AG has continued its focus on the Historical dolls- and that means research . If AG wanted to be just another toy company they would jist copy contemporary clothing and fads.
The issue of plastic vs wood is complex as there are many grades of plastic and of wood. Not all plastic is the easy to break into sharp edges of the 1950s toys. If an item was often damaged in shipping how could it hold up to play. It is only logical for AG to use sturdy materials to avoid the cost of replacing items.