American Girl

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Yeah with all the new changes to AG.... they are making it easier and easier to save for Disney World!  :-p

[JazzMatazz]

Wow...

I guess I'm going to forgo the camera this year and focus my Swagbucks earnings on Maryellen's collection and maybe the couple Melody pieces I want. At least Amazon Prime doesn't gouge shipping like direct from AG :/

I'm not surprised based on Mattel's history. I mean they did lose the license for Disney dolls recently.  The quality took a hit slightly when they took over from pleasant co.
Didn't realize AG gouged the shipping? I've had good luck with that but then the main shipping warehouse is Madison and I'm within an hour from there which probably explains why it's so cheap for me. I was shocked shipping a doll to the doll hospital only cost me $10 I was expecting closer to 20 with the size of the box.


Since tickets go on sale tomorrow, I was toying with the idea of going to the Madison Children's Museum  warehouse sale this summer. Anyone else going? I haven't gone in several years. Depending on if I get a ticket, I might be able to pick stuff up for others. I don't remember having to send a check in to go. But maybe I went during free entrance last time. I'd most likely just go on Sunday when things are 50%. If anything the entrance cost counts towards donations on my taxes.

[Ponyfan]

I have to agree making sewn on underwear is a big step down for American Girl. What's interesting is that the Bitty Babies will remain unchanged meaning you can still remove their diapers but some of the dolls meant for older girls will now have the sewn on non removable underwear.


Ponyfan

[Taxel]

I'm not surprised based on Mattel's history. I mean they did lose the license for Disney dolls recently.  The quality took a hit slightly when they took over from pleasant co.
Didn't realize AG gouged the shipping? I've had good luck with that but then the main shipping warehouse is Madison and I'm within an hour from there which probably explains why it's so cheap for me. I was shocked shipping a doll to the doll hospital only cost me $10 I was expecting closer to 20 with the size of the box.


Since tickets go on sale tomorrow, I was toying with the idea of going to the Madison Children's Museum  warehouse sale this summer. Anyone else going? I haven't gone in several years. Depending on if I get a ticket, I might be able to pick stuff up for others. I don't remember having to send a check in to go. But maybe I went during free entrance last time. I'd most likely just go on Sunday when things are 50%. If anything the entrance cost counts towards donations on my taxes.

That's true, but the Disney dolls were just cheap playline things. I didn't expect them to start screwing up AG's quality like this.

AG's shipping is very very expensive, especially for these days. Most companies offer low flat shipping rates or always have stuff like "free shipping for $50/$75/$100 purchases". If there wasn't a free shipping event when we ordered Maryellen it would've been tons extra, like $15-20 or so? Its unbelievable that people can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and AG is still too cheap to give them free shipping. It also seems, from what I've read, that AG stuff arrives either pretty quick or insanely slow. Its ridiculous for such a large luxury brand.


I didn't even know about the warehouse sale until a few months ago! It sounds like a really cool thing to go to.



Edit: Aren't they bring AG to the Middle East? I bet that's the real reason for this. And based on this tweet they won't even be attached... they'll be printed, is my guess.
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[Taxel]

Dunno if everyone has already seen it yet or not, but AG posted a photo on their FB. It looks like the "butt" of the body is just the underwear to me.

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Of course they're PINK instead of something neutral like white, so now dolls can have their pink panties show under light colored clothing.

[Ponyfan]

Is it just me or does the new permanent underwear look like it sits a little higher on the legs of the doll than the regular body does.


Ponyfan

[sailorstitch]

Sorry I haven't been on here. I've had enough trouble keeping up with this topic over on AGPT. There's a 28 page thread just on the "permapanties" over there!

I was thinking about getting Gabby and Logan, but now... nope. I'm done with modern dolls! And luckily I already have the three Beforever dolls that will be affected. I think I'm just going to wait for the rumored Pearl Habor historical. If she has sewn on underwear and not bloomers like Molly.... I will most likely be done with AG for good.

I can't wrap my head around how STUPID this idea is! This new release that's coming out on the 16th includes a bathroom for Julie. The bathroom has a shower, sink and toilet. Julie can now only use the sink because her underwear is sewn to her body! Seriously!!! Who uses a toilet with their underwear on?

sailorstitch

[scarletjul]

Dunno if everyone has already seen it yet or not, but AG posted a photo on their FB. It looks like the "butt" of the body is just the underwear to me.

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Of course they're PINK instead of something neutral like white, so now dolls can have their pink panties show under light colored clothing.

Ugh.  This is frustrating.  I wanted Maryellen (and Melody,) but I was going to wait until at least April to buy her.

I guess there's always eBay? 

[Taxel]

Sorry I haven't been on here. I've had enough trouble keeping up with this topic over on AGPT. There's a 28 page thread just on the "permapanties" over there!

I was thinking about getting Gabby and Logan, but now... nope. I'm done with modern dolls! And luckily I already have the three Beforever dolls that will be affected. I think I'm just going to wait for the rumored Pearl Habor historical. If she has sewn on underwear and not bloomers like Molly.... I will most likely be done with AG for good.

I can't wrap my head around how STUPID this idea is! This new release that's coming out on the 16th includes a bathroom for Julie. The bathroom has a shower, sink and toilet. Julie can now only use the sink because her underwear is sewn to her body! Seriously!!! Who uses a toilet with their underwear on?

sailorstitch

I wish so badly that PT would stop being ridiculous and finally stop this nonsense of not letting people in. I hate how exclusive the community for these dolls is... all this news lately has only made it worse :/

But anyways, I've been considering Tenney on and off but after this its a huge no from me too. It was already taking a lot to consider buying a blonde doll but I was so intrigued by those unique hand molds I was thinking I might do it. But nope, no way. Supposedly Gabby, Tenney, and Logan are still immoral with their inappropriate removable underwear for now. Though really, at this point, I wouldn't trust AG about it. Way too big a risk for me. Maybe I'll buy a baity Tenney on Craigslist or something later to get the arms, but that's it. I'm not going to support her release.

Somehow I didn't even see the bathroom set until after I found out about this underwear nonsense. I could only laugh and laugh and laugh. Who in their right mind really thought about this, like actually thought it through?! I hope AG enjoys all the complaints and furious relatives when girls cut up their dolls trying to remove this dumb underwear...

This new CEO needs to be fired, immediately. She has no idea what she's doing. If she isn't careful she's going to destroy the brand completely.

[sailorstitch]

This new CEO needs to be fired, immediately. She has no idea what she's doing. If she isn't careful she's going to destroy the brand completely.[/center]

I had a thought about who's behind this, but I'm not really sure how to explain it.

AG just got a new CEO not long ago. Considering these new dolls are ready to roll out now, that means this has been in the works for a long time. Between design/production time and how long it takes to get products from China to WI, my guess would be at least a year. Could this have been the decision of the last CEO? (Sorry, I'm blanking on names right now.) Could it be that this was too far into the works for the new CEO to stop it? Some are also wondering if this was the decision of somebody at Mattel. Somebody higher than AG's CEO.

There are a lot of theories floating around as to why they are doing this. Nobody is buying AG's BS excuse that this is what the customers have been asking for.

1 - Cutting production cost. They think they save money by not producing underwear for these dolls. Yet they are making the pattern for the body more complex. And they are still going to sell the extra underwear sets.

2 - AG's expansion into the middle east.
http://m.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-s-maf-inks-deal-bring-american-girl-the-gulf-656987.html

3 - The AG body was originally a Gotz doll body. Some are wondering if it was a paten issue. If it was, wouldn't they have to change all the bodies?

4 - It's a modesty issue. Because a few parents think it's inappropriate for children to see naked dolls. This way the doll will never be naked.

5 - Logan, the first boy doll. It's suspicious that this is happening at the same time AG is releasing their first boy doll. Introduce the first boy and all the girls are given chastity belts. As far as AG is saying on Facebook, Logan's underwear will be removable. It looks like the sewn in underwear is to prevent doll hanky-panky.

None of the reasons anybody has come up with makes perfect sense. Each one has their own "But what about _____?"

There is a petition to stop this.
https://www.change.org/p/mattel-stop-attached-doll-underwear-for-american-girl-dolls?recruiter=2731137&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Or you can write a snail mail letter to this address.

Ms. Katy Dickson
American Girl
8400 Fairway Pl
Middleton WI 53562

sailorstitch

[JazzMatazz]

Well at least I know not to ask about underwear at the sale this summer! lol I bet it will get quite the crowd of collectors and resellers to try to snatch up the last few non permanent undie dolls. I have to pick up a doll for my mom so either Julie or Rebecca and then I'm on the lookout for Addy/Kit clothes for myself. Then stuff for resale last depending on cost.

[Taxel]

5 - Logan, the first boy doll. It's suspicious that this is happening at the same time AG is releasing their first boy doll. Introduce the first boy and all the girls are given chastity belts. As far as AG is saying on Facebook, Logan's underwear will be removable. It looks like the sewn in underwear is to prevent doll hanky-panky.

This is a good list. It summarizes a lot of the thoughts I've seen on FB too. But man this one is just hilarious.... AG should check out Instagram for 5 minutes. They're way too late to prevent these poor little dolls getting into inappropriate situations!

I wouldn't be shocked if Logan was at least a bit of a factor though.

[CactusBloom]

I love American Girl! I have Josefina and a Truly Me doll, who I named Elizabeth. I got them when I was around 10/11 and have recently dug them out of my closet and started getting into the fandom again.

If you're interested in seeing more AG content, I post about my dolls on my AG blog - https://lizzieandjosieag.tumblr.com/

I also love to talk about the various characters and their stories, as well as the doll/collecting side of it! Recently I have been kind of sad because I haven't seen much of an online adult AG collector community, but it seems I've found some people!

~Leafy

[Taxel]

Welcome to our little thread, Leafy!

Your girls are so cute! Which Girls of Many Lands do you have?

I'd love to talk about the characters! I've been reading through the books lately since I never got a chance when I was a kid. Maryellen, Melody, Felicity, Nellie, Grace, and Lindsey are my favorites so far.


As a newbie the community is extremely exclusive. It sucks, a lot :/ There's the Playthings forum, but they've been semi-secretly (unmentioned until after you sign up) not accepting members for like a year, if not more. Then there's the AG Collectors forum, which seems to mostly be politics and all the discussion seems to happen in like 3 threads so its hard to find/discuss specific topics. Lastly there's Instagram, which is mostly little kids (10-16ish) so as an adult it feels creepy and weird. Plus for them Insta is all about sucking up to each other so its just totally bizarre and uncomfortable. AG blogging seems to be kind of dead... I haven't found many active ones, but there's a few.

I just wanna post/look at doll photos and sometimes have discussions but there's nowhere to really do that ):

[tulagirl]

Wait what tha?  Can someone please tell me I read that wrong they are sewing underwear on the dolls?  That is just nuts. I don't like that at all.  Changing underwear sets was a huge part of my God Daughter's AG play.  Are they crazy?  What other stupid things are they doing?