dollyparsnip

If you're trying to build your American Girl doll's collection of clothes and accessories, and if you're also intimidated by the high prices of secondhand stuff, this post is for you! I've compiled here a list of things for sale from the gray market.

What "gray market" means is that some factories in China that previously made products for American Girl brand, continue making them for a while after American Girl stops ordering them. The factory workers then sell these things on eBay, at a huge discount.

I've bought gray market stuff before, and I've seen no difference in the quality or similarity to the stuff I've gotten from AG. It does take a little longer to arrive from China, but I've not yet had anything lost in the mail. So keep that in mind that there is a small risk of not receiving anything.

Items also come and go in availability. So something could be available for a few weeks and then stop production, and you've lost your chance to buy it, so definitely don't delay too long if you find something you like.

This is by no means a complete list. What I do recommend doing, if you're looking for something specific, is to go to the seller's profile and see what other American Girl products they're selling. There's a lot more out there than what I tracked down.

Felicity's BeForever straw hat, fichu, mob cap, necklace Caring for Baby set's 8-inch baby only Hearing aids Various foods Josefina's Navidad dress Kaya's bead necklace Courtney's bangle bracelets Kit's photographer outfit Marie-Grace's fan Blaire's tote bag and tablet Coffee shop cups Gabriela's bag and snacks Courtney's lunchbox and partial lunch foods Courtney's lunchbox only Bitty Baby's bottles Samantha's painting set Luciana's wig, meet boots, and star necklace Nanea's meet accesories Birthday celebration set Joss wig Molly's BeForever red beret and red purse Melody's stuffed elephant (set of 3) Chrissa and Nellie wigs

And this listing here has a huge list of items available:

Ooooh, good find! So I looked into this, and I found no evidence of Samantha's doll Clara ever including a bonnet. Since she isn't illustrated wearing one in Samantha's Surprise, that makes sense. What I did find out is that there were many, many variations in Clara, almost to the point that no two of them look exactly alike. But that seems to be pretty common for clothes and accessories introduced in the early Pleasant Company days, as they figured out what works best in manufacturing and selling. Even Samantha herself was constantly being revised in the first few years after her release. What I think happened with yours is that her previous owner must have borrowed a bonnet from another doll and put it on Clara. I'm sure it's adorable.

And here are some pictures pictures of the bonnet construction.

We already know they will be Jewish, based on their last name, but I also think they will be Latina or Hispanic. Isabel is a very common name in Spanish speaking countries, and I’m theorizing that Nicki is short for Veronica for the same reason. I’m guessing that their dad is Jewish, and their mom is Hispanic, probably from Colombia (my guess for Colombia is only coming from Encanto & it being on kids’ radars now. Also, the fact that Mexico has already been featured a few times already, so I could see them branching out).

There was a large increase in the Hispanic population in the US in the ‘90s, as well, so there is a lot of relevant history that can be brought up in their books. With this, where Hispanic Americans lived geographically drastically shifted, with more and more moving to the Midwest. I would love for this to be Wisconsin’s time to shine. With Pleasant Company starting in Wisconsin, it only feels right that we have a historical character (or two) reside there. And not to mention I was born in the ‘90s in WI….. but shhhh…. In addition to the Hispanic population in WI, there is also a prevalent Jewish population, primarily in Milwaukee, with it being the 42nd most populous Jewish community in the US. In 1997, actually, the Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival began! I doubt they’d set their story so late in the ‘90s, but it’s a neat tidbit nonetheless.

Ok so I have an announcement for y’all. I have decided to cancel my World Beyond boarding school au. As much as I love the show, it is not something that I wish to continue with my dolls.

Huck, Iris, and Hope’s doll profiles will be deleted and replaced later on. I feel that Huck and Hope’s dolls fit more as historical characters and Iris’s doll would be a modern character. I am going to be changing their names as well since they won’t be taking on personas of tv characters. I am going to be changing Hope to be a girl living in the 1640s as a descendant from the Pilgrims in Massachusetts (Her parents were children coming over on the Mayflower) and I haven’t quite locked down an era for Huck but I’m really focusing on the 70s for some reason but we’ll see.

I am also bringing my Kendall Wellie Wisher into the future and while she will still play Addy’s sister Esther from time to time, she will also play Kendall.

Lastly, I’ve taken inspiration from @desertdollranch and the Dusty Mountain Dollies sisters and have decided that Callie, Amaya, Iris, and Kendall will all be sisters, set in the modern times. I’ll post more about this family after I get the collections posts and Alicia’s final story complete.

I had to steal these from a d*ily m*il article but AG has released a book promoting body diversity and love, which includes parts supporting trans kids!

We already know they will be Jewish, based on their last name, but I also think they will be Latina or Hispanic. Isabel is a very common name in Spanish speaking countries, and I’m theorizing that Nicki is short for Veronica for the same reason. I’m guessing that their dad is Jewish, and their mom is Hispanic, probably from Colombia (my guess for Colombia is only coming from Encanto & it being on kids’ radars now. Also, the fact that Mexico has already been featured a few times already, so I could see them branching out).

There was a large increase in the Hispanic population in the US in the ‘90s, as well, so there is a lot of relevant history that can be brought up in their books. With this, where Hispanic Americans lived geographically drastically shifted, with more and more moving to the Midwest. I would love for this to be Wisconsin’s time to shine. With Pleasant Company starting in Wisconsin, it only feels right that we have a historical character (or two) reside there. And not to mention I was born in the ‘90s in WI….. but shhhh…. In addition to the Hispanic population in WI, there is also a prevalent Jewish population, primarily in Milwaukee, with it being the 42nd most populous Jewish community in the US. In 1997, actually, the Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival began! I doubt they’d set their story so late in the ‘90s, but it’s a neat tidbit nonetheless.