SHOPPING FOR YOUR AMERICAN GIRL 18 INCH DOLL-PART 2

Other retailers have tried to copy the success of American Girl by offering lower cost dolls, clothing and accessories.  This is a good idea for those that cannot afford the real thing.  I have looked at what the other retailers have to offer on 18 inch dolls and in my opinion, they cannot match the beauty and quality of American Girl.  However, if your child is not going to take care of her doll, the cheaper dolls would be the best bet for you.  These lower cost dolls can be found at Target, Walmart, Kmart, and Toys R US.  There are other retailers that offer 18 inch dolls, but I am not familiar with them.  

When buying clothing and accessories for you AG, the off brands are cheaper, but so is the quality.  Walmart offers dolls, clothing and accessories called "MY LIFE".  The clothing will fit your doll, but some of the outfits may fit tight.  I do not find good quality in the clothing and do not think they will hold up for long.  They use cheap materials and I should know.  I design and make handcrafted clothing for my store, so I know good material when I see it.  I also make my clothing to last and I cannot see the same care put into the "MY LIFE" line.  The accessories are to scale.  The tent set and wheelchair set are nice.  Use caution buying shoes and boots.  Not all will fit.

This is my aqua butterfly skorts set.  For those not familiar with "skorts" they are a skirt and shorts combined.


"Toys R US" puts out a line for 18 inch dolls called "Journey Girls".  I personally thought their dolls lacked quality as much as the "MY LIFE" brand.  I have no first hand knowledge on the clothing, but based on the reviews I read left by some of the parents, American Girl cannot wear the "Journey Girls" clothing line and vise versa.  The accessories are to scale and some of them are nicely made.  So, caution should be aired on purchasing the "Journey Girls" clothing for American Girl, because their bodies are not exactly the same.  You may also have problems with shoes and boots as their foot does not look as big as AG's.

Target's 18 inch doll line is called "Our Generation".  Their dolls are cheaper than those at "Toys R US" and Walmart, but the quality could also be cheap.  When they first started selling 18 inch dolls, their doll line was called BATTAT.  These dolls were made fairly well, but the trunk of their bodies are smaller than American Girl dolls.  So, this new line may be the same.  If that is the case, then their clothing would not fit.  I know their shoes do not.  I have not examined their clothing, so I do not know what kind of quality they have.  They have nice accessories for 18 inch dolls and at the present time, they are having a 40% off sale.  Buy one item and get the next item 40% off.   I provided the link for you.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and please feel free to share any comments you have about your shopping experience.