About the American Girl Collection
The American Girl company began as Pleasant Company in 1986. Its founder, Pleasant T. Rowland, had noticed that there were no dolls on the doll market that resembled preteen girls, and she wanted to fill that “gap”. The company was later bought by Mattel in 1998. Dolls that were made before 1998 are usually labeled "pre-Mattel". American Girl's mission has always been to celebrate girls between the ages of 3 and 12. It helps girls explore their dreams, desires, hopes for the future, and ways they can make a positive change in the world around them today. American Girl offers something for every stage of a girl's childhood, all the way from preschooler to almost-teenager.
Featured Items
All of the American Girl products are high-quality, designed to last and be enjoyed for many years. The first line of products from American Girl were historical books about girls from many different stages in American history, as well as 18-inch dolls, accessories, and furniture that represented the book characters. Some of the dolls even have their own pets. Currently, there are nine dolls and book series in this collection: Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, Molly, and Julie. Felicity, Samantha, Kit, Molly, and Julie also have a companion doll in their collection that represents each book character's best friend. (Elizabeth, Nellie, Ruthie, Emily, and Ivy, respectively) The American Girls' stories span all of American history, from the colonial days of 1764 to the very recent time of 1974. The girls' homes also go from coast to coast and everywhere in between, from the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco to Williamsburg, Virginia and Mount Bedford, New York.
The American Girl historical books all show different significant times in the history of America from the 9-year-old girls' points of view, and make learning history fun and interesting. Each book also includes a few pages of nonfictional historical tidbits at the back. Readers will see what lifestyles and challenges girls faced at each of these times, as well as how they spent their time and related to their families. The books are on a second-grade reading level, so elementary-aged girls can read the books independently and then act out the stories with the dolls and accessories. They can even sit their dolls down to a dinner that the book characters would have eaten, then dress them in historical nightclothes and tuck them into their own perfectly-sized beds at night!
The American Girl company also has an extensive line of contemporary books and dolls called Just Like You, introduced in 1995. These dolls are available with many different skin tones, hair colors, and eye colors, which show the vast diversity of American girls today. Girls are almost guaranteed to find a doll in this collection that looks just like them! These American Girl dolls are the same size as the historical ones, so you can mix and match clothing and accessories between the two collections if you like.
The Just Like You dolls have a large selection of contemporary clothes and accessories, so girls can have their dolls act out nearly any activity that the girls themselves enjoy. For instance, you can purchase a soccer uniform, a ballet leotard, or even karate clothing for your doll! You can also pamper her with a bathtub for a “spa day”, or enjoy a slumber party with her very own day bed. For pet lovers, the Just Like You collection also includes a dog named Coconut and a cat named Licorice.
American Girl's newest collection is called Girl of the Year, and it introduces a new doll with her own book every year, to be sold by the company for that year only. However, many people who have bought these dolls are selling them on the secondary market, so there's a good chance that you can find one of them here! Currently, there are six Girls of the Year: Lindsey (2001–2002), Kailey (2003–2004), Marisol (2005), Jess (2006), Nicki (2007), and Mia (2008). Like the historical collection, the book characters that these dolls represent are very diverse and have different backgrounds, families, and interests. They care about the world and people around them and do their best to make a difference.
For younger girls who aren't old enough for the 18-inch dolls, there's the Bitty Baby Collection (formerly called Our New Baby). This line is designed for girls ages 3–6, to give them a great experience "playing house" and role-playing motherhood and nurturing care. There are 2 kinds of dolls in this collection. The first is Bitty Baby, which is available in several different skin tones and hair colors. She has her own furniture and accessories, as well as many adorable outfits and a furry best friend, Bitty Bear. There are also the Bitty Twins, who are sold in different combinations between a blonde boy, blonde girl, brunette boy, or brunette girl. They have soft, "playable" hair (Bitty Baby has molded hair, which is vinyl like the rest of her head and limbs) and their own line of clothing and accessories.