Tell us about getting your first doll!

[moderator]

This is a fun question . . . thanks for asking it! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

I found out about AGs from a friend. The doll and I didn't click (it was Samantha, and I didn't connect with her character or clothes). However, some time later my mom looked through a magazine and said, "Isn't this the same company?" There was an ad in it for Pleasant Company.

We sent for the catalog, but my parents thought the prices were outrageous, and didn't want to buy me any AG items. I saved for about a year, all my allowance, gifts, etc. and read about the books by borrowing from the library. Molly seemed so much like me, in appearance and personality and having a big imagination. I finally bought Molly myself for a Christmas gift from my relatives and the money I'd saved.

I was the type of girl who went out and spent all her money on candy, so this was an amazing feat and I've never regretted saving up for my doll. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

[Bean Bunny]

When I was a kid, everyone I knew had an American Girl doll. Except me. I didn't like dolls.

I'd SEEN posters and such of Kirsten, and I was interested in her, because I thought she was pretty (I always loved blonde dolls, which was odd because I was brunette and that doesn't seem to be how kids operate, and anyway her Meet Dress rules), and, more specifically, her name was one letter off from mine. I remember the first time some kid pointed that out to me at a book fair.

But I remained mildly uninterested until about the fifth grade, when I got ahold of a catalouge. Holy gee golly whiz. I had no idea how cool all that stuff was. You could, literally, buy everything for those dolls.

I think, too, on a subconcious level, Pleasant T. Rolland's 'thinking girl's doll' method worked on me. These dolls aren't teen queens, they're not mommy trainers, they're smart, respectable, human girls.

And they're cute.

Anyway, I knew that I had no hopes of getting this doll for anything other than Christmas, so I used my patented trick of asking for only one thing from Santa to see if I could get her. (... and her winter clothes, because I didn't want her to be cold, but still). Sure enough, Christmas morning came, and there was a long box under the tree.

I opened it up, and a little face stared back at me ... I dropped the box and screamed, as I thought I got a dead body. But no, once I realized a second later that bodies weren't 18 inches long, I dug Kirsten out of the box, and we've had a long, happy relationship since.

Five minutes later, though, her braids fell RIGHT into the velcro of her dress. So much for keeping her original braids.

[MollyGirl]

After years and years of looking at the catalog together and never order anything (because we did not find out about AG until my DD was over dolls.)

A few years ago I decided to order a AGOT that looked like my daughter. At that point I was thinking if I wanted a grandchild I should get a doll. I got the spa chair, spa accessories and a lovely dark haired blue eyed doll for my DD. Well, while I was at it I ordered for myself Felicity's table and chair. What the heck I loved the set. Did not have Felicity but just loved her. It was at this point I figured out that they had retired most of Felicity's items. Well I went nuts and got all of Felicity's clothes and accessories, just in case they retire anything else.

So Fiffy, (AGOT doll) really started my collection. I call her Fiffy because if my daughter has a daughter and calls her the same name as ours, that child will be a 5th. Well with the wedding coming up in a few months, there is hope that now a granddaughter could be in my future. Just have to be happy with my AG girls in the mean time.

[img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img]

[GreyMyst]

Well I found a naked Felicity at a thrift shop for about $10. I drug her home and went online to find her clothes and saw Marisol & Addy, who I HAD to have. (wouldn't want Lissie to get lonely after all) I wanted Addy more but since Marisol was limited, I grabbed her first. Then I got a fixer Addy off ebay, and haven't really stopped buying since.

Every so often , I say I will stop, I try to convince myself to stop, and then a doe eyed little AG says "bring me home!"

I'm such a goner, lol

[Magdalen]

heh my story isn't all that interesting and plus I can't remember too much about it since my memory can be shotty at best *shrugs* Anyway I remember back in the late 80's or so my older sister got an American Girl doll, either Sam or Kristen (she ended up with both later). I was maybe 7 at the time and remember there only being three dolls. I think someone asked me if I wanted one too, but I didn't (and still don't) like any of them plus I didn't want the same doll as my sister heh. My younger sister ended up getting Sam. Few years later I remember getting a cataloge with Felicity in it and knew that was my doll. I ended up getting her and her only while my sisters each had three-ish. Well I always wanted another so I suppose thats why I recently rescued my sister's Josefina from the closet until my sister wants her back. I ordered another doll that'll be mine for keeps when Josefina has to go back home.

[J9S]

I believe I was seven or eight when I got my first AG. Which was 10-11 years ago...

I remember getting book orders at school and for some reason, they were selling Kirsten Learns a Lesson and Molly Learns a Lesson together. I liked the description, and my mom ordered them for me.

I actually remember loving Kirsten's book WAY more than Molly's--I liked the whole pioneer thing. One day I went to one of my friend's houses and sitting on a shelf were Samantha and Molly. And I loved them and was really excited to see them, touch them, etc. (this was the first time I went to my friend's house, and the first time I'd seen an AG doll in person.)

By this time I had become hooked on Samantha; my mom had bought me her boxed book set and I LOVED her. I don't even know how much time I spent paging through the catalogue, admiring her.

That Christmas I had no idea I'd actually get her. I remember unwrapping her and just staring at the pretty white box with the burgundy band; the silhouettes of the girl and doll...aaaah.

I knew what it was at that point, slid the band and top off and was face to face with my beautiful Samantha, who I still have and love.

While my parents could afford to buy me Samantha though, and later Josefina, I never did have any of the accessories or outfits--it would have been too much. Now, mom and I are collecting them crazily and I finally have many of the outfits I've loved for years.

This past Christmas, she gave me a pm Kirsten in extremely good condition and I was thrilled. She was the one who really got me loving AG, and I'm very glad to finally have her. (as well as almost her complete collection. *coughs*)

Anyways...I've rambled enough now. But just a question...

Anyone else who recieved their first doll years ago...do you remember that wonderful smell of the brand new pm dolls as you opened the box and stared? Or is that just me? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Janine

[PrincessRuthie]

In 1992, when I was three, I discovered the Pleasant Company catalogue. Because I loved dolls already, I loved to look through the catalogue. But I had no recollection of liking the historicals then. I always flipped to the back, where the Our New Babies were. I LOVED to stare into the face of the blonde/grey eyed beauty and tell everyone that she was 'my baby.' I just knew it. She was the one thing I asked Santa for, and she was the first thing I laid my eyes on that Christmas morning. She was sitting in a beautiful handmade cradle wearing a blue and white gingham dress that matched mine. I picked her up and wouldn't let her go for the rest of the day...or any day for that matter. She was Sarah Elizabeth, and she truly was 'my baby.'

I discovered the historical dolls four years later, as a seven year old. My best friend had Samantha, and I wanted Molly. She had glasses just like me. I wasn't sure I'd get her though, even though I wanted her really bad, because my family wasn't rich. My mom only got Sarah because she had saved awhile. But since I was her only child, my mom said I could get Molly if I read her books first. So I began to read...loving everything I read. I wanted Molly even more. Then, after finishing book five, Mom surprised me with the box on a July afternoon. And there she was. The beautiful doll that started off my 18" collection. I lifted her out, and she never went back in. She went everywhere with me. Immediately after I got her, she went to the grocery store. I was so excited to finally have her...I could now play American Girl dolls with my best friend...and I had a doll to sleep with...and all of my wishes came true. She's always been my partner-in-crime, and she always will be, even though I have eleven others.

[ColonialGirl]

My mom told me that she had seen a very early catalogue...but being that I born in 1986 and still a baby, she decided to wait a few years...still drooling over the catalogues herself. When I was in first grade, my friends and I all loved looking at AG catalogues and my mom asked me which one I liked the best. I thought it over carefully and decided I liked Felicity...because of her red hair and, at the time, she was the farthest back in history. My mom was surprised because she always thought I would like Samantha best (I still don't have Samantha).

Well, unfortunately at this time our family was going through a hard time financially...and when my friends all got AGs for Christmas, I got a cheaper doll (I wasn't disappointed and she was very loved).

After a year of saving up my money, I finally had enough and we ordered Felicity. I was in second grade at this point and I'd go home every day and run to my room to see if Felicity was there...but she took *forever* to arrive.

When she finally got here, my mom was too excited to wait and brought her to meet me in school. It was lunch recess, but I took her inside to open her and almost everyone in my class followed and ooed and awwed over her. The boys even said they wanted American boy dolls!

That is still one of my favorite memories ever...and after watching me grow up with AGs, my mom finally decided to order her first one last month. AGoT 6, Abygael.

[jessicasturm]

I always loved dolls, and had many baby dolls growing up. When I was 8 or 9 one of my best friends got Molly, I thought she was beautiful, but was happy with my babies. About a year and a half later I decided that I too wanted an AG. This was way before most historicals were released and WAY before AGT.

I too decided on Molly. She captured my heart somehow. My younger brother who was about 6 at the time also wanted a doll because he and I played all the time. His birthday is on November 4th, and he wanted an American Boy. My mom helped me decide to save for my own doll and get him on the same day. I saved and saved, for months, and finally November crept nearer. On my brother's birthday, each of us had a big box on the tabel. He got Larson (my mom took Kirsten to her hair dresser and he turned into a boy) and I got Molly!

My mom made us all sorts of outfits and bought some boyish clothes for Larson to wear. And I got Kirsten's meet outfit! A few months later Christmas arrived and we each got a homemade wooden bed, and a few more outfits. My sister also got Samantha that year, and we had many years of fun!

As my brother got older and no longer wanted to play with dolls, I "addopted" Larson until he wants him back. I couldn't see him get boxed up, so now he lives with my girls!

[AngieBelle]

I've shared my story on this board in the past, so bear with me if this is a repeat for any of you. [img]smile.gif[/img]

My love of history began at an early age when my dad started using the Little House books as bedtime stories when I was about 6. (He wanted to prepare us for an Oregon Trail experience we were going to do that summer.) By 3rd grade, I was a regular at our local libray. I happened upon the AG books and was attracted first to Kirsten's, having already been introduced to pioneers through Laura Ingalls. Ironically, the first book I chose was Kirsten's last- Changes For Kirsten.

When I saw the ad in the back for a newsletter and a catalgue with dolls, I couldn't wait to see it. My first one had a girl in Kirsten's birthday dress sitting in a tree with her matching doll and book. (circa 1990) I wore out the pages.

Mom told me I could choose a doll for my 9th birthday! At the time, I thought Molly was ugly, at least in the book illustrations, so I debated between Kirsten and Samantha, and in the end I picked Samantha....perhaps for the brown hair like mine and the frilly clothes, I don't exactly remember.

Although I didn't see my Samantha until my birthday, mom did tease me with the box. She came in and showed it to me while I was taking a bath! My mom bought herself a Kirsten 2 months later. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ March 19, 2006 12:51 AM: Message edited by: AngieBelle ]</font>