 |
|
 |
 |
|
| American Girl Dolls & Ebay: A Love Affair
|
| Added on 11/08/06 by
Betsy
11 comments
|
|
"My daughter wants an American Girl doll for Christmas. I've always loved them and have been looking at them on ebay. Could you do a ReSale Queen on the American Girl dolls? What should I look for? Is it worth it to invest in an older doll or should I just buy new? What do you think?"
I love American Girl dolls too- that is the whole basis for their success I think. They totally appeal to mommies as well as kids.
As a buyer you have to make a decision. Are you taking the Beanie Baby route- buying the dolls as some sort of investment your kid can retire on at 19, or are you buying dolls for your daughter to fall in love with, to drag along on her adventures and to make her best friend.
Or maybe you just are wondering whether the older dolls are higher quality and you just want the coolest little best friend for your daughter.
To help you determine which path to take I am going to give you a little background on how these things are listed on Ebay and what you can expect to pay for each classification.
American Girl was the brilliant idea of a Wisconsin teacher. She started Pleasant Company in 1986 with a catalog. The reason a lot of people think dolls from this period are higher quality is because they were made by the Goetz company in Germany, a respected doll manufacturer. These dolls are tagged made in West Germany. The earliest dolls also had white bodies. Remember that when she started there were only 3 characters Molly, Kirsten and Samantha- so if your daughter wants one of the newer characters like Kaya then you cannot buy a "vintage" one.
On Ebay a white bodied doll which is the rarest of the older girls can sell for over 500 if it is in the original box with all tags in mint condition. Check out completed item 320040707406. Also valuable are accessories produced during this early period as they are perceived to be of higher quality than current ones.
So the next batch of dolls were made in West Germany but had regular flesh colored bodies, the side tags on these dolls also state Made in West Germany, though they are not as highly sought after on Ebay because they are more common. Expect to pay between 50-100 depending on the character, clothing, and of course condition. If you are interested in purchasing one of these put pre-mattel American Girl into the Ebay search box.
In the early 90's dolls were still made in West Germany, then production was moved to Hungary for a year then finally to China were they are made to this day.
In 1998 the Wisconsin teacher sold the company to Mattel. Pleasant Company as a name disappeared and the company was renamed American Girl to better utilize brand recognitiion. This helps to date any accessories or dolls you may find second hand, anything marked Pleasant Company irregardless of where it was produced is pre-mattel.
Now what's with the whole pre-mattel thing? Well I guess people freaked when she sold the company- like Mattel was going to Barbieize American Girl- cheapen the brand and the quality.
Mattel has definitely expanded the line of characters as well as produced movies and other stuff to publicize the brand. There are also the American Girl stores now which are really fun if you haven't gone.
I have both pre and post Mattel American Girls and personally I don't see a huge quality difference. Please don't email me and tell me I am wrong- it's just my opinion.
The dolls retail in the AG stores or catalogs for around $87 new. If you can do better than that on Ebay and your child doesn't mind a previously enjoyed doll then go the Ebay route. I wouldn't personally spend $100 just to get a pre-mattel doll for my child to play with.
Ebay is a cool place to find all the retired play sets. This is where the brand has really excelled in quality- ever tried to put a Barbie doll on a Barbie chair- it takes concentration and luck to get Barbie furniture to function. American Girl stuff has wonderful detail and quality. Even the things I find at garage sales years later are in awesome condition.
Look for the current sets on Ebay as well they are generally cheaper on Ebay than in the catalog.
How are people doing that? For one thing there is an American Girl outlet store in Appleton Wisconsin and you see a lot of Ebay items from that area since people go to the outlet then sell the stuff on Ebay. I haven't been to the outlet yet so I don't know if it's super cheap.
Another fun thing to collect in the American Girl collection and something that has done well on the secondary market is the American Girl doll of the year.
This started in 2001 with Lindsay, the only Jewish doll American Girl has come out with. Lindsey's in the box can sell for around $300- I was lucky enough to buy mine at a garage sale for $25. If you are not picky about the box thing expect to pay $125-$150 for an out of the box gently played with Lindsey and 80-100 for a naked played with one. She was only out for the year then retired December 31st.
Christmas 2003 brought Kailey an environmentalist- worth about $130 on Ebay. She was retired 12/31/04.
12/2004 brought Marisol a dancer doll with an Hispanic face mold- same as Josefina. She was also retired promptly, and Jan 1st of 2006 about a million hit Ebay. She is easier than the earlier dolls to find new in box I think a lot of people bought her to resell so mint in box is more common for Marisol plus it hasn't been that long since retirement. She is still worth around $150 new in box.
For 2006, there is Jess. Her story places has her paddling around Belize in a kayak for some reason. She is not yet sold out- still available on the AG website for $87. If you think you might want one buy them now last year Marisol sold out in very early December.
For 2007, the doll is going to be Nicki Fleming a Colorado girl who lives on a ranch and trains service dogs. Rumor has it she will have brown curly hair and blue eyes. She will be available soon.
I personally like the dolls that have been loved, they have more personality than the new in boxers. My favorite doll has Kool-Aid tinted hair and Sharpie tattoos as well as a bad haircut- dolls like this aren't worth much on Ebay maybe $25-$35- but hey that's why I'm the resale queen.
Tags: American Girl Lindsey  , American Girl pre-mattel doll , American Girl Retired , Resale Queen , Buy American Girl Dolls |
11 Comments
| 1 |
Hi Re-Sale Queen. I think it might be important to let folks know that eBay and the American Girl Doll Store aren't the only choices for lower priced American Girl Clothing and Accessories. There are many small websites that are primarily focused on American Girl (or other 18" doll) products for lower (read affordable) prices. A lot of them are started by us Moms who loved the American Girl but couldn't afford to keep up with the trend :-)
Lisa-Marie
http://www.dollsclothese-emilyrose.com
|
|
| |
Posted by: LM
at:
6:21am 11/09/2006 |
|
| 2 |
I would like to add a vote for Emily Rose. I got a great bed there for my daughter for Christmas for $35!!
|
|
| |
Posted by: American Girl Doll Clothes Fan
at:
7:40am 01/20/2007 |
|
| 3 |
I really want an in shape American girl doll. I have sence I was 2 years old and I am now 11. If anyone hn American girl doll for $120.00 or less, its sold!
|
|
| |
Posted by: I am kool at:
6:58pm 01/26/2007 |
|
| 4 |
I have one of the original Samanthas, cloth body, signed, numbered (I think #496) and dated (1986), she could use a little scrub up but otherwise in good condition... I also have a bunch of accessories, her trunk, bed, tea set... How much do you think I could get for all of this, and how should I go about selling it.... (not ebay from what you say above)
thanks!
|
|
| |
Posted by: Kelly at:
7:33am 06/27/2007 |
|
| 5 |
Craigslist is also a great place to find them, but they go FAST. A few were on our local one before Christmas for $40.00 each and were in great shape - of course they were gone before I could get any! :)
|
|
| |
Posted by: Karen at:
10:20am 01/04/2008 |
|
| 6 |
Hey, I am cool. U know wat......how much do u want for that samantha. i am a serious collector, and i wuld love to buy her.
|
|
| |
Posted by: Kayleigh at:
4:15pm 01/17/2008 |
|
| 7 |
Yes, craigslist is a great place to buy them. Also you have to remember that if you get them off ebay they tend to cost 60$ and often the seller is not completely honest with condition as my experience has led me to only by off craigslist where I can see first or to buy them new from American girl since I got a smokey ebay doll 2 times and lied to many times about condition of dolls. Also you can to http://www.agfansboard.com become a member and see things for sale there. They tend to be as much as ebay, but people are a little more honest on their, as they get to know each other and don't want their reputation ruined on the board.
|
|
| |
Posted by: jen at:
11:48pm 01/23/2008 |
|
| 8 |
I am looking for two American Girl items. First, I have an almost complete collection of the AG Dolls of Many Lands (2002). I don't have the Irish doll. I would like to find her. Any more suggestions? Second, I want the Girl Scout outfit (1996). Am willing to hear all suggestions?
|
|
| |
Posted by: Seaweed60 at:
11:22am 02/07/2008 |
|
| 9 |
Thank you for the wonderful ideas. I am also interested in finding AG activity books and craft kits plus the little books. Suggestions?
|
|
| |
Posted by: Seaweed60 at:
11:35am 02/07/2008 |
|
| 10 |
Hi Resale queen,
Great Website!!!!!!!
You mention that there is an American Girl store in Appleton WI, it is actually in Oshkosh WI. They are open year round but offer a special sale in June. It is fantastic. Not only do they sell American girl items but they also sell Mattel toys. This sale is at the outlet mall but in a separate store, rather than the everyday store. The rest of the stores in the mall also have wonderful sales. Its worth the trip. In July American Girl has their warehouse sale in Middleton WI. You have to go on line to the Madison area children's museum website for sale information. Proceeds from this sale go to support the museum. This is a two day sale. You must have a ticket for Saturday, but you do not need one for Sunday. On Sunday the selection isn't as good as Saturday, but prices are lowered. You can get a doll for $40.00. All sale items are new, returned but repaired, or AG overstock. All items will have a small x on them somewhere to avoid being returned to the retail stores. This sale is run by volunteers and takes approximately one year to prepare. This is a huge undertaking, and the workers are wonderful. When you check out you will also receive a free gift. This sale offers dolls and accessories. As you mentioned earlier the June sale in Oshkosh does not feature dolls. As in Oshkosh, the Middleton area malls have additional sales for all the people attending the AG sale. This is a two day sale in Middleton and you must get your hotel reservation early, they book up fast. A little know fact about the Middleton sale-each year at a certain time and at the check out number that matches that year (this year check out #8 for 2008) a customer will receive their items for free. My daughters and I make a weekend out of the sale, and have such a good time. In the past they have had buyers from as far away as England, and most of the 50 states.
My girls love the Dolls, Books ect. This is a great way to get a quality product for a great price.
|
|
| |
Posted by: Gina Rose at:
9:01am 03/19/2008 |
|
| 11 |
Wow, Gina Rose, Thank you for all of that information. Very helpful. Does anyone know where I can find a white body, signed AG doll not on ebay...ebay sellers usually forge dates on the dolls themselves.
|
|
| |
Posted by: Kayleigh at:
8:54pm 04/05/2008 |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| << home |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
