What got you started?

[robin0850]

I never cared much for dolls as a little girl, but my mom always did, so maybe those genes are coming out at last.
I first heard of AG when I somehow received a catalog in the mail in the early 90's--Addy was the newest doll that year. I just LOVED them, especially Felicity and Kirsten! But with a young family (3 sons under 12), such expensive dolls were out of the question, so I sighed, and put the catalog away to dream over. After several years and several moves, my sons were older, and I was working at the public library, which carried AG Magazine in the children's section. This meant they also received the catalog, which I snagged and brought home, rather than have it thrown out. I'd also checked out and read all the historical dolls' books, including Josefina's and Kit's.
A couple more years of sighing and dreaming--then I had a chance to earn some extra money staffing a weekend backgammon tournament my DH was playing in(his passion is backgammon, mine is AG); DH said this "found money" was mine to do as I please with, so I banked it to feel rich for awhile; then it occurred to me that I could actually BUY AN AG DOLL for my very own! E-bay, here I come!
I started with a lovely PM Felicity I got last October from e-bay, but lovely though she is, it wasn't enough; I wanted Kirsten, and Josefina, and a fixer-upper for a "training doll" for my niece, one with blond hair and brown eyes, etc, etc,....Somehow, I just can't stop buying them!
I found I much preferred the Pre-Mattel dolls; their faces and hair are fuller, bodies thicker and more "little girl", peachier skintone, etc.
Then, I found out ways to recondition dolls' hair, and how to replace/tighten limbs (Thanks, justmagicdolls.com!), how to remove ink stains from another generous e-bayer; so now I hope to start an AG clinic/spa to make others' dolls playable and beautiful again for far less than the AG hospital charges. (I've saved over $100 just re-stringing my own dolls, not even counting shipping charges!) I can also bid on less than pristine dolls on e-bay, because I know I can remedy loose limbs or frizzy hair without having to send them away to the AG hospital.
So between fixing-up and e-baying, I hope to keep on earning enough cash to "feed my habit" as I tell my family. Anyone who's interested, please PM* me! (I still staff backgammon tournaments, but they are few and far between)
I wonder sometimes, if there had been AG dolls around in the 60's and 70's when I was growing up,would I have liked them then? They are the only dolls I have ever really liked, but I REALLY LIKE them! And if I had liked them then, would my parents have bought me one? My mom was always a little disappointed that I didn't take to dolls like she had, so perhaps for Christmas or my birthday, I like to think they would have.
And now my eldest niece will be 7 in September, so I'm looking forward to a "partner in crime" in the new generation of American Girls.

*PM meaning Private Message this time, rather than Pre-Mattel!

[sparkygrl]

Here is how it all began. We moved to Minnesota at the same time as Kirsten's books were released. We would travel to the local drug store/post office/videostore and they had a display of AG books. Each time a new once came out I would beg my parents and they would buy it for me.

We began going to Williamsburg every year and I read all the Felicity books for Christmas one year my entire extended family bought me Felicity.

For many years felicity was an only doll and would received a new outfit for chirstmas. Then one day mom spotted grandma who lives with us looking through the American Girl Catalog. Grandma said "I've never had a nice doll like this." Grandma was 85 years old that Christmas when Kirsten came to join our home. Since then every holiday grandma gets a new American Girl Outfit for Kirsten.

Then AGP opened in New York and we made our first of what would become many trips to AGPlace. On this trip mom saw Kailey and fell in love. She came home with us that trip and then there were three dolls.

Now with three dolls mom began to surf e-bay and came across a huge lot of retired AGOT outfits. The box arrived and many many outfits were inside and much to our surprise a naked AGOT who when we removed from her plastic shopping bag had brown hair, blue eyes and light skin. Looking just like me. I fell in love. Mom said No, my e-bay purchased the outfits and doll are mine. She then later said okay and AGOT (unknown number) joined the family and my collection.

E-bay again came to the rescue as we had somehow missed Lindsey. Now Lindsey also joined the family. Also, somewhere along the way another trip to AGplace and mom came home with the Blonde Bitty Twins.

Then this past Christmas mom received Marisol or at least a "gift certificate" for Marisol since she was not yet released.

Now, my college graduation was last weeek and I received a "gift certificate" for Elizabeth who will be joining the family as soon as she is released and we can make another trip to AGPlace.

This AG addiction has since spread within the past three years to my only two girl cousins (9 and 6) and my aunts (Their mom's).

Therefore the extended AG family is as follows:

Me: Felicity, AGOT, Elizabeth (soon!!!)
Mom: Lindsey, Kailey, Marisol, Bitty Twins
Grandma: Kirsten
Cousin A: Samantha, Nellie and Josephina
Cousin B: Molly, Nellie and Kaya

[irishjennyfer79]

In 1986 the Swedish St Lucia festival my parents go to every year had Kirsten as part of an auction. I begged my mom to let me buy a ticket because I loved dols as a little girl (I was 6 at the time). I didn't win her but my mom got the first catalog Pleasant Company offered (funny story I still have that catalog so be it in pieces collaged in a doll album I made my mom). My mom got my sister and myself the book sets for Molly and Kirsten, Which I read through in a matter of days (and reread multiple times). My mom actually liked the original dolls because that year for Christmas Santa brought all three- Kirsten for me (I loved the fact she was Swedish even though she has the same hair and eyes as my sis....Felicity has my hair color), Samantha for my sister (who liked the fancy clothes she had), and Molly for my mom (who grew up in the 40s). The next year Kirsten was St. Lucia with me and I was hooked...

Jenny =)

[Felicity Merriman]

I can't remember what got me started as clearly as others have, but I do know that I defitely learned of American Girl first through my best friend. Her name was Becky, and we were both in the 1st grade, around 1987. Her sister recieved Molly for her communion about a year earlier. We both loved her, and were very happy whenever her sister gave us the privlege of playing with her. Then in Decemeber 1988, it hit us that we should get our own American Girl dolls for Christmas. I got Samantha becuase she looked like me the most, and Becky got Kirsten, who had blonde hair and blue eyes like her.

[AG DRESS DESIGNER]

I give Cherry all the credit for my addiction. I will explain now. I first heard of AG when one of my GD's got Samantha for Christmas. The only extra outfit she received was the Christmas dress. 2 or 3 days after Christmas she brought an AG catalog over and asked me if I would make Samantha some clothes like in the book. I've been sewing for the AG dolls ever since. The next Christmas I was given Molly for Christmas. I used my Molly for a model for the clothes I made. By now 3 of my GD's had the dolls. I played dolls with Molly with my Grand Daughters. Usually Janey(Molly) sat on a shelf. When I got acquainted with Cherry was started sending me photos of her dolls. As we became friends and discussed AG's I started getting hooked. I now have groupings of dolls. 3 Molly's and a Lindsey make up the Molly group. I won't continue, but you get the picture. I stopped counting at 20. LOL I will post a group photo at Christmas.