate that grandparents have helped supply the AG things we've already got as they are super expensive! She is really obsessed with Felicity and she is a retired doll. I've found some things on ebay but I am just not sure that this is really worth all this $$ if she is going to grow out of these dolls within a year or so. How long did your daughter play with these dolls? Advice please! I do appreciate the educational aspect of the historical dolls but I am still not sure that $50 for a doll's dress and tea set is really worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My dd played with hers until she was almost 12. We have 9 of the AG dolls and 1 Bitty Baby, each of them with all their stuff (yes, ALL their stuff), and I think they were worth every penny. They take up a lot of room to store in my basement (the furniture especially), but I'm happily waiting for the day I have granddaughters. Oh, and the doll trunks are worth their weight in gold! I am so happy we splurged on those...best way to store the tiny accessories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firestar Academy Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 my dd got her first at 7. still going strong and she will be 13 next month. one of her friends got into them at 14 and they play together all the time. i also have a 9 year old who cries when she can't play with the older girls. Robin in nj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I think often times the *type* of play changes -- sometimes as girls get older, they start sewing and designing their own doll fashions, for instance -- but I would expect a girl who is interested at 7 to remain interested until at least 11 or 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My DD is 10 and has Caroline on her list for Christmas this year. I think she got Bitty when she was 5 and still plays with her, along with all her other AG dolls. They are played with more than anything else that she owns. I'm hoping she continues to play with them for another 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My 11 year old daughter and her best friend (about the same age) still play with their AG dolls. They take them everywhere. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My niece is in college, and no, she doesn't still play with the dolls. However, she has asked my dd and I to come visit them in Chicago this summer so we can go have dinner at American Girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Our AG group seems to span the age from about 6-12 or so. A lot of the older girls get into making movies, fashion design, or writing stories. My DD got Kaya (I bought Molly about a year later for me-which gives DD another doll for a friend to play with) at just turning 6, and it's worked well so far. As far as historical clothes, check Etsy sellers or local craft fairs. I've gotten some really wonderful outfits for the dolls at great prices that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Our AG group seems to span the age from about 6-12 or so. A lot of the older girls get into making movies, fashion design, or writing stories. My DD got Kaya (I bought Molly about a year later for me-which gives DD another doll for a friend to play with) at just turning 6, and it's worked well so far. As far as historical clothes, check Etsy sellers or local craft fairs. I've gotten some really wonderful outfits for the dolls at great prices that way. :iagree: I think the way girls play now is extending their time with dolls, which is great! My daughter watches stop-motion AG doll stories on youtube. Most of these are made by tween to teen girls. Dd loves to style AG doll hair and make outfits for them. I think I was probably the last of my friends to play with dolls. I only stopped because it wasn't cool anymore. It's cool to customize dolls now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My older daughter lost interest in playing with the dolls when she was about 12, but she'll still play with them with her 7.5 year old sister now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My 12dd still plays with hers & asked for another for Christmas. She absolutely loves them though. My 15dd has hers on her shelf & won't part with them. I never bought the expensive clothes or accessories. I'd always try to find similar items at Target for much cheaper. The doll clothes there won't fit the AG dolls, but I can get other accessories. We made our own clothes by taking in baby clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma2Many66 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My daughter who is now 24 and a mommy herself was almost 14 until she finally gave up on playing with her American Girl dolls. Her best friend (also homeschooled and 14 ) lived right across the street from us and they would get out the American Girl dolls and play with them all the time. It was a sad day for them when they finally put them away in storage. They even had a little party to commemorate the event. Now my younger daughter age 12 never really was into the dolls like my oldest daughter, she stopped playing with the American Girl Dolls a lot about 9 years old or so. But she never really cared to play with any dolls all that much and she didn't have a best friend next door to encourage the doll play either. So I think it really depends on your daughter, if she is really into the dolls when young, she will probably continue to enjoy them until 10 to 12 years old. If she is only luke warm on dolls, maybe she will not be interested in them after age 9 or so. We now have the dolls put away temporarily until my grand-daughter turns 4 or 5. In the meantime I just bought my grand-daughter her first Bitty Baby doll and lots of accessories on the American Girl website. I took advantage of their free shipping offer on 100 dollars purchase :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghee Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My DD is 10. She has several of the dolls and has really only STARTED to "play" with them, IMO. She now enjoys doing their hair, changing their clothes, and either setting them up for pictures or making stop motions. I can see her easily playing with them until High School in that sense. She recently sewed her bitty baby a gown, I think she will probably get into that. She has asked Santa for a camera to make stopmotions, but then she decided she wants a Caroline doll. I *am* trying to talk her out of the doll, as we have 6 historical dolls, 1 My American Girl, and a Maplelea doll already. She has Elizabeth, Felicity's friend, who (IMO) looks like Caroline. That is my only gripe - Rebecca looks like Samantha, Marie Grace reminds me too much of Felicity, and now Caroline looks like Elizabeth. I wish they'd retire the doll AND the looks ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My almost-10 and 12 year old girls show no signs of giving up dolls. They are asking for (and receiving) Marie-Grace and Caroline for Christmas (they have had Felicity and Elizabeth for 7 or 8 years I think). I don't think my 12 yo will give up dolls before high school. She loves them and has no peer pressure to quit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 dd was into her dolls until some time between 12 and 13. At 15, she still occasionally rearranges them and changes one doll's clothing. They are displayed at the top of a couple tall book shelves in her room. She got her first AG doll at age 6. She received accessories or other dolls at every birthday or Christmas until age 11. It was great never having to think of what to get her and whether or not it was appropriate. Age 11 was a big year for AG in our house. dd was in an AG field trip club, which visited historical sites. She and I traveled to NYC to visit AG for her birthday and see NYC. Aside from her age, the interest was so strong here that it was a little shocking how quickly it dropped the next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My oldest, 12, has pretty much lost interest in her dolls, although she will still play with her little sisters from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My 11yo still plays dolls with her sister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My dd still plays with them at 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Rebecca got her first doll about 2-3 years ago and they're both out there playing with their combined 5 dolls right now. They're making gymnastics equipment for them to have a meet, which they're going to video and put on YouTube. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Dd played with hers for many years. She's 18 and I asked if she wanted to sell one. I was told that it would be like selling your children. lol They are well dressed and sitting on a bookshelf waiting for her to return from college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Dd got hers when she was 7. She was never into dolls, but she LOVED that AG doll. In fact, after she got it, we were told in no uncertain terms that she never wanted another doll so that one would always be special. She played heavily with it til about 10.5, then it dwindled a bit, but she still has it in a place of honor in her room, and has played with it at least several times a year during ages 11-12. She's about to turn 13 next month and just last month took the doll out and for many hours one Saturday dressed her up in all her outfits, one at a time with a different hairstyle for each, and did a "photo shoot". I am sure this is one of the very few toys she had that she will keep forever. We had so many fun mom/daughter times looking thru the catalogs together too! And definitely had a great time at the AG store in NYC. My mom bought the doll for her, and I tell her all the time it was the best money she ever spent on her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stayseeliz Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 My nieces who are 10 and 12 aren't asking for an AG doll for Christmas for the first time ever. My girls who are 8 1/2 and 5 are asking for AG dolls and are still VERY into them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Thanks everyone. Your comments were very encouraging! I ended up getting a few things on ebay, and I've got bids on a couple other things. So far I have a used Felicity doll, her bed and her horse penny. All three of these combined were about $200 which I feel is pretty good based on the AG website prices for new doll things (obviously Felicity isn't there b/c she's been archived). I am trying to win a few more dresses and a tea set. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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