Looking at Mattel purchuse of AG from a bussiness stand point.

[Felicityexpert]

I was listening to a radio show. On part of it they had this bussiness sense thing. First of all, they said the average life of a company was 12 years (down from 25 years in 1950). AG was 12 years old when Pleasent T. sold it to Mattel. Then they said that wha you have to do in bussiness is change. And wheather it's positive or not that's what Mattel has done. Of course they were talking about a ceramc shop in Rhode Island that makes Anne of green gables themed figurines, and they switched to making better quality figurines in China for a cheaper price, they didn't retired much of their line. But it makes you think.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ October 10, 2004 07:43 PM: Message edited by: Felicity+Addyfan ]</font>

[auri]

It's ironic that Mattel changed by acquiring--for huge bucks--the same company Mattel's execs and othe leaders in the toy industry had mocked when Rowland started it. (They believed her premise that older girls, say around 12, still wanted to play with dolls was wacko). But my concern is less how Mattel changed than how it's changing AG. Rowland had a vision of the dolls as a way of helping girls learn to love reading and history. Mattel seems more focused on play value, which is why I think they're a lot more comfortable with AGOT than with the historical dolls. If and when Mattel ever brings out a new full-fledged historical doll will tell us a lot about whether or not Rowland's vision still lives in any form.

[moderator]

I wonder if the statistic would be misleading...most businesses fail within the first year, so that might have messed with the average a bit. I think it's amazing how long AG lasted without Mattel, since it was a "small business."

auri, you made a good point. I think it's interesting that Rowland made these dolls to be something opposite to Barbie. And though the AGT items are cute, some of them now really remind me of Barbie, especially all the beauty products, bath tub, etc. I want girls to realize it's not their looks that give them their value...the AG stories never focus on the girls' appearances. But that type of merchandise does.

[courtneysunshine]

You're right Melissa. I had never noticed that before, but the Historicals don't really have any products that pertain to beauty (except for a few pretty dresses and a hairbrush for the doll [img]wink.gif[/img] ) No wonder I tend to like them better than the AGOT. Unfortunately, girls do tend to like the beauty products. We try to get mostly Historical items, but any time DD asks for an AGOT item, nine times out of ten it is a "beauty" item like the bathtub, the Spa Robe & Accessories, etc.

It does seem interesting that Mattel would purchase a company that seems to be at odds with their products.

Kim [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Felicityexpert]

It does seem interesting that Mattel would purchase a company that seems to be at odds with their products.

Kim [img]smile.gif[/img] [/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Theres one reason Mattel bought American girl. Money. Remember that the last report of Mattel's that Barbie was down 18 points and AG was up 12. Now imagine if AG didn't belong to Mattel. It's just smart bussiness to buy out competitors.

You know whats weird? Coke once had the oppertunity to buy Pepsi but they turned it down.

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ October 11, 2004 03:12 PM: Message edited by: Felicity+Addyfan ]</font>

[QNPoohBear]

Originally posted by Felicity+Addyfan:
they were talking about a ceramc shop in Rhode Island that makes Anne of green gables themed figurines, and they switched to making better quality figurines in China for a cheaper price, they didn't retired much of their line. But it makes you think.

<font color="#051E50"><font size="1">[ October 10, 2004 07:43 PM: Message edited by: Felicity+Addyfan ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">what what?! How come I don't know about this place? Do you know the name of it?! I've lived in RI most of my life and been an Anne fan for most of that and never ever heard of it!

[auri]

Originally posted by Melissa:
...though the AGT items are cute, some of them now really remind me of Barbie, especially all the beauty products, bath tub, etc. I want girls to realize it's not their looks that give them their value...the AG stories never focus on the girls' appearances. But that type of merchandise does.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's a really good point, Melissa. I don't doubt those items can be fun to play with but as a parent of a daughter (and son), I think it's really important to counter-balance the unrelenting emphasis on appearance that comes out of our culture in general. Way too many kids fall prey to that and suffer for it.

[Felicityexpert]

Originally posted by Melissa:
auri, you made a good point. I think it's interesting that Rowland made these dolls to be something opposite to Barbie. And though the AGT items are cute, some of them now really remind me of Barbie, especially all the beauty products, bath tub, etc. I want girls to realize it's not their looks that give them their value...the AG stories never focus on the girls' appearances. But that type of merchandise does.[/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, that really bugs me! But CC kinda wants some of it...I'll only get it for her on clearence!(How you know your going insane: you comunicate with dolls you don't even have yet...)
Actauly I don't talk to the doll. I think, oh, CC would like that! but as a dolly mommy I don't think she should have that....

[Grapedy1982]

Originally posted by courtneysunshine:
We try to get mostly Historical items, but any time DD asks for an AGOT item, nine times out of ten it is a "beauty" item like the bathtub, the Spa Robe & Accessories, etc.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm probably going to get the spa robe. I don't agree at all with the emphasis on beauty products in today's market. I'm almost 22, and I can't remember I had make-up on, lol. I just think the spa robe is really really cute, and so are the braces. I had braces when I was younger, and Katrina seems like the kind of doll that wouldn't mind wearing them all that much. Except that she won't be able to chew gum, lol.

[nycgal]

Originally posted by courtneysunshine:
It does seem interesting that Mattel would purchase a company that seems to be at odds with their products.

Kim [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">JMHO, but maybe that's exactly why Mattel did purchase AG--so they now have control of both the Barbie industry and the AG industry, which are very different (but sometimes overlap, like the beauty products [img]wink.gif[/img] ) yet both bring in loads of [img]graemlins/money.gif[/img] ...