Do you remember last year when I was bitching about how the American Girl company was retiring Samantha and Nellie? Ostensibly, because the American Girl money grubbers want to preserve Samantha and Nellie for posterity, blah blah blah, but really because they wanted to drive up demand and make a crapload of money.
Well, I should have guessed what was coming next.
It turns out that another doll is being retired this year.
Say goodbye to Kirsten, the adorable Swedish-American girl.
[Or, should that be Hejdå?]
Another doll gone, to be replaced by one that will, frankly, not be all that much different.
Think I’m kidding?
Exhibit A for the Prosecution: Last year, Samantha (1904) was replaced by Rebecca (1914). Both have brown hair and both live in New York. The difference between eras is pretty much irrelevant. (Trust me, the young female doll owners won’t notice or care.) The only real difference between the dolls is that Samantha celebrates Christmas and Rebecca celebrates Hanukkah. Woo hoo! The perfect opportunity for the American Girl money grubbers to start manufacturing wee doll-sized menorahs in China.
I rest my case.
[Yes, I know I would have flunked out of law school about 15 minutes into my first class of my first semester.]
I am now predicting that Kirsten (1854) will be replaced with Elin (1844), a recent immigrant from Norway, whose family settles in a small prairie town in Kansas. That way, the American Girl money grubbers can swap out one Scandinavian girl for another and place her in another Little House on the Prairie setting.
Yes, I’m cynical.
I’m also irritated.
Why can’t the American Girl money grubbers leave well enough alone?
I’m not naive. I get it, it’s all about the Bennies. They’ll generate HUGE sales this year, to be followed by almost-as-huge sales when they introduce Elin or whomever in 2010. Apparently, the American Girl money grubbers haven’t earned quite enough money to take their entire extended families (including second cousins) on a three week Hawaiian cruise.
As it happens, neither of our girls has Kirsten, so no one in Jenworld has shed any tears.
In general, our girls are pretty well set in the American Girl department. They have multiple dolls, loads of accessories, and even some furniture that costs more than some of our human-size stuff. We probably have enough American Girl doll paraphernalia to start selling small overpriced outfits out of the trunk of our car.
Consequently, the idea that Santa might be bringing American Girl stuff for Christmas this year has not entered my mind.
[Okay, that's not exactly true. There's a remote possibility that Graceful might get Kit's typewriter set. She asked for it in 2007 and 2008 and, both years, it was sold out, even though Santa did her shopping well in advance. This year, I thought I'd get it for Graceful for her September birthday, so I ordered it in July. It still has not arrived and, frankly, I'll probably have a stroke from the shock if it ever does appear in our mailbox.]
[Actually, I've already decided that if/when Kit's typewriter set does not arrive in time for Christmas, I am going to cancel the order. Then, when I'm in New York next summer for BlogHer '10, I'll just go to the damn store myself and chose from among the 47 typewriter sets that are most likely right there in the store.]
[Anyone going to BlogHer '10 want to voyage to the American Girl store with me? I'm guessing there will be a blog post as a result of that little expedition. It could be, um, interesting.]
The plan here in Jenworld is for this to be a Lego Christmas. Now that is an overpriced toy company that both Pete and I can appreciate, not to mention are willing to hand over vast sums of money in exchange for their fine Danish plastic projects.
The girls are so into Legos now that they waited with bated breath for weeks for the Christmas catalog to arrive. I was worried that when the catalog did eventually get here, blood would be shed in order to determine which girl got to look at it first. Luckily, the catalog came on a day when Graceful had an after-school activity, so Elegant had the Lego catalog all to herself for 45 minutes, which was ample time for her to go through it carefully, assess each building set, and make notes with a pen.
Since that time two weeks ago, our Lego catalog has been read, looked at, perused, pondered, and generally pawed over to the point that it’s already quite dog-eared. There are two lists attached to the front — one with Graceful’s Top 5 favorite Lego sets and one with Elegant’s. Each list has been edited, crossed out, and marked-up repeatedly as the girls reassess their favorites, as well as negotiate with each other over who gets to ask for what.
So I was feeling pretty smug about Christmas this year and not worrying too much about anyone asking for American Girl stuff. Clearly, that ship has sailed.
I was happy too soon.
Last week, the American Girl Christmas catalog arrived in our mailbox. I saw it and planned to hide it in the bottom of the recycling bin; however, Eagle Eyes Graceful (yes, that’s her Sioux name) saw the catalog and started squealing with delight. Then her younger sister joined in.
The negotiations for who got to look at the catalog first were short but quite professional. Since Elegant had first crack at the Lego catalog, Graceful got first dibs on the American Girl catalog. That was a l-o-n-g 30 minutes. Elegant paced back and forth and occasionally looked over Graceful’s shoulder, only to be shooed away so that Graceful could note her selections in black ink.
Later that evening, when both girls had pawed through and drooled over the catalog numerous times, I took a look at their notes…
… and snorted with derision.
I’m pretty sure that Santa will be skipping the American Girl megacorp this year.
We don’t need more $30 doll outfits.
We don’t need more overpriced doll furniture.
We definitely don’t need more doll pets, when our resident American Girl dolls have plenty of their own dogs and cats, as well as 173 Webkinz from which to choose.
And, honestly, neither girl seems to be clamoring for American Girl stuff. All I’m hearing about is Lego, Lego, Lego.
[Clearly, the Lego lust will need to be discussed further in a blog post of its own.]
So here’s my message to the American Girl money grubbers:
Tell me, what toys or other products are you saying auf wiedersehen to?
I’m pretty sure you want to come with Pete and the girls to San Diego instead of BlogHer. We could do Legoland!
Oops. Sorry I didn’t answer the question. I don’t say good-bye to any toy. I have a clutter problem, remember?
Good post. It is all about the Bennies. We have to be the gatekeepers of sanity. I try to keep the focus on being a contributor more than a consumer. I try.
American Girl decisions seem so long ago and far away . . .
Daughter is all grown up and now it’s just our 14 year old boy at home and his wish list consists of expensive skateboards, snowboards, guitars, amps . . . It’s no easier when American Girl is out of the picture : )
Shee-hit. I sold my Kirsten doll last year to buy an iPod nano for DH. I bet if I had waited till next year I could have bought him an iPod touch. Sniffle.
Well I still have Samantha to sell. She’s naked and ratty, but I have her. Except I’m kind of attached as she was my first AG Doll at the age of holy crap 6. Dilemmas dilemmas.
Oh also, this year is mostly handmade gifts all around. Lame, true, but don’t care that much. I’m going to attempt to make a boy doll for Toby this year but have a Cabbage Patch as a backup. My parents and grandma are getting scrapbooks of our vacation to the Oregon Coast this summer. The only person I’m at a loss for is my DH… I am trying so hard to save up enough to surprise him with a big plasma TV but as our budget is only $200 this year I might not make it. I’m only spending half as much on groceries every week and using the extra money for my savings. I really hope I can find some good sales!
Well, American Girls mean nothing to me/us but you KNOW this post has freaked the h**l out of me – retiring Kirsten? Eeek!
And we’re having a quite Lego Christmas though we already have tubs and tubs of the stuff.
Don’t wait for NY! Come to Chicago next week. You can stay with me and we can go to the American Girl store that happens to be right.across.the.street. from my apartment!
Emma didn’t even want to look at the catalog this year, so I guess we are all done with AG. Kind of makes me sad. What do you replace it with? Cell phones and AeroPostale clothes. Sigh.
And with Evan’s 10th birthday and Christmas looming, I am sure there are some Lego sets in our future!
Is it bad to say I don’t plan on giving a newborn a toy? She can have a stocking. As for American Girl – as long as they don’t retire the Addy doll – actually the books, I don’t have a problem.
I read Addy’s story when I was 12 and I thought it was kinda cool.
Enjoy your BlogHer fun!!!
Seriously, if that typewriter set doesn’t show up, shoot me an email. I haven’t been into the new, very-much-enlarged AG store in Chicago, but it’s huge. (It used to be a branch of Lord & Taylor, for pete’s sake.) I’m sure they’ve got a couple of typewriters stashed away in there somewhere.
This makes me very grateful that I have a boy
We buy Hot Wheels and Legos, but I don’t think we’ll be saying “see-ya” to either of those.
I was hanging with my friend Ali, who has an 8 year old daughter, while she perused the catalog and wanted EVERYTHING. Some of that stuff is so ridiculous. Why do you need to dress like your doll?
My niece is getting a doll for a combo birthday/Xmas gift from her grandma (my SIL’s mom). And they are planning to go to the store and have tea there with the doll. It’s cute, but that’s because I’m not paying for any of it.
Damn. We gave our Kirsten doll to the Salvation Army. I doubt she was very valuable, with her hair all snarled from home hairdressing. My girls have outgrown American Girl. We bought dolls and clothes only. No furniture, and I absolutely draw the LINE at doll’s pets. Did you know there’s also an “Australian Girl” company? My daughter’s friend’s mother writes books for them. The dolls sell for $112 Australian dollars which is about $103 US dollars.
I had never heard of American Girls dolls until I read your blog. There will be lego under our tree for sure. I don’t usually get the sets, but just the bins of assorted stuff for the girls to build with. The lego table I made in 2005 is still getting used every. day. Best $60 I ever spent.
Both of my girls decided to pack away their American Girl paraphernalia this summer, to my surprise. They were both sick of how much room they took up in their bedrooms and weren’t playing with them as much anymore. Sayonara!!
All of them. The only “toy” my teenagers want is WII drums. Besides that, they want us to pay for everything they buy on itunes, and they want us to not follow them around the mall but magically appear with credit card when it’s time to pay for what they want.
Even though I don’t know the stories behind each doll, I always thought it was kind of cool that there was a Scandinavian one with my name. Nothing ever had my name when I was growing up – pencils, magnets, etc…
I can’t wait to see you for BlogHer 2010!
Dude I just called our local den of villainy aka American Girls Dallas Galleria location. She tells me they have had the typewriter set on backorder for their store since last December. None of the stores have them in stock.
Hey, but I tried for ya.
Snort. We got our ‘MapleLea Girls’ catalog yesterday. Why should America get all the moolah for these dolls! Canada wants in! (well, APPPARENTLY.)
Oh, and I saw these today: http://tinyurl.com/yhn6993
Personally, I’m waiting for the Lego nativity scene. (eye roll)
Well, Team Testosterone never really caught on to the American Girl thing…nor do they enjoy Transformers despite one grandma’s desperate attempts (they always end up in the Goodwill bin) or Bionicles (they think they love them, but they’re just clutter). We have, however, outgrown any further need to add to the Brio Train Set.
I don’t yet have any children but I LOVE reading about yours. The American Girl doll posts are some of my favorite, they are absolutely hysterical. You must know they are coming out with a new homeless doll? Her name is Gwen and no, I’m not kidding.
And good for you for Christmas shopping so soon…I should be as motivated.
But I love AG! Even if they are money grubbers. So clever and the dolls are sooooooooooo cute. And, I’m not a little girl.
Maura, they are NOT.
… I just… have no words.
I’m so hoping to avoid the AG craze. Living in the sticks will probably help that. Unless we go visit relatives in Chicago who insist on taking the girl to the store downtown. (I’ve been there once. Yeowzers. That is some craziness.) I’d be just fine with a total tom boy that treasures legos and balls over dolls.
I’m retiring a number of toys this year. While on maternity leave so the Boy won’t notice! Some will just go in storage for the Girl, others will be out the door to better homes.
Thanks for the humorous story! I feel this way often but we don’t say goodbye until they are broken beyond repair. I think I have clutter issues too! I’m sad about another historical character being retired but I hope they come out with someone good!
So far, nothing much yet. Stickers. But he still likes what he likes and is pretty set in his ways – cars, Bakugan, Wii. Nothing much has been dustbinned.
Oh, Precious Oldest had/has Kirsten. We kept everything which comes in handy when my 8 year-old niece comes to visit!