Tons of reviews from my AGPLA trip

[horsemom]

So... I went a little hog wild at AGPLA, but I saved for months to do it, so I don't feel bad! [img]tongue.gif[/img] At any rate, I figured I'd write a few reviews and things that surprised me after seeing everything in person.

First a general overview of what surprised me...
The good:
Polly and cradle were smaller than I thought they'd be which is great for displaying on limited space. It's a very cute set.
The Felicity tea set is lovely- I'll be saving for that.
Elizabeth's bedding is (IMO) WAY better quality than Felicity's and you don't have to deal with those annoying tie tabs at the top of all the separate curtains and tester. On the downside, you can't remove the curtains but leave the tester like you can with F's.
Sam's Spring Party Dress is much lovelier and more detailed in person- I always disliked it until I saw it in person.
All the new historical outfits and accessories are very cute, though the scooter is plasticy.
Kaya and Kit's collections are WAY cuter in person than in the catalog- I will be working on complete collections for these two (which I hadn't planned on before). I loved Kit's table in person but had never thought much about it in the catalog. Same goes for Kaya's teepee (which was not as big as I'd feared) and horses.
Josefina's collection is even better than I thought it would be, and I had pretty high expectations based on the stuff I've had so far. Her furniture is great quality and SO Southwest! I think she has the prettiest trunk.

The bad:
F's tea treats disappointed me. I hope I can just get the plates through replacement parts or something, because I thought the flummerys looked small, and everything was kind of so-so.
I thought I'd really like the colonial stable set, but I don't. The rake and such were plastic and not very convincing to me. Too much plastic for my taste and the bucket was way too small- about half the size of Kirsten's bucket. I was just unimpressed. Though I think kids would love it and it would get a lot of play value, so it probably sells decently.
Addy had a much smaller room than some of the girls and that was a little disappointing. I love Addy and wanted her to have more room!
Sam's Lemonade Set did not seem as nice as the PM ones I've seen. It'll be ebay for me for this one.
Kit's trunk wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, but I'll probably get it one day anyway to complete the collection. It seems more difficult to store things in it than the others because of the small drawers.

Stuff I bought...
Dolls:
AGT#21 is darling and the Ready for Fun outfit is great. The detail on the outfit is fantastic and I especially loved the striped socks and shoes. A+

Kaya is sooo much better in person than in pictures. She is a gorgeous doll. I noticed that most of the Kayas didn't have a ton of face color, though, but a few (of which I picked one) had very rosy cheeks and lips. I thought they were the prettiest. A+

Jess is lovely- she's also prettier in person than she is in pictures- and I think she's very photogenic. Her hair is a lovely dark auburn color. I will say that many of the Jess dolls had an odd part line in the front that exposed the wig cap, which I didn't like. Some did not, so I just selected carefully. Jess' meet outfit is wonderful and high quality- the sandals are very cute and authentic, the skirt is double-layered, and the top is lovely with the embroidery. Even the undies have a little butterfly detailing on them! A+

Souvenir items:
The hoodie and jeans were great and very high quality (A). The souvenir accessories were also a great deal, I thought- for $12 you got a lot of nice little items (A). I felt the PJs were a bit pricey at $14 for boxer shorts and a tank, but I wanted the shirt a lot (B-). I liked the original $10 price better! The backpack and T-shirt are OK (B), but mostly I just wanted more mix and match pieces and they were relatively inexpensive. I thought the AG Revue Overalls were a great deal at $18- very high quality and a nifty set.

AGT:
Party Table and Cushions- I thought this was a fantastic deal at $32. The cushions are very cute, though I'd have prefered red to pink/yellow. The table is sturdy and holds a lot of dishes. A

Equestrian Outfit- Very authentic and darling. Can't wait to show my horse trainer. A+

Paisley Dress and Boots- I'm not that thrilled with the dress and wouldn't have bought it except for it being on sale. It's OK- just a little too "bling" for me. The boots are worth the $14 alone, though IMO. They are really cute and detailed- my aunt said she wished she had an adult-sized pair! [img]tongue.gif[/img] B

Coconut- He's very cute, but then everyone knows that. I really like the magnet thing. I didn't particularly like the collar and leash- it seems cheap and unrealistic to me. I would have preferred a more real collar made from nylon with a thicker nylon leash and a real metal dog tag that says "Coconut". B+

Historical Stuff:
Molly's Camping Equipment- cuter than cute. Well worth the price, even though the flashlight is kind of cheesy and cheap. The tiny newspaper, compass, and mess kit with so many tiny dishes more than makes up for it. A

Kit's Typewriter- An absolute must-have. It is DARLING! I love how it really "works" and comes with all the tiny paper and eraser and such. A++

Kit's Waffle Iron- If you don't have this, get it in case it retires. This is WAY better in person than I thought it would be. It used to be a low priority until I saw it in person. The waffle iron is just like my grandmother's old one and is very high quality- heavy metal and a lovely ceramic top. It has a cute little detachable cord and plug. The waffles really fit inside and the plate is real glass. A+

Kit's Rolltop Desk- One of the best furniture items ever from AG I think. It is fantasticly detailed and isn't so big that you can't easily display it in a cabinet or on a bookcase shelf. Just like a big one shrunken down. Mine is in transit since they ran out of them at the store. A+

Kit's School Supplies- I am so impressed with Kit's collection. These are so detailed and well-done. The tiny report card and book are precious, but the best part is the pencil box with tiny crayons, ruler, pencils, pen, and eraser. The bag is very nice too. A++

Kit's School Outfit- Very cute and well-made. The shoes are great! A

Addy's Party Treats- I love that they are like the PM ones. I was wondering about this, but they are. The food is not the new rubbery kind. It's the old ceramic type, which I liked better. The new rubbery kind feels icky to me. The pie and pie server are the best parts IMO. A+

Kaya's Pow-Wow Dress: Absolutely gorgeous. I think the best outfit they have for her. I love the feathered hair comb and embroidered moccasins. A+

Kaya's Foods- what a great set. Very detailed and with lots of food in various stages of the cooking process, which makes for fun play times! The basket is the best part. A+

Josefina's Dishes and Party Treats- the dishes are fantastic and mine had PC labels on them. They are really beautiful and one of my favorite dish sets- I like that they are so colorful. The bread is spiffy, but the melon is sticky-icky feeling and has wierd pokey things on one side and holes on the other so you can put the two halves together. I would have preferred just two separate halves without the wierd centers. A

[Starearedkid]

Wow! You got some great items. [img]smile.gif[/img] Your lucky-the AGP Revue Outfit at New York is 22 (was?) the first week in April. I love it, and even at 22, I think it is worth the money. It looks especially nice on 26!

I just dug for my receipt because I knew I didn't pay 18!

What made you not like Samantha's Lemonade set. I love it online-its been on my wish list and one of the days I hope to order it, so I was wondering what the faults were you saw.

Great amount of things you got!

-Jordyn

[BananaSmoothie]

Thanks or the reviews, they were fun to read [img]smile.gif[/img] Sounds like you had a great time. I'm glad to see another AGT-21 fan! She is so adorable, and I also like the Ready For Fun outfit, it's much better in person.

I've been begging my parents for a trip to AG Place, I've only been once and it was 5 years ago, so I'm hoping to go again and see everything in person!

[horsemom]

In regards to Sam's Lemonade Set- it did not seem as carefully gold-leafed and painted, or as high quality glass, as the PM version. It wasn't bad or anything, just didn't seem as carefully detailed as the original version. Like Kirsten's pottery set- my original PM set is from Rowe pottery and is much more detailed than the Mattel version, which looks a bit cheaper. The new versions are cute too, just not as high quality as the old ones to me- less careful in the details.

[Starearedkid]

Thanks. I've never seen the PM versions-I started collecting AG about 2 years ago. I always wanted them as a kid, but never got them [img]smile.gif[/img]

Anyway, if I never saw the PM version, would I notice much of a difference?

-Jordyn

[PrincessRuthie]

Thanks for the reviews! I, too, love Kit's collection, which is why it's sad AG is parting with the waffle iron. I can't wait to get mine so Kit can have her waffles! And it's SO historically accurate, too.

[MapleLeaf]

Thanks for all the reviews! I love reading other's opinions of AG items.
Enjoy all your new stuff!

Nia [img]smile.gif[/img]

[judiaci]

Great reviews! It sounds like you had a very nice time at the new store. I am always amazed at how different the items look in the store versus the catalogue. Sometimes they look better and sometimes worse.