It's been a noisy, stormy, rainy morning here in the Bootheel, so I cobbled together a random post. After much ado, fanfare, and speculation American Girl has released their 35th Anniversary collection in the form of reissues of the first six girls in their pre-BeForever clothes. Note that for some reason Molly is already sold out. I always thought Molly and Samantha were the two most boring ones, but for some weird reason everyone loves them.
I'm most tempted by Addy, whom I've always preferred in pink, though I won't deny that I love her in blue too. While I'm not chomping at the bit to get any of it, I'm certainly very glad to see a revival of the old outfits, the ones released before BeForever, the ones that I grew up with. And finally...FINALLY my Kirsten is getting a new release! What's not to like about that? I asked my Kirsten what she thinks about it and she's super-excited.
Of course the modern dolls aren't being left out of the fun. Dig these outfits! Here's the outfit for eighteen-inch dolls...
There are also some cute birthday-themed playsets that I don't have the money and the space for, but they're still fun to look at. I'm most excited about the outfits for the eighteen-inch doll and the Wellie Wisher since I don't have a Bitty Baby (yet, LOL). The eighteen-inch outfit SPARKLES, and who doesn't love SPARKLES??? In the mood I'm in I could do with a few sparkles (didn't sleep). LOL, I must admit though that this stuff is eye candy for the collector, though I have no plans to get any of it yet. I'll wait until the outfits pop up on eBay, and for the reissued dolls I'll just say "no thanks" since I have most of them.
I'm going to go batten down the hatches for another wave of thunderstorms, but what say y'all??? Will any of y'all be getting a reissue doll? Discuss.
Much love,
RagingMoon1987
I've already ordered Felicity.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get my first AG until 2018, by which time BeForever had taken over and I cannot express the passion with which I hate the BeForever meet outfits for the original characters. I have painstakingly purchased all six dolls second hand in their Pleasant Company or early Mattel editions, but Felicity holds a lot of childhood memories for me, so I decided it was worth having two of her just to have the brand new one.
LOL, I have no experience with the BeForever outfits, so I can't say that I hate them. Probably if I felt the quality of them I'd be able to say for certain! I did hear plenty of horror stories about BeForever Felicity's dress, though, and how the quilted panel on the front was just printed (CHEAP-O!!!). Here's hoping that the anniversary dolls have nice clothes like their Pleasant Company selves. Please let me know if your doll has nice clothes!
DeleteI'll let you know when I get Lissy, she should be here next week sometime.
DeleteTruth is, it's not really the quality of the BeForever clothes I take issue with, it's the inaccuracy. For starters, Addy's meet dress would never have been that luxurious blue thing with black velvet trim - we met her when she was still enslaved in the first book. It would be good as a future dress from one of her other books, once she was free...but precious few enslaved girls her age would have had a luxurious dress like the BeForever meet for Addy. And then there's Felicity's blue and yellow monstrosity. I personally dislike the color combo, but we'll ignore that personal quibble for a moment. She was a patriot, her family wasn't quite as well off as their loyalist companions (Elizabeth's family) - she wouldn't be wearing blue brocade and yellow silk as an everyday dress when she's running around, playing with horses and doing housework. No way. Maybe as her party dress later on for the gala I could see it. Kit's clothes were just garishly bright and the color choices clashed so badly. Only one of her Beforever outfits ever appealed to me and that was because it wasn't so blindingly color-saturated. I won't say Pleasant Company's designs are perfect, but I personally prefer them just because they aren't fluorescent bright colors and the fabric types were a little more accurate than the silk, brocade, velvet and lace. I actually like Samantha's BeForever dress, I just don't think it suits her character at all. And I like Molly's BeForever meet from her costco set enough to buy it when it showed up in the last chance sale for my Molly a few months ago. The dolls who have always been BeForever, like MaryEllen, Nanea and Melody - I like their BeForever stuff, but that might be because I've never known them another way?
Oh man, those old outfits WERE nice! I did think it strange that Felicity would be dressed in a ballgown when she didn't even like fancy stuff except around Christmastime. I liked the color combo, but then I've always liked gaudy things (LOL). Addy's first dress was a gift, wasn't it? I know that her pink dress was a gift from the abolitionist lady that helped her and her mother get north. Does it say in the books whether that blue dress was a gift or not? If it was then it would make a little more sense...a little, not a lot, LOL again. Also, if you would be so kind, please let me know how green your Felicity's eyes are. I know the bright green wasn't a big hit with a lot of collectors, but I happen to like my transitional doll's blinding green eyes. Or I think she's transitional...I need to check my years.
DeleteMy Felicity's eyes are the same shade of green as my 1990s PC Felicity's and my "transitional" TM #19 - they are very bright green. I got her two days ago but I've been sick so I haven't done much with her beyond take her out of the box and hold her up next to my older Felicity and my custom #19 to see the eyes.
DeleteI was looking at my CYO doll who supposedly has "green" eyes and hers are super dark, almost grayish instead of green. I wish she had more of Felicity's shade of green but as she's a CYO and a Josefina mold both, I won't eye swap her. She was expensive so I wouldn't be able to replace her if I messed up and Josie molds are notoriously harder to eye swap than Classic molds.
I wonder why it's hard to swap out Josefina eyes? The sockets always seemed big enough for that.
DeleteI'm glad to hear the new Felicity has the brighter eyes. I know some folks weren't huge fans of those eyes, but I've always loved them. Your CYO probably looks fine as she is; some people do have eyes that are gray-green, after all.
I'm sorry to hear you've been poorly! Was it this coronavirus crap or something else? I hope you're feeling better!
It's harder because the Josefina mold is slightly narrower than Classic. The shape of the face makes it harder to pop the eyes in and out.
DeleteI do love my CYO as she is, but I had wanted her to have the brighter eyes because I modeled her after a character in one of the stories I write who does have very green eyes. Not a big deal tho.
It's not CoVid to my knowledge. I think it was just a stress reaction that got the best of me, happens sometimes.
Oh Lordy, stress can sicken anyone! Well, I'm glad it was not our old friend COVID, and I'm glad you love your Felicity. I'm just a hair biased since I've always loved Felicity myself, LOL.
DeleteBeForever outfits are terrifyingly awful with how inauthentic they are, or if mildly authentic, inappropriate for when they're being worn. Yes, Samantha would totally go outside and climb trees in a dress with white lace trim and a net overlay. (slaps forehead.)
DeleteKnowing Samantha, she probably would!
DeleteThey’re cute but I’ve honestly never really like any of the pleasant company designs they’ve always seemed so boring to me and just seemed to push the idea that the past was dull and colorless which is definitely not the case and I never really got into them until beforever we because I like most of the outfits a lot more. (Samanthas original meet dress will always be the most boring and dull American girl outfit ever produced and I’m willing to die this hill) and I hate that they didn’t change molly and Samantha’s shoes since Samantha’s are inaccurate for the period, and I just hate the plastic shoes they had since 86, but as they’re repros I see why. Still a neat idea even if I’m not that interested in them
ReplyDeleteYeah, I never was Samantha's biggest fan either. I have my sister's Samantha doll and I feel really torn about her. She was a gift and I hate to spit in the face of a gift, but I've never bonded with her and I'm considering selling or trading her. I don't understand either why she couldn't have had high-button boots since one of her extra outfits had them, AND since all her illustrations showed her wearing them. And oh man, I hear you on the colors too. Addy's wardrobe was always my favorite since it had blues and greens and purples.
DeleteThe past may not have been dull and colorless, but clothing was more so, at least until aniline dyes were invented. Even then, it probably wasn't cheap for a while. Poor Addy's green dress may have been dyed with arsenic! Shoes like Samantha's were around at the time, and the plastic ones were probably enough of a cost savings that Pleasant Company used them. I love Samantha since her time period is my favorite, and her outfits are pretty authentic, so they make me happy.
DeleteOh good night, I forgot that clothes in Addy's time were dyed with arsenic. Talk about a slow and painful death!
DeletePoor Samantha, I'm at a loss about what to do with mine. I just can't bond with her!