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American Girl Dolls - Accoutrements Question


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My daughter is 7 and has become obsessed with Felicity. I have found the doll and some clothes and her bed and horse on ebay. I'm wondering about all the accoutrements. I just can't believe how much tiny stuff there is to go along with these dolls - I am totally new to the AG world and a little in sticker shock.

 

Do the kids really play with the Rescue kit, tea service, chocolate party set, etc.? These things aren't cheap and they are small so they look easily lost. She spent some time on the AG site today playing the Felicity games and I found the teacher helps (which look great!) for Felicity and her books as well. My daughter looked through the AG Doll Collector page for Felicity and recognized all the items from the books that she's read - I haven't read the books so I was surprised.

 

I guess my question is, are these little sets really a good idea? Do they add to the doll play? Are they worth the money?

 

http://curtdanhauser.com/AG_Collecting/Fel.html

 

Thanks!

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If you ask my daughter she'd say yes in a heartbeat! We do however have entire collections for all of the dolls. Completing collections is mission of our daughter, and although expensive, it's the one toy she really plays with every single day.

As long as you daughter is gentle with her toys, the older collections are truly heirloom quality and if treated right can be passed to the next generation. (That's how I've convinced my DH anyway!)

 

P.S. She just said to mention she loves Felicitys bed, two horses with the carriage, and table and teas service with treats the best of all.

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Take your time in acquiring the accessories. You'll need birthday and holiday presents for years to come.

 

You can find well-made clothes at many craft fairs to fill out her wardrobe, and also sew a few things yourselves.

 

Sculpy/FIMO clay makes great food - we did brownies and donuts and other baked goods.

 

Craft stores sell wooden beds and other furniture you can decorate.

 

They do make many lovely things, but pacing yourself a bit will let her improvise, and she will appreciate the things so much more (and play with them more) if they come to her gradually.

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Have you looked at the Target brand 18" doll accessories? I believe they are called Our Generation, and make quite a few items. One set of clothing has ripped for us, but the horse and other pieces we have seem good quality if you are unable/unwilling to splurge for AG brand items.

 

There's also Toys R Us's Journey Girls. We bought a loft bed and crutches/wheelchair set from there.

 

And it is great to see how the girls improvise things. My two made their own AG vault and bars set!

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My DD especially loves the food sets. She uses them all the time. They're crazy-expensive, but in my mind they're worth it if she plays with them.

 

You're at a bit of a disadvantage with Felicity. Since she's retired, expect to pay way more than the already crazy prices for her items. If you're lucky, you can come across some on Craigslist. Even if you have to be an entire Felicity lot, you can easily sell off the items you already have on e-bay.

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I have Felicity, and although I love, love, love her and her fabulous accessories, I will probably never buy any of them. They are so crazy expensive. My daughter and I make things for our dolls all the time, and that is so fun for us. A nice mix of accessories and homemade or thrifted stuff would be great. Don't stress about buying everything, and certainly not all at once!

 

Having a few outfits is nice, and we like doing tea parties, so maybe a small tea set. The mini dolls make very sweet dolls for the the big dolls to play with - and matching outfits.

 

Oh, how I love the AG threads!

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Don't stress about buying everything, and certainly not all at once!

 

Just to clarify, I am not planning on buying any of these small things now, I think the doll, bed and horse are enough for Christmas - for sure! I just didn't know if these extra sets were really something to consider in the future for a young girl or if they more piqued the interest of doll collectors. Looking at some of the pieces, they seem like they would get lost as easily as Barbie shoes, which is why I was asking!

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My DD especially loves the food sets. She uses them all the time. They're crazy-expensive, but in my mind they're worth it if she plays with them.

 

 

:iagree: I always recommend food and a table/chairs set. They get the most play time around here. Sculpey is a great way to make food, in addition to the official AG food. I'm sure a google search will guide you to some great ideas. We love making food with friends. Have a food-making party while the dolls are having a party!

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We have two beds (one from IKEA and one from AG), lots of clothes and a wheelchair. My girls have asked for some of the food sets, but when they saw them at the store, they were disappointed and didn't want them any longer. We have tons of play food from the toddler years that they do use. They've even asked for new specific food sets (kitchen play) to supplement. So, I think it really depend on your dd. Mine read the books but are more flexible about what they play with. They even re-name the dolls. We have two horses, and they never get played with, ever. As you see your dd play, you'll get a better idea of what she likes.

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We have two beds (one from IKEA and one from AG), lots of clothes and a wheelchair. My girls have asked for some of the food sets, but when they saw them at the store, they were disappointed and didn't want them any longer. We have tons of play food from the toddler years that they do use. They've even asked for new specific food sets (kitchen play) to supplement. So, I think it really depend on your dd. Mine read the books but are more flexible about what they play with. They even re-name the dolls. We have two horses, and they never get played with, ever. As you see your dd play, you'll get a better idea of what she likes.

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We have two beds (one from IKEA and one from AG), lots of clothes and a wheelchair. My girls have asked for some of the food sets, but when they saw them at the store, they were disappointed and didn't want them any longer. We have tons of play food from the toddler years that they do use. They've even asked for new specific food sets (kitchen play) to supplement. So, I think it really depend on your dd. Mine read the books but are more flexible about what they play with. They even re-name the dolls. We have two horses, and they never get played with, ever. As you see your dd play, you'll get a better idea of what she likes.

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My DD has mainly the dolls from AG. Most of the accessories have been hand me downs. She loves to look at Walmart, Target and Toys R Us for clothes and accessories. She is drooling over a scooter at Target right now. She also loves Hobby Lobby and Michaels for neat things she can repurpose for her dolls. They have sewing patterns at the craft stores. There are also blogs and websites devoted to crafting things for your dolls.

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