AG product lines and discontinues

[FelinaDoon]

I say they should stick with the lines they have and develop more items for the Historicals

[historylover]

I think they should continue to expand their doll lines to capture more of the doll market. I think the new lines should look different than the current dolls. I am really getting tired of seeing the same face molds used over and over again. There is only so much you can do with the face molds they have. I am also tiring of the LE dolls every year. We have all three of them so far, but the thought of getting one every year is just too much.

I think the idea of the Girls of Many Lands was wonderful. If they could come up with a less expensive line or one that was marketed differently, I think it would take off. Mattel has been doing wonderful with their new Teen Trends dolls and I think there is room in the toy market for more lines like this. I also think they need to capture the teenage, young adult, and older adult collector market. Dolls from different countries, like the Girls of Many Lands would be perfect.

[cami713]

I also thought the concept of the GOML dolls was great. I have all the books, but I've always thought the dolls were just plain ugly, but I do love the books.

I still want to see them target the older crowd that they keep missing with (GOML and the minis). But I want it to work, and be something I'm interested in. I want them to make AGs for older girls. Books about the historicals at a few years older. I would like to see older (maybe more detailed?) outfits for the dolls people already have. Someone else said that GOML sized (but cuter) dolls of the historicals instead. Either/or. I don't get why they haven't done this. Keep the older crowds by giving them stories about the girls they already enjoy reading about.

I don't want to see AG making more products that don't have books attached to them. The minis were just silly. Cute, yes, but silly from AG. The books have always been the heart of the collection, they shouldn't bother with something that doesn't have books attached.

[ninasmom]

I never heard of HHS dolls being discontinued. Is this true?

[rachie421]

I agree Cami-there we go again!-books are at the heart of AG. I also thought the GOMLs were kinda goofy looking. I LOVED the clothes, esp Leylas-she was the Turkish girl right?-but the faces creeped me out. Except for Minuk, she was really pretty.

Anyway, I also agree with whoever said the face molds are getting old. Although I dont want to see AG expand into other lines, I think they do need to freshen things up a bit by adding a new face mold to each ethnicity. And create an Asian character doll for gods sakes!! Whether its LE or historical, LOL Preferably historical though so shes around for more than one year. The same old molds are just getting boring. Especially since I would still love to have a doll that looks like the original Elizabeth but with a different face mold from both Lissie and the new Ebeth. As much as I love AG25, she still doesnt quite cut it for me as Elizabeth because of the color of her hair and side part and the same face mold as Lissie.

As for expanding lines; even though I think all of them were of high quality and superior to most the stuff I see mass produced in stores, they did FAIL as collections. And there is an underlying reason for that. I cant tell you what it is as I never played with any of these things, but there is always a reason why something is unsuccesful. So whether or not they are of good quality seems trivial, they didnt work plain and simple. And this happened numerous times. Thats why I think AG should pour their time, money and creativity in the collections that everyone has grown to love them for. Thats where the market is and thats where their customers are coming from. Give them what they want. Dont try something new to pull in others. AG is working on its third generation of young consumers, so that line is obviously working and not hurting for new customers. I say stick with those collections and they will never lack customers or profit. With all those other lines, they lost money. And for a company, the 'moolah' made is the bottom line.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ November 12, 2005 04:19 PM: Message edited by: *shortie* ]</font>

[LordofthePumpkinPatch]

I don't care about them discontuning the Hopscotch Hill dolls. I don't think they're cute -kind of pointless. I have seen those GOML awhile ago, and I thought they were not done very nicley. I think that ought to concentrate more on the AG dolls, and BB if they so choose. They're cute if you like baby dolls [img]smile.gif[/img] I also want more face molds, more historicals, and an Asian! I'm not sure if I like the idea of them doing Molly, Josefina and the rest of them grown up 9or older). I think that they would loose their innocent childhood magic- it's so hard to find that in this day and age. I'd rather picture them as children forever. But that is my opinion.

[Lissiefan]

I love the GOML idea, too. I think they should either do GOML outfits for AG's or do a line of AG's that are from different countries! Complete with books, of course! I like the idea of learning American History through the books. I think learning World history the same way would be a GREAT idea! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[amandajg]

I agree with almost everyone on here that AG should stick to the AG line (and BB is fine, too, but as a non-BB collector I'm relatively indifferent to it).

However, I disagree that AG needs more face molds. The only non-"traditional" AG face mold that I have is Addy's, which I do love. I think Josefina's is pretty, too. I understand that they needed to branch out a bit in order to reflect slight racial differences in the face mold, but I would be disappointed if they changed the face molds for a lot of new dolls (or even worse, retired the old one) just for the sake of it (i.e. what they've kind of done with the friends dolls). Maybe it's just because I grew up with AG and that friendly, sweet, chubby original German mold was part of the reason I fell in love with AGs, but I would be sad if they got too many different faces for the dolls. I think the AG doll face mold is part of the distinctiveness and, yes, even success, of the AG line. Pleasant really hit the nail on the head when she found it and it's absolutely the most perfect face. They definitely shouldn't introduce too many new lines of doll faces.

[dolllover]

Originally posted by ninasmom:
I never heard of HHS dolls being discontinued. Is this true?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It is true. When I was at AGPNY last weekend a woman was looking for the HHS dolls and an AGP employee told her that they were being discontinued from the store but they still might have some stuff available online.

[cami713]

I definitely think they need a new face mold or two. However, I agree with Amanda, I do want them to keep using the molds they have now. They definitely need a new Asian one, I can't stand the one they have now in either Mattel or PM format, her mouth looks smirky.

I'd love to see some new facemolds, especially on the AGTs. I'm getting *VERY* bored of the older face. After 2 new dolls with the Josefina mold, (Nellie and Elizabeth), I can't help but notice how that old mold has a VERY piggish nose, lol.

I have three of each mold, and I'm getting terribly bored. I'm going to start branching out next year into the other ethnicities AG offers. Addy will be added next year, and Kaya probably the year after. I hate to even think that even PART of why I want those two is because I'm so bored of these two facemolds.

I don't think they need 10 more, it's just hard to say that ALL Caucasian girls have either the Sam/Molly/Kirsten mold or the Josefina mold. It just doesn't make sense. Since they will always keep making dolls, with, surely, a greater number of Caucasian dolls, I really think they need a new facemold, and then they can pick one of the three for whichever new doll.

I really want Emily and Ruthie, but if they have either of these facemolds, I'm definitely going to have to think long and hard. There really are only so many DIFFERENT looks to give a doll.