I think it might be safe to assume that Elizabeth will not be Felicity's friend.
Thanks so much for sharing this!
Ugh...I don't like how they're associating *every* letter they get about Felicity with Society of American Girl Collectors. If they think every person complaining about Felicity is from SOAGC, then they will count all the letters as "one" complaint. (I hope that makes sense.) In other words, I'm sure not everyone who wants Felicity back and is writing about her is from SOAGC, yet by them claiming so, they can just ignore this request as a "fringe" campaign to get Felicity back in the catalog. Then they don't have to take customers' letters seriously, or realize it is customers of *all* ages, and not just SOAGC members, who miss Felicity's presence in the catalog. This type of response really proves to me that they have clouded judgment and are not open to hearing about this issue, since they think all the letters in regards to Felicity are complaints from one group.
This board was started by Ann, who runs the website Society of American Girl Collectors. The board is now not affiliated, but still has the same members. And you should join...it's great and free! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ September 29, 2004 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Melissa ]</font>
I think it might be safe to assume that Elizabeth will not be Felicity's friend.
I agree with your interpretation, which is why the letter annoyed me. Aside from its very "tolerant" tone, like it's really OK for someone of your age to be playing with dolls so don't feel badly about it. I don't! Oddly enough this letter was from the same correspondent who replaced my favorite AG letter writer of many years. I used to write to Pleasant Company about once a month to send photos of what my dolls were doing and always got a reply from the same warm, friendly person. She always sounded sincerely appreciative of my sharing my pictures with her while still being perfectly honest that what I wanted, as an adult collector, meant practically nothing in the overall direction of product development aimed at their primary "evergreen" target audience: little girls. No one could ever replace Jeanne! But what has always confused me is why this company, knowing that there's a large group of adults out there with MONEY to spend on their products, has steadfastly refused to accept seriously any comment made by someone older than 12!
Thanks for mentioning the Society -- but since my computer time is limited to lunch hours, I think I'll stay just with this Board for a while.
Lieu, good call! I was going to edit my post to add that. [img]redface.gif[/img] It wouldn't make sense for Elizabeth to be Felicity's friend if she is never going to be in the catalog again. It's sad, too, because it's like they're almost erasing their identities by possibly making a new character with the same name. (This is the first time two American Girl characters had the same name.)
I wish they had tried harder with Felicity before deciding to let her collection diminish. There might have been some ways to encourage children to choose her over the other dolls. It's all kind of sad.
Sakurako, I totally agree! Barbie is another Mattel doll, and they don't mind that she has adult collectors...they even have a club for the adult collectors and a different site set apart from the one for little girls. I also think it's odd that they wouldn't capitalize on this. To me Barbie is a mindless vaccuum (no offense to collectors of Barbie, I promise!), but the American Girls are three-dimensional characters and can be just as fun for adults to collect as children, especially if the adults are history buffs. It's really a puzzler.
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ September 29, 2004 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Melissa ]</font>
Just a thought here...I wouldn't completely rule out anything. Many times the CS reps and people who respond to letters and e-mails do not know what is going on. A lot of times their information has been incorrect. AG has been listening, or at least they have to people who take the surveys. My daughter is on their advisory board and it seems that every time we respond to a survey, a few months later, they come out with products or programs that she has voted for. On every survey, she has written that she wants more Felicity items and asks them to please bring back her retired items. I do think AG is listening.
I know there are a lot of adults out there who spend money on their collections, but don't forget, AG is trying to target a certain age group and they always have been. There are a lot of Moms with daughters in this age group and they definitely have a lot of spending power. You should hear the Moms at my daughter's ballet studio. They tend to almost put me in the shade [img]redface.gif[/img]
Kim [img]smile.gif[/img]
I agree that we shouldn't put too much faith in this letter. After all, she might not be in the catalog but they did bring back some of her items. I think that's a step toward returning her. Plus they haven't retired anything of hers in quite a while, so that seems positive as well. For a while last year her Windsor Writing Chair was listed as "Last Chance" but it isn't anymore. I can't help but have hope that good things are in store for Felicity.
I wish she was in the catalog too, but I'm just so happy right now that they brought my favorite outfit of her's back! And who knows, maybe they have some plan to return her in a big way but felt that with all the movie publicity and Nellie promotion it wouldn't really be a good time to do it.
I'm still going to keep believing that they will return Felicity to the catalog at some point. In the mean time, I want to show them how much I like Felicity by buying her items from them.
Well, I don't know which way to think about them on this Felicity issue. It has me confounded though.
Personally, I'm going to concentrate on finishing her collection (what is available, not the retired stuff). I need 2 outfits, her undergarments and socks/shoes and nightgown, party treats and chocolate set. AND, I might even buy another Felicity doll, just for the mere investment aspect, if she ever really does get retired.
A few weeks ago, maybe a month, I went on the AG website and gave them an email about how I would be very pleased if they gave Felicity at least 2 pages in the catalog and how it wouldn't be at all full of too much stuff. I hope that because I'm of the target age, 7-12, they'll actually listen more. So I encourage you other younger members to write to them if you want Felicity back in the catalog, because they just might listen more attentively to us.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ugh! Like Melissa said, if they think *every* letter about Felicity is from SOAGC, they're going to count it as one complaint. If nothing else, maybe you should write a short note back and explain that you did not mention SOAGC, that you are not a member, and that they should stop assuming that every letter about Felicity comes from someone in SOAGC!! (I am starting to get annoyed by this as well.)Originally posted by Sakurako:
My correspondent seemed to like that idea but was pretty unbending about yielding to the pressure of the "Society of American Girl Collectors" to restore Felicity to her natural place in the catalog. Which was interesting because I didn't mention that Society and don't belong to it!
This answer is geared more toward Melissa and lieu's things about both Elizabeth and Barbie. There is no saying Elizabeth is not going to be Lissie's friend you got to think how Mattel works every thing has to be justfied and not something that has been pushed by the fans. I belive whole hardily that not only is Elizabeth Lissie's friend put that will be the justfication for putting her back in the catalog. What a great way to promote her! Is what they are thinking. Trust me Mattel works in finding which ways make more money and this is a great way they think of doing it. As for Barbie since the new CEO Mr. Eckhart (that jerk I could call him something more colorful but I have to keep my post G rated). Cannot see the adult's loving doll wold and belives only children play with dolls which is way quality of Barbie has gone down.
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