Rookie Question...Priorities?

[mom24]

Which is your favorite lunch accessory? I think my daughter would love the food stuff....she's 6 and loves to watch the Food Network!!!

[jlogemann17]

First of all, welcome! I don't have any dolls myself, which is practically a crime on this board, but because I enable my 2 DDs collections, they seem to let it go. I am waiting for the Dollie Police to show up anytime though.

Anyway- when we started- we started with the books. My girls weren't allowed to pick a doll until we had read all of the books (that was before Kaya's time though). It was pretty funny- I think we ready Molly first, and they were both SURE Molly was who they wanted. Then we read Kirsten maybe and, "No, no, Kirsten was the one they wanted, for SURE!" Then we read the 3rd one-and the poor kids were so confused. They always wanted the one we were reading at the time. But by the time we got through them all, they did have a favorite (at the time they were 7 and 5 and DD7 chose Kit, DD5- Kirsten) They both chose their first doll based on the stories, and the pictures in the stories. After those, when they were almost 9 and 7, they chose dolls that looked like themselves, then (just recently at 9 and almost 11) they chose random dolls (Emily and Jess- although Jess wasn't too random, because my daughter who chose Kit chose Jess to be her Ruthie, and Emily has been renamed Katie Rose and is not 'historical'). I absolutely fell in love with Addy in her stories, and should I ever buy a doll for myself it will be Addy. (No prsnlrd you do not have to post pictures of Addy- I know how adorable she is!)

I strongly recommend reading the books- and getting that connection with a character, then chosing a doll. There are bits and pieces to just about everyone's collection I like, but I continue to be drawn to Addy's things- just because they're hers. Although, I do admit that I LOVE a lot of Kit's furniture as well.

ETA: If I were starting from scratch- I would buy a historical doll, a bed (my DDs beds are those my dad made), jammies, an outfit or 2, the doll's lunch. That's what I would start with. Then of course in just a few years I would have accumulated so much stuff that you have to buy each daughter- if you have more than one-rubbermaid totes and a "pantry" shelving system from Home Depot to keep it all in! And what ever you do- never, ever ever add up how much you've spent.

ETA (again)- I'm not sure where you're from, but if it's from the midwest at all, I would strongly recommend planning a trip to Wisconsin next July. There is a big warehouse sale of returns and seconds, and that's where I got most of my kids' AG furniture. The imperfections are small, and the prices are great! It would also be a nice place to pick up some more dolls for less money.

ETA: Okay, for the 3rd edit now- some how I missed your post saying you were getting Kirsten the first time I read this thread. We do have Kirsten's school supplies and my DD9 LOVES them! We also have Addy's desk (because it seats 2) and the retired AG chalkboard. If your DD loves playing school I would recommend watching e-bay for the chalkboard-it is wonderful! Not historically accurate for Kirsten, but, my DD loves playing school with her dolls at the desk, with their little slate (they have to share just like the Ingalls girls did at first on Little House on the Prairie), and she writes things on the chalkboard. The chalkboards can go reasonably- we got ours for less than $30 including shipping. Since you mentioned the school supplies- I would suggest the board as well. Addy is from a period just 10 years after Kirsten, so I think her desk works pretty well, if you want to keep with the historic element. I liked Addy's desk much better than Kirsten's log bench, and it's great for when you get that second doll, or when her sister's doll wants to come to school, too. If your daughter isn't hip on Kirsten's bed, I would pass, and look for a different one. I had my dad look at pictures and dimensions of Kirsten's bed, then make one like it, which I painted PINK! Again, not historically accurate, but it matches my DDs pink room perfectly.

Another thing you "need" is Kirsten's accessory kit- so she can have her bonnet! A warning about Kirsten, too- her hair can be difficult to control if you take it out of the braids. If you think your daughter is going to want to try and brush her hair- invest in a good brush and a misting bottle. Personally, my DD doesn't take Kirsten's hair down much, as she quite particular and doesn't want it "messed up". I know people who do take it down and brush it though- just be warned- it's A LOT of hair to deal with!

Have fun!
jo

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 06, 2006 09:37 AM: Message edited by: mykidsloveAG ]</font>

[vew-tori]

DD (8) started with Molly. We started out with a few outfits then for Christmas she got her bed. Alot of people really like the desks best so they can play school but DD has always like to get them ready for bed and tuck them in. I think it's how she played with baby dolls so she still does it with AG. We have more dolls than beds so sometimes her floor looks like a big slumber party. Now when she gets a new doll PJ's are a must. Like everyone has said there is no right way to start collecting. Just have fun and be prepared to spend, spend, spend!

[agmama]

Hi there and welcome! I can tell you are so excited about these dolls. Isn't it great to find a place where others feel the same? This is a great place to spend time.

Kirsten was my first doll at age 26! I also have her St. Lucia outfit, winter woolens, skating outfit, birthday dress and treats, and nightgown. Now it's taken me 10 years to get all that! I didn't buy a lot for her over the years because I thought it was silly for a grown woman to buy doll stuff BUT now that I found this board I realize it's a great hobby to have whether your 7 or 37! It also helped that my dd became interested in the historical dolls this past year. I'd been waiting and waiting for her to show some interest. Her first doll was Felicity and we have most of her outfits now. She'll be getting more outfits and Penny the horse for Christmas.

I know you mentioned that you are getting Kirsten for your dd. I would also get her nightgown and if possible her bed. My dd always wants her dolls to have pajamas on at night and she really wants a bed. My husband is going to make bunkbeds for the dolls as a Christmas gift. Kirstens birthday treats are cute and all her outfits are darling. I guess I would start out with:
Doll, nightgown, bed, one other outfit, food, and of course her stories. Sam's club sells the collection of AG stories for a good price sometimes (@$24.00). I haven't checked lately but they should have them soon since Christmas is around the corner.

Good luck with your decisions and let us know what you decide!

[dornroeschen]

Isn't it exciting to try putting a starter AG package together?

Kirsten was also the first doll my niece got as a Christmas present and I also got her the school dress, school lunch and accessories as well as the nightgown. This way she had a change of clothes and could go to bed properly attired. As Kamilla didn't like Kirsten's bed very much, I made my own version using the IKEA doll bed.

As your daughter is very much into food, maybe she and her sister would like to make some FIMO food/cookies for their future dolls. That way the time will pass by quicker too.

[MOM to JILLIAN]

Here is a list of my MUST HAVES...

Kirsten's Book Set--like Carrie said Sam's is a good place to check and I know that some new sets are available on eBay at GREAT Buy it Now prices from time to ttime.

Kirsten's Nightgown--or this may be something that your Mom could make for you since I know she might be sewing some things for Kirsten.

Kirsten's School Dress and Shawl--one of my favorites for her and very nice for the winter months.

Kirsten's Birthday Dress and Pinafore--Very cute!

Addy's Lunch--I think this would work really nicely with Kirsten and I love the metal pail.

OR Kirsten's Lunch

Addy's Desk--It is big enough for two dolls which would give room for Cora to play too!

A bed for Kirsten.

I LOVE the suggestion about making some food while you wait for the dolls to arrive. Remember Jillian's Chocolate Chip cookies? I can help you with that.

This is fun "spending" your money! Seriously, you can space out your purchases over the next couple of months and use the codes to help save some money. Also, there is usually a code that comes out withe the DVD. Last year it was $10 off a $30 purchase which is one of my favorite codes. We are all hoping for a GREAT one when the Molly Movie DVD comes out!

Have a great weekend,
Glenda

[MollyFan]

There are lots of great suggestions in this thread. Personally, I love the outfits and the books. The furniture is lovely, but I don't have enough space to keep much of it. The outfits are easier to store, and you can have a whole new doll with the change of an outfit/hairstyle.

[Kenshinchan]

Forgot to mention that, as everyone said, it's great to get the books to own! If you're not a member of Sam's Club (and I think they sometimes have them at Costco, though maybe only when they come out), you can definitely try used bookstores, especially for Kirsten's books. I picked up Samantha's whole set for $6 ($1/book), and they were all in very good condition! It's less likely that you'd find Kit's books used, but Kirsten is 20 years old, so her books shouldn't be too hard to find. Plus, since the doll comes with the "Meet" book, you could just buy books 2-6 separately and wouldn't have to deal with duplicates the way you'd have to if you bought a box set. (You CAN return the "Meet" book to AG, as far as I know, if it's in perfect condition, but that seems like a bit of a pain to me.)

[craftycarol51]

Well, since it's for Christmas I would recommend Kirsten's winter outfit. The knit sweater, hat and mittens are just too cute. I would also get her nightgown and if you can her housecoat. The outfit she comes in and her school outfit are pretty similar. The bed fits inside of her trunk, if you decide on that. But just work out a budget, get the items your daughter seems drawn to and I'm sure you'll have a Merry Christmas.

If I had a daughter (I'm a collector - I have two boys) I always thought I would buy a JLY doll that looked like her and she could get whatever Historical outfits she wanted and pretend that her doll goes back in time. That's just one way of budgeting it.

If you go for another Historical Doll, I too would recommend the library. Let you daughter read all the stories and see which doll she likes.

I started collecting when there were only three dolls and very little clothing, so as they added to the line, I added to my collection. Now, if I were starting today, I would have the same questions you have - it seems overwhelming.

Congratulations on picking such a nice project for the two of you to work on together. I hope your dolls give you many years of pleasure - and good times for you and your daughter.

[CallingCadence]

The way we started was with my daughter's first historical which was Kit. I made a plan to work on Kit's clothing and accessories first, and save up for the bigger ticket items like her furniture and her trunk.

One of my favorite must haves from Kit's collection is her typewriter.

The wish list and gift registry at AG.com have come in very handy. It helps the relatives make the collections progress a bit faster! [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]