Nine rare American Girls that everyone supposedly wants

This post springs from yet another article that I found, one that apparently knows exactly which American Girl dolls all serious collectors want.  Let's see...how many of these am I dying to own?  And the images...they're all stock images of more modern dolls.  There was no way I was finding a stock image of this first one.

1:  Original 1986 Kirsten

Nope, I've got a Kirsten and I love her.  The original doll has some subtle differences from the one I've got, but they're super-subtle.  Besides, these older Kirsten dolls have ridiculously pale eyes, and I think they look possessed. 

2:  White-body Samantha 

Nope, because I've got a Samantha and...keep her around for sentimental reasons.  Samantha never has been and never will be one of my favorite dolls, and why is a white-body Samantha so much better than a Kirsten or a Molly with a white body?  Hard pass.

3:  Josefina Montoya

No, but just because I don't really need a Josefina.  I like her a lot, and I remember when she joined the AG bunch.  Just reading her lists of accessories was a learning experience because there was so much Spanish involved.  So probably if my collection were smaller I'd say yes to this one.

4:  Cecile Rey

Maybe in the future.  I had a chance to own both Marie-Grace and Cecile about a year ago, but Cecile ended up getting sold and if I own one I want the other.  The article sites Cecile as being desirable because she was the more well-dressed of the two, and because there weren't many of her made (both Cecile and Marie-Grace were unpopular).  

5:  Caroline Abbott

Soft pass, largely because Caroline looks a lot like a doll I've already got (Kat the Time-Explorer).  Caroline represents a part of American history that doesn't get a lot of press, and she's quite attractive with loose blonde curls and aquamarine eyes, so my door is open for Caroline in the future...but not right now.

6:  Limited-edition Ruthie

I didn't know Ruthie was considered limited-edition!  I thought she was a regular ol' best friend like Emily, like Elizabeth, like Ivy and Nellie.  The article talks about her accessories (she wears a watch, pricey in those days), but I don't think Ruthie is any better than Kit.  Pass.

7:  Limited-edition #21

Uh, since when was this one limited-edition???  I remember when JLY #21 was released and no one said a word about her being limited-edition.  Hard pass, because I have #21.  Rilla Louise is in rough shape, but I do own her.

8:  Marisol Luna

NOW we're talking limited-edition!  The only Girl of the Year on the list, Marisol is listed as a fan favorite due to her ballet-themed collection and her abundance of hair.  Hmmm, I remember her being controversial!  Anyway, Marisol was on my radar for a looooong time, and even today I still have my eye on her.  

9:  German Samantha 

Another Samantha??????  Yes, this one was made abroad and has specialized tags and packaging.  Interesting...but she's Samantha.  No.  Just no.  Thanks anyway.

If y'all couldn't tell, the one I'd pick out of all of them would be Marisol, and indeed, she's the only one I'm still seriously considering finding.  The others I either have variants of, don't have room for, or don't care much for.  Seriously, who needs more than one Samantha, tag and body variants be danged?  But then someone might ask me the same thing about JLY #49, and I love her more than all the other JLYs put together.  Indeed, I've considered getting a second one.  Like Rita Cheryl isn't enuff, LOL.

We all have our favorites, so I shouldn't pooh-pooh Samantha too hard.  Some folks love her as much as I love #49.

Love,
RagingMoon1987

AG Spotlight: Rilla Louise Moultrie

I apologize for my messed hair; it refuses to lie down.

FULL NAME:  Rilla Louise Moultrie

NICKNAMES:  "Rill" and "Mole."  I don't like either one much, but "Mole" really bothers me.  Rita Cheryl calls me that.

WHERE I GOT MY NAME:  I'm named after the girlfriend of a musician the Moon Girl liked, and a county in Illinois.

JUST LIKE YOU NUMBER:  #21

HOMETOWN:  White Plains, New York

HEAD MOLD:  Classic

HAIR COLOR:  Honey blonde

EYE COLOR:  Hazel.  Hazel eyes can vary widely among American Girls, just as they do among people, and indeed my eyes are very different from Marina's.  Marina has a lot of green in her eyes... 

...while my eyes are more of a gold shade.

FAVORITE COLORS:  Red and orange

THINGS I LIKE:  Horses and horseback riding, cattle, volleyball, soccer, bouldering, and the outdoors in general, springtime, my naturally curly hair, playing the drums

THINGS I DISLIKE:  Quarrelling with Rita Cheryl, being called "Mole," my naturally curly hair, falling (that happens a lot when one boulders), bullies (they remind me of how bad I used to be),

MY CHOICE IN MUSIC:  Sigh...I like Josh Turner...like, A LOT.

PET:  Garnet, Caroline Abbott's calf

Maaaa!

FAMILY:  Rita Cheryl is my cousin.

BEST FRIENDS:  Silver Bird (we play soccer and climb together), Justine-Marie (we both like horses), and Zoe (because everyone loves Zoe).  I also like Olivia Reese and Chelsea because they're climbers.  

SOMEONE I'D RATHER AVOID:  Rita Cheryl, for reasons listed below, and Doremi, because she's a bully.  Justine-Marie says she's not as bad as she seems, but I don't buy it.  

HOW I CAME HERE:  eBay again!

ABOUT ME:  I grew up in White Plains, New York, in a family that I thought was close but was actually very dysfunctional.  I used to think money bought everything, but boy, was I wrong!  Unfortunately I learned this too late to salvage my relationship with Rita Cheryl.  She grew up poor and I sadly rubbed it in her face constantly when we were kids.  Understandably, now Rita Cheryl wants nothing to do with me.  Even though I'd love to try and talk things over with her, for now I'm respecting her distance.  When and if she heals, she'll come find me.  And if she doesn't, that's just something I'll have to live with.  Rita Cheryl isn't 100% innocent; sometimes she picks fights, but...well, what's good for the goose is good for the gander, I guess.  I picked plenty of fights too in my day.

Hmmm, what else about me?  Oh yes, I said above that I love to climb.  Trees, rocks, playground equipment, pumpkins, doesn't matter.  Chelsea and Olivia Reese like to join me.

Getting a good view of the house down the street may not sound like much, but when you're a foot and a half tall seeing that far is quite a treat.  That being said, it sure would be nice to be able to hang like Chelsea and Livvie can.  They have flexible knees, so they can do that.  I don't, so I can't. 

I make up for it by being a better rock climber than they are.  Last Sunday the Moon Girl took me to the park in Dexter, and there were rocks to climb!  This one was smaller, but it was tough to climb.  The sides went straight up and down.  Notice that I can't stand up straight in this rock, LOL.

By contrast, this rock was much bigger, but it was easy to climb.  Thank goodness, because after my struggles with the first rock I was pretty beat.

There was a birthday party going on while the Moon Girl was taking these pictures, and she saw a little girl carrying a brand-new My Life doll.  I didn't see because my head was turned, but Moon said she had bright pink hair.  She'd probably be Amora, the new hairstylist.  Moon says that Amora may come to live with us one day, since she has unusual hair and unusual eyes.  Bubblegum hair and lilac eyes, to be exact (pardon the bad lighting, the Moon Girl says).

Meh, she's okay, but she's not any better than Airy.

When I'm not climbing trees or rocks or playing soccer I take care of my little heifer, Garnet.  Caroline Abbott has entrusted her to me.

Silver Bird and I have tinkered around with starting up a hobby farm if the band thing doesn't pan out.  She's got the pig and the goat, and now I have the cow.  Oh yes, the band.  Felicity, Zoe, Silver Bird and I are going to try and start a band.  I had a drum set once, but the thing kept falling apart and the Moon Girl chucked it.  Felicity says I should've blown it up like the Who would've done.  I usually remind her that the Who were just as hard on guitars as they were on drums, and that usually shuts her up.  Felicity guards that guitar of hers like it's made out of solid gold.  Sheesh, if we do form a band we'll be the most motley crew since...well, since Motley Crue!

That takes care of me!  See you around!

Love,
Rilla Louise Moultrie

As the old saying goes...

...if you don't like the weather, wait awhile.  Said statement especially holds true here in the New Madrid seismic zone.  Last Thursday my area had a wave of noisy, windy, wet thunderstorms, followed by a balmy weekend and another round of severe weather.  So great was my spring fever that I put Rilla Louise, Justine-Marie, and Luciana in their springtime garb, consisting of light, sleeveless shirts, colorful shoes, and in Justine-Marie's case, a new pair of Minnie Mouse ears.

Alas, it was not meant to be.  On Monday night the weather cleared out and turned cold again, and today Mama and I got off work early due to freezing rain.  Oooo, is that wind sharp, too!  I wouldn't mind it all so much if the wind weren't so dad-blamed sharp!  Anyway, two new doll-sized coats arrived in the mail, and Rita Cheryl and Airy quickly claimed them.

Rita Cheryl is hiding her spring dress under that coat, LOL.  By pure chance they happen to match.  Airy's set is a full set of leggings, which I'd wear in a New York second if I didn't have thunder thighs.  Oh yeah, Rilla Louise and Luciana tried to compensate with their new cardigans...

...but I don't b'lieve that'll cut it, not with those bare legs in this wind!  In truth I do plan on pairing Rilla Louise's dress with a pair of jeans, but they're not here yet.  For some reason I've never been a big fan of putting American Girls in short dresses with nothing to cover their legs.  Go figure, I'm weird.

Now I'm going to make sure my animals are warm enuff and go on another YouTube bender.  Stay home tonight if you can, especially if you're in the path of this ice!

Love and warmth,
RagingMoon1987