Trading your plastic childhood friends for extra cash.
By Laura Smith
In 1986, Pleasant T. Rowland came up with a remarkable idea: to create dolls from various eras of American history.
And so, she made it happen.
The Chicago-born educator, writer, and publisher founded The Pleasant Company later that year: a toy business specializing in high-quality dolls that were sold exclusively through catalogs. Each doll came with her own book series as well as historically accurate accessories.
Rowland called her creations American Girl dolls, and they were an immediate hit. Little girls went crazy for them — and still do — with the dolls gaining new fans each year as older ones remain faithful collectors.
More than 32 million American Girl dolls and 157 million books have been sold since their creation, with their website drawing in as many as 45 million visitors each year.
Brick and mortar American Girl stores have popped up in 18 U.S. cities, as well as in Canada and in the Middle East island-nation of Bahrain. One of their flagship stores at The Grove, a luxury outdoor shopping center in Los Angeles, is a stand-alone, two-story building flanked with palm trees and American flags. At another flagship location in New York City, you can book tea, lunch, or dinner at the American Girl Cafe.
As the company continues to grow and expand, the American Girl dolls themselves have changed too.
The current line costs $98 per doll which includes one outfit, and none of them are the ones you might remember from your childhood.
The latest featured “historical dolls” include Kaya, a Native American girl living in 1764; Nanea, a Pearl Harbor girl from 1941; Maryellen, a 1950s girl; Melody, a singer and activist from 1964; Rebecca, a Jewish immigrant from 1914; and Julie, a hippie basketball player from the 1970s.
It’s a diverse array of characters, certainly — and not just in terms of ethnicity. The company now makes boy dolls, hairless dolls, and custom dolls that can be made to look just like you, too.
Some of the original dolls, such as Addy, Josefina, Samantha, and Kit, are still available to order from the American Girl website. However, you’ll find that many of their original outfits and accessories have been retired.
But though you might no longer be able to buy certain items from American Girl, you can likely find them in the dolls’ thriving online collectors community, where people actively buy and sell both old and new dolls.
This is good news for anyone who owns an American Girl doll, especially those who no longer have a use for them or who have been keeping them in storage for years.
With such a large collectors community behind them, now might be a good time to sell…or at the very least to do some digging and find out how much your dolls are worth.
Are American Girl dolls still valuable?
For most people, chances are they’re not going to make a fortune selling their old American Girl doll. Most likely, the doll has been taken out of its box, played with, and has some wear and tear. Only the oldest, mint, in-box dolls with authentic paperwork included are going to sell for thousands of dollars on eBay.
But the good news is that American Girl doll collectors are plentiful, with numerous blogs, social media pages, and online forums dedicated to showing off personal collections, putting items up for sale, asking for repair advice, or simply talking shop.
Though thousand-dollar sales aren’t common, there is still enough interest in American Girl products to make a few hundred dollars apiece from your collection.
But in order to do that, you need to understand what you’ve got, how much it’s worth, and how best to sell it on the market.
First, do your research
You need to know more about your American Girl doll to know what it’s worth. Information like when it was made, what condition it is in, what features it possesses, and what is currently in demand among collectors will be very helpful to find out. The same goes for outfits and accessories.
Curt Danhauser’s website, The Complete Guide to American Girl Doll Collecting, lists several items which are retired and hard to find, making them more likely to sell as collectors may be looking for them.
For instance, Felicity’s trunk, which originally sold for $12, might now go for as much as $120.
But just because an item is retired or the doll is an older model doesn’t make it priceless. So much of this merchandise has been bought and collected over the years that you can still find just about any item that you’re looking for. Still, a quality doll that’s in good-condition will always be able to fetch something, AGCollector101, an American Girl doll fan since childhood, says.
One anonymous collector from Facebook who has been collecting dolls for the past nine years shared her buying guidelines with us, stating: “Personally, I won’t pay over $60 for a great-condition, used doll unless she is extremely rare. A [doll that needs] TLC, I won’t pay over $30 [for]. An older doll never removed from the box, depends on the doll. I try to stay below $150.”
Find online collectors’ communities
Potential sellers should look for listings of items that are similar to what they have to find out what prices they’re selling for before they try to put their items up for sale.
The first place to start would be American Girl doll Facebook groups such as “American (AG) Girl Doll, Adult Collectors” and “American Girl Dolls Resale for the USA.” There are also several closed groups on Facebook for American Girl doll fans that you can request to join.
In these online communities, you’ll find that the newer dolls are just as popular as the older ones.
Many collectors seem to be in the game for the merchandise itself rather than the value. They just want a complete set of one particular doll or specific pieces from multiple dolls.
Some collectors even customize their dolls with colorful hair, makeup, and handmade clothes. They then either sell them or keep them for themselves.
Because they are often made from dolls purchased in poor condition, you can generally make a slight profit from selling these “flipped” dolls.
Purge sales are also something to look out for. Purge sales are when sellers post multiple pieces of merchandise at cheap prices in order to clear out their excess stock.
Most of these sales are made up of common clothing and accessories belonging to multiple dolls. Look at some of the items to see if they match up with the ones you have in your collection. If so, expect to fetch just a few bucks for those pieces.
Buyers also tend to put out calls for specific items, and will state their spending limits on each. They might also share their latest purchases as well as what they paid for them. Keep track of what collectors are spending for items that resemble yours to get an idea of what the average buyer is currently willing to pay.
Common American Girl items you’ll see online
You can find collectible items from every era of American Girl online, but some types are more in-demand than others.
“If a doll is very unique, if they have a face mold that’s not typically common, or if it’s a doll of color, they tend to be very popular,” Francessca, an American Girl doll collector for the past 16 years, says.
“Kanani [a more modern Hawaiian doll who was the 2011 Girl of the Year] has very long hair, and she is bi-racial and Hawaiian, so she was very popular. At one time, she would go for $300 resale. Now, you tend to see her for resale [at] about $100, which is pretty fair because you’re still getting the price you paid for the doll if she’s in good, used condition.”
AGDollCollector101 adds: “Girl of the Year items are some of the most common items I see. After 2006, the Girl of the Year line really rose in popularity, and items started selling out fast, so whenever a new doll and her collection is released, many people will buy as much as they can and sell it later on eBay.”
Determining your American Girl doll’s value
In terms of what to charge for your pieces, AGDollCollector 101 says: “The best way to get a fair estimate of an item is to use a combination of the American Girl Wiki, eBay, Facebook, Craigslist, or other third party sites.”
On eBay, you can filter a search for American Girl doll merchandise to show only “sold items,” so that you can see how much items are currently selling for. Occasionally, you’ll also see a big ticket item that sold for around $3,000, but that’s a rarity, with most American Girl gear selling at or below their original cost.
It is also important to know the terminology and what to look for on your American Girl merchandise. Buyers look for specific details in the dolls when making their purchases. This information is crucial to posting an item for sale.
Francessca says that some important things to note include odors, marks, whether the doll can hold a pose, and whether the hair is dry.
“Most importantly, people want to know the condition of the doll they’re getting. Is it new in the box, or is it used?” she explains. “Another thing is, if you have the box, the value can increase.”
AGDollCollector101 adds that besides condition and year, the name of the doll is also important to know.
“Names are tricky because the modern dolls are only identified through numbers, and those numbers were, until recently, not displayed on American Girl's website,” she says. “The American Girl Wiki, though, has a huge visual chart of ‘Truly Me,’ ‘Girl of Today,’ ‘My American Girl,’ etc. dolls that is super helpful and lists them all in [numerical] order [to help identify dolls and determine its possible value]. You can also find information about all the named characters there, too.”
Proof of authenticity
Mattel took over The Pleasant Company in 1998. So, the initials “PM,” or the word “pre-Mattel,” are used to indicate an older doll on merchandise listings. The older the better, but for top dollar, you have to prove it.
If you have a certificate of authenticity signed by Pleasant Rowland or a doll with writing on its body indicating the date and a number, your value will skyrocket.
If the doll is in perfect condition or mint and still in the box, you might be able to fetch within the $1,000-$3,000 price range.
Recent big sales posted on eBay’s “sold” section include a Samantha doll in pristine condition which sold for $2,999 in October 2019, a signed Kristin doll that sold for $3,000 in November 2019, and a Molly doll with accessories that went for close to $1,000 in December 2019.
Check the color of the doll’s body
You might have thrown away your box, and you may not know what year you got your doll, but does it have a white body? Dolls whose bodies are made of white fabric are some of the earliest made dolls. Any doll with a tan body indicates that it was made after 1991.
Again, condition of the doll is crucial. Some white body dolls sell for less than their original price on eBay while tan body dolls in better condition will sell for a few hundred dollars, with or without an outfit.
Investigate for tags and stamps
While they don’t help so much with price, different tags and stamps on your doll can also help to pinpoint the year or era that your doll was made, especially if you are not the original owner.
According to the American Girl Guide on eBay, the earliest dolls and clothes will say “Made in Germany.” Others will have a copyright date of 1986, though this doesn’t mean that it was necessarily made in 1986.
AGDollCollector101 says: “Some Mattel dolls have ‘Pleasant Company’ stamped onto their necks because that's when the face mold was created. Pleasant Company dolls often have flat necklines with no puckering like the dolls produced after that, and some minor differences in vinyl (they'll look older).”
Also, look for a stamp on the back of a doll’s neck. Dolls made before 2005 have a “Pleasant Company” copyright while those made after 2005 read “American Girl LLC.” The more uneven the lettering on the stamp, the older the doll may be.
If you find an “X” stamp on its back, it means that it’s from an outlet store. Other marks may indicate that the doll has been repaired at some point while others do nothing to indicate age or value. If you’re unsure of a mark, ask around in the collecting community, and post a picture to see if anyone can identify what it means.
How you store your doll matters
Where and how a doll has been stored is another factor that goes into determining its value. Legitimate sellers make sure to disclose every detail. They will let you know if they are the original owners of the doll or if it was purchased from someone else. Some will also mention if their doll was stored in a smoke-free or pet-free home.
AGDollColllector101 advises: “In terms of storage … make sure to keep them somewhere not too hot. The attic isn't a really good idea, but a closet is fine. There are plenty of storage solutions out there, but to save money, I would simply use the boxes the dolls come in.”
The main thing is to keep the dolls out of warm places. The heat can cause the dye in their clothing to bleed and transfer, which would essentially ruin your product.
Honesty is always the best policy
Legitimate sellers are truthful about any and all wear-or-tear on the doll.
They admit to holes in the doll or clothes, ink stains, chew marks, missing eyelashes, cut hair, and whether or not she can stand unassisted. Buyers want to know if she has ever been repaired, if her head is original, if her neck string has ever been cut, and if her eyes stay open or closed.
Most importantly, sellers should post high-quality photographs from multiple angles to paint as clear a picture as possible for the potential buyer.
AGDollCollector101 stresses that a thorough collection of photos is ideal when posting a doll for sale.
“Make sure to take pictures of the full doll, a good close up of the face, neck (especially if there is a unique neck stamp or artist's mark or other identifying trait on it), a photo of how tight the limbs are, of the doll lying down, and identify any large marks or problems with the doll.”
To repair or not to repair?
Maybe your doll is older and the elastic in her limbs is worn, so she can’t sit or stand on her own anymore. Or, maybe her eyes don’t close when you lay her down, or her eye color has faded to silver. Whatever the problem, you always have the option of taking your injured doll to American Girl’s “Doll Hospital.”
Doll owners in the U.S. and internationally can mail their damaged and ailing dolls back to the American Girl doll company where they will reattach limbs, remove marks, replace eyes, or do other repairs. The doll is then shipped back to the owner complete with a hospital gown, ID bracelet, Certificate of Good Health, and a Get Well Card.
However, this service comes at a price. So is it worth sending your American Girl doll back to the company to have it repaired before you try to sell it?
AGDollCollector101 says that in most cases, it’s not a good idea to send a doll in for repairs.
“It's incredibly expensive with shipping and repairs. Just a new head can be $40. Some older dolls, such as Lindsey (Girl of the Year 2001), have stopped being repaired by the doll hospital, too. So that could be an issue, especially more in the future as it becomes harder for the company to continue to keep older doll heads in stock.”
However, AGDollCollector101 does admit that certain small issues may be worth sending back for repairs.
“One issue they are great about, though, is silver eye: where the eye decal starts to peel away and the eyes look silver. It happens mostly on blue-eyed Pleasant Company dolls, but it is repaired for free because it is an actual defect with the doll, even if the doll is 10-plus years old.”
And, even if your doll needs repairs, but you don’t feel like sending it in, that doesn’t mean no one will want to buy it.
“It will sell eventually,” AGDollCollector101 says, “and it's important to remember that damaged, TLC dolls can still be bought and used by collectors.”
DIY restoration is also an option
What about a fix that you think you can do yourself, such as washing dirty hair and skin? Only certain DIY restorations are a good idea.
Francessca advises: “Never use your own brush on a doll. Always use a wig brush or the American Girl brush. And lightly mist the hair with a spray bottle of water. Don’t spray water in the eyes because they do rust.”
In terms of what else you shouldn’t do to fix your doll’s hair, AGDollCollector1 warns: “American Girl dolls have synthetic hair made of plastic. So it's important to remember that no matter how much restoration work you do, that hair is still broken/dry/split and it can't ever be like new.
“Downy dunks are another treatment I don't recommend. It involves soaking your doll's hair in fabric softener (most commonly Downy), and while it does smooth hair, it increases the chances of mold and can be a lot more hassle than it's worth. I recommend a simple conditioning with a light conditioner without harsh sulfates, making sure no water gets under the wig cap.
“Dolls also don't need shampoo unless their hair is really dirty. Most of the time it just needs to be smoothed out.”
She also warned against trying to tighten a doll’s limbs using rubber bands.
The nuts and bolts of selling your American Girl doll
You now know that online prices vary. Though an original Molly did sell for $3,000 as mentioned above, a pre-owned Molly from 1986 recently sold for just $360 —still a profit, but significantly smaller.
When it comes to finding buyers, AGDollCollector101 suggests starting small and selling to people you know when you’re first putting your dolls up for sale.
“When you're looking at your older doll collection, try selling locally before you go to eBay or other big sites. Post it on Facebook and Craigslist, or tell your friends,” she says.
“If you do have to post it on eBay, simply be a good seller and be willing to provide more information and post plenty of photos. Most collectors looking on eBay already know what they want and how much they're willing to spend on it. You can put items on auction, too, if you're really unsure about the price.”
Finally: Getting paid
Once you find someone who wants to buy your doll, the best, most-trusted way to complete the payment transaction is through PayPal.
Francessca says: “Always do an invoice through PayPal. That way, the buyer and seller are both protected should something go wrong. You can dispute it with them through PayPal.”
And, if you find that you’re not getting any bids or offers on your American Girl doll, consider dropping your price.
But also, don’t get desperate.Sometimes it takes time for sales to happen.
As AGDollCollector101 notes, “At the end of the day, American Girl stuff is so widely popular that it will sell one way or another.”
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