Why wasn't Felicity more popular?

[Skittl1321]

Felicity was released when I was 9 and she was immediatly my favorite. I read every one of her books before I was able to get her and looked lustfully at everything in her collection. I became completely facsinated with colonial life.

She was my second doll and when I was 11 accompanied me to Williamsburg (and about 15 other places on that vacation)

I loved her stories.

As a kid I read all the Kirsten and most of the Samantha and Molly books before I got Kirsten. Then all the other books as they came out before I got the respective doll. I remember the summer vacations where we would stop in different towns on our month long roadtrip and I would beg for a new AG book. Then every summer after that I carted 18, 24, 30 etc books with me in a bright yellow box to read as we drove from Texas to New Jersey and other exciting places along the way.

Kaya was the only doll I got before reading all the books, but that was because I was an adult and Kaya was a gift.

[historylover]

I have no idea why Felicity wasn't more popular unless it is because of the lack of children who read the books or because of being taken out of the catalog. It seems like times have changed and some parents just get American Girl dolls because they are either a status thing or because it is an expensive doll that their child has to have. Some get the dolls before their children are old enough to read the books for themselves and thereby miss the whole point of the dolls. Without the books, they are just an expensive toy in my opinion.

My oldest daughter who is 10 likes Kit the best, but Kit matches her personality the best. My youngest, who is eight likes Felicity the best. She read all the meet books first and then identified the most in personality with Felicity. She loves the time period and actually wants the accessories, especially the retired ones, for Felicity. She would rather have the accessories than the dresses. She doesn't want the ark, though because it doesn't really do anything. At least with the guitar or the Shrewsbery set you can learn something about the time period. Maybe she is different from a lot of children nowadays, but she has always been interested in learning about history and the toys she likes the most are educational toys. Maybe our area is different also, but there are a lot of children in the target age that love Felicity and if she isn't their favorite, she is their second favorite character.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ November 20, 2005 10:42 PM: Message edited by: historylover ]</font>

[Pressed_Flowers]

Felicity has been my favorite since I was 8 and started reading AG in 1992. I took a liking to her because she was the girl I related to the most. IMO she had the most personality. I figured she was the least popular because of her time era. Kids were treated like little people then which is why we see Felicity doing so many more "grown up" things like making deliveries for her father and taking care of sick adults. I was rereading "Changes For Felicity" the other night and couldn't believe that her father let her and Elizabeth make a delivery to a jail. That didn't phase me when I was 8 but now I'm like who let's their 10 year old make deliveries to a jail?

I also figured Samantha was always popular because she's all ribbon, lace and frilly things and most girls like that stuff. Though ironically Samantha's is my favorite time era.

[JAdder]

Belive it or not Felicity was not the least selling doll in the AGH it turns out Addy was. Of course with ethinic dolls Mattel could not end her collection so took the next least selling doll Felicity. The plan was to sell her graduitly reducing the collection to nill and phaseing her out. The success of the friend dolls as well as the unsuceess of the AG minis and Girls of Many Lands is what saved her ultimitly. I remeber reading her books as thinking about her. She reminded me of myself at nine and ten. Drawing all over my homework (mostly horses and dogs), daydreaming contantly (usally about horses), the inabality to sit still (to the point of my teachers having me tested for ADD), and of course seeing animals beeing abused causes me to then and still make a stink about it. In fact I have lost jobs due to it. So Felicity was frist in my mind. The I saw her collection I thought if she had a trunk like the other dolls did I would have liked her more of course I am an adult collector and it was important to have a place for her. I endded up buying Samantha, yeah, I know I am so boreing and run of the mill. My friends at AGP said it was the furiture that was the problem like most said the stuff was too elegant and more grown up intrest then child. They did tell me stuff that is more modern seem to be more intresting to children which is why Molly and Kit seemed to be selling better. Kit even more so then Molly they said mostly becuase Kit's stuff seemed to look more modern the Molly's. Molly's intrest grew durring the war now. Of course children like fancy stuff which is why when the first three dolls were out Samantha, Molly and Kirsten. Samantha instantly became the best seller with her princess-type clothes and why she became the flagship it had nothing to do with her more common brown hair and eyes..sorry. If that was true explane Elizabeth's coloring to me again. Trust me they want best sellers. I rember a time when I was helping my friends at AGP there was this adorable little girl and father who had a picture of Felicity's chirstmas blue dress with him. Of course at the time the dress was no longer being sold at the store. My friend there looking at color tryed to intrest the girl in Molly's Route 66 dress being blue the girl was not intrested so I figured what the girl was after and showed Molly's green velvet chirtmas dress as well as Samantha's cranberry red chirstmas dress and which the girl loved. Frist the father did ask us about the bodies and wheather all dolls could wear the same things we assured them that the dolls had the same bodies and all clothes would fit perfectly. He bought Molly's green dress and I got a interview with the manager.

[prasnlrd]

Originally posted by Puddin' Tame:
Belive it or not Felicity was not the least selling doll in the AGH it turns out Addy was. Of course with ethinic dolls Mattel could not end her collection so took the next least selling doll Felicity.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

...Hmmmmmmmm....

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] prasnlrd in CA. [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]

[GreyMyst]

Originally posted by prasnlrd:


...Hmmmmmmmm....

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think it's certainly possible. Felicity shows up on eBay ALOT more than Addy. I'd like to think it's because Addy's dolly moms just can't bear to let her go, but somehow I don't think that is being realistic.

[rachie421]

I can see that unfortunately. Considering, like we said before, girls are going to be interested in dolls that look like them and add to that AGs fan base is largely white, middle class or higher. Phasing out a minority character wouldnt just look bad, it would be insensitive. That still doesnt mean Im ok with what they did to Lissie though! As far as Im concerned, the historicals themselves are here to stay. Some of their collection might change with time, but you cant just get rid of the character completely.

As for poor Addy, Im pretty sure the reasons I stated are whats behind her slower sales, but I still dont completely get it. Although Lissie may be my absolute favorite, I think in terms of the collection as a whole, Addys is the best in the entire historical line; the cutest outfits, coolest accessories, adorable furniture, her stories are so touching-come on, who doesnt love Addys parents, esp poppa??-and to top it all off, she has such a sweet face. I know its silly, but because Ive read her books so many times, when I look at the doll I just went to give her an extra hug. But then, this probably goes back to most girls not reading the books which is an even bigger tragedy in my eyes [img]frown.gif[/img]

[moderator]

Originally posted by *shortie*:
Considering, like we said before, girls are going to be interested in dolls that look like them . . .

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Believe it or not, I never had any friends who chose dolls based on similarities in looks. I think they tended to choose dolls they *wanted* to be like, but not ones they *were* like.

As a very young girl, I was always drawn to African-American dolls, and purchased two with my own money, because my mom would only buy me redhead dolls!

With AGs . . .

I had three blonde friends purchase Samantha.

Two brunette friends either wanted or had Kirsten.

The only girl who "matched" her AG was a blonde friend who was given Kirsten as a gift. She didn't like her doll at all, and kept her in a heap on the floor. [img]graemlins/cry_smile.gif[/img]

I didn't get Molly until I was 12, but I chose her based on her personality, and because everyone seemed to have or like either Kirsten or Samantha. I chose her in an effort to be different! [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ November 21, 2005 10:05 AM: Message edited by: Melissa ]</font>

[lscogbill]

Originally posted by historylover:
I have no idea why Felicity wasn't more popular unless it is because of the lack of children who read the books or because of being taken out of the catalog. <font color="#051E50"><font size="1">[ November 20, 2005 10:42 PM: Message edited by: historylover ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think you hit the nail on the head here. Most of the young girls I know think Felicity is a brand-new doll. I guess since she wasn't in the catalog, they didn't think to read her books. I even had a couple of moms who didn't believe me when I told them she had been available online all these years. Out of site, out of mind it seems.

When we got started, we bought all the "Meet" books (except Kaya because I couldn't find one here) and I read them to my daughter. I had her pick the three she liked best. She picked Felicity, Nellie and Addy. I got Nellie because I was under the impression she was going to be limited edition and only here for one year.

[GreyMyst]

Originally posted by Melissa:


As a very young girl, I was always drawn to African-American dolls, and purchased two with my own money, because my mom would only buy me redhead dolls!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Same here! My parents would never buy me AA dolls [img]graemlins/whatever.gif[/img] , so I ended up buying them with my own money. That's another thing, if our parents would not buy us AA dolls, how many others don't/won't?

I love my Addy though, and she'll have to pryed from my fingers before I ever give her up. *hugs Addy*