Hellow to you all--I am brand-new here, and I have enjoyed reading so many of your posts!

I just got my first AG--Josefina! I've gotten the catalogs for years (I'm 53), and hoped my daughter would want one, but she was never into dolls, and is now 16. A friend had Nellie sent to our house to hold as a surprise Santa gift for her nine-year-old daughter, and I admired her so much, and poured over the catalog admiring Josephina and Felicity especially, that my dear husband bought ME Josefina for Christmas!

I just found this board and I have lots of questions, especially about pre-Mattel and Mattel dolls and other products. Can anyone summarize the differences, or direct me to a sight that compares them?

Are they different sizes--I've heard the new ones are slimmer? Are the molds for the faces different, or is just the materials and workmanship different? Or is it--and if so, how? I've heard here that the newer furniture is not solid wood but veneer? Is the hair different?

Are there different marks on the dolls to tell what country they were made in? On ebay, I've seen someone ask a seller if a doll had an "X" on her bottom? What would that mean? Are there "seconds" out there in the market, and if so, how can they be distinguished?

I saw some clothes for sale on ebay that don't claim to be AG, but "for AG dolls," but they have the same style, and even some look-alike fabrics--but not as nice-looking. What's the story with those?

Any other info I should know about before I look for items on ebay or from other sellers?

Finally, and most important--how do you stop at just ONE American Girl?????

Thanks so much for any replies!!